Leakage (static) power
Beginner
Power a chip wastes just by being switched on, even when it is doing nothing.
Novice
Power drawn by current that trickles through transistors that are supposed to be off. It is paid whether or not anything switches, and it grows with temperature.
Expert
Mostly subthreshold leakage, plus leakage through the gate insulator and the junctions. Subthreshold current rises about tenfold for each ~100 mV drop in threshold voltage and rises with temperature, so the hot case sets the leakage budget. It is controlled with slower, low-leakage (high-threshold) cells, power gating and body bias.
Explained in Specification (Design Flow).
See also: Threshold voltage (Vt), Dynamic power.