Abstract: A multi emitter multi input BICMOS NAND circuit (30) is provided wherein an output node OUT connected to an output terminal (33) is coupled between pull up (31) and pull down (32) blocks. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the pull up block (32) is comprised of a plurality of identical basic cells, each comprised of a CMOS inverter (C31, C32) driving an NPN pull up transistor (T31, T32) mounted as an emitter follower. Logic signals (A31, A32) are applied on the inputs of the inverters (C31, C32), and the inverted signal (A31, A32) is available at the emitter of the emitter follower which corresponds to the output of the cell. All outputs are tied altogether to perform an OR function and are connected to said output terminal (33) to have a multi emitter like circuit.

Abstract: A CMOS FET master slice integrated circuit (20) of the gate-array type implemented in a semiconductor logic chip, comprises a plurality of core cells (CELL1, CELL2, . . . ) arranged adjacent one another on a repetitive basis in a row direction to form horizontal stripe shaped functional gate region (21) of a determined height (H). Each core cell (e.g., CELL1) is comprised of four different sized devices: one small and one large NFET (N1.1, N2.1), thus one small and one larger PFET (P1.1, P2.1), that are disposed in a column direction. The NFETs have separate gate electrodes (GN1.1, GN2.1) to define individual devices, while the PFETs have preferably a common gate electrode (GP1) to define a single device. The relative size of NFETs and PFETs have been optimized to provide the required functionality to the latches and to ensure the balanced rise and fall delays in a maximum of basic logic circuits of the chip.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a CMOS interface circuit (C2) similar to a latch made by two CMOS cross coupled inverters (INV1, INV2) is placed directly on the output node (14) of conventional BICMOS logic circuit (11) operating alone in a partial swing mode. This latch is made of four FETs P5, P6, N8, N9 cross-coupled in a conventional way with the feedback loop connected to said output node (14). The partial voltage swing (VBE to VH-VBE) naturally given by the output bipolar transistors (T1, T2) mounted in a push pull configuration is reinforced to full swing (GND to VH) by the latch at the end of each transition. The state of the output node if forced by the latch because of the high driving capability due to the presence of said output bipolar transistors (T1, T2). As a result, the improved BICMOS logic circuit (D2) has an output signal (S) that ranges within the desired full swing voltage at the output terminal (15).