Patents by Inventor Bill Kraus
Bill Kraus has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 7233194Abstract: This invention is a new CMOS voltage booster (20) having an output which can be used in memories to boost the word line voltage above VDD or other voltage boosting applications. The CMOS booster includes a NMOS FET (MN1) to charge a boosting capacitor (C1) to VDD at the end of each memory access and includes a PMOS FET (MP1, MP2) to keep the voltage at the output at VDD during standby. By using this combination, the word line rise time, the size of the booster, and the power consumption during access are significantly reduced. The gate of the NMOS FET (MN1) is boosted above VDD+Vthn by a small capacitor (C2) to charge the word line boosting capacitor to VDD at the end of each memory access. The small capacitor (C2) is pre-charged to VDD by a NMOSFET (MN2) whose gate is connected to the word line boosting capacitor. The gate of each PMOS FET (MP1, MP2) is shorted to its source to turn if off during boostenig. Transistor (MP3) facilitates boosting the NMOS FET (MN1) above VDD.Type: GrantFiled: October 9, 2003Date of Patent: June 19, 2007Assignee: Texas Instruments IncorporatedInventors: Xiao Hong Du, Jarrod Eliason, Yunchen Qiu, Bill Kraus
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Patent number: 6909318Abstract: This invention is a new CMOS voltage booster (20) having an output which can be used in memories to boost the word line voltage above VDD or other voltage boosting applications. The CMOS booster includes a NMOS FET (MN1) to charge a boosting capacitor (C1) to VDD at the end of each memory access and includes a PMOS FET (MP1, MP2) to keep the voltage at the output at VDD during standby. By using this combination, the word line rise time, the size of the booster, and the power consumption during access are significantly reduced. The gate of the NMOS FET (MN1) is boosted above VDD+Vthn by a small capacitor (C2) to charge the word line boosting capacitor to VDD at the end of each memory access. The small capacitor (C2) is pre-charged to VDD by a NMOSFET (MN2) whose gate is connected to the word line boosting capacitor. The gate of each PMOS FET (MP1, MP2) is shorted to ists source to turn if off during boostenig. Ttransistor (MP3) facilitates boosting the NMOS FET (MN1) above VDD.Type: GrantFiled: August 27, 2003Date of Patent: June 21, 2005Assignee: Texas Instruments IncorporatedInventors: Xiao Hong Du, Jarrod Eliason, Yunchen Qiu, Bill Kraus
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Patent number: 6864738Abstract: This invention is a new CMOS voltage booster (20) having an output which can be used in memories to boost the word line voltage above VDD or other voltage boosting applications. One key idea in this CMOS booster is to use a NMOS FET (MN1) to charge the boosting capacitor (C1) to VDD at the end of each memory access and to use a PMOS FET (MP1, MP2) to keep the voltage at the output at VDD during standby. By using this combination, the word line rise time, the size of the booster, and the power consumption during access are significantly reduced. The gate of the NMOS FET is boosted above VDD+Vthn by a small capacitor (C2) to charge the word line boosting capacitor to VDD at the end of each memory access. The small capacitor (C2) is pre-charged to VDD by a NMOSFET (MN2) whose gate is connected to the word line boosting capacitor. The gate of the PMOS FET is shorted to its source to turn it off during boosting.Type: GrantFiled: January 6, 2003Date of Patent: March 8, 2005Assignee: Texas Instruments IncorporatedInventors: Xiao Hong Du, Jarrod Eliason, Yunchen Qiu, Bill Kraus
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Patent number: 6819601Abstract: A ferroelectric memory device is disclosed and comprises a logic programmable capacitance reference circuit. The circuit is adapted to generate a reference voltage during a sense mode of operation, wherein the reference voltage comprises a value that is a function of one or more memory conditions. The memory device further comprises a bit line pair, wherein a first bit line of the bit line pair has a ferroelectric capacitor coupled thereto for sensing thereof, and a second bit line of the bit line pair is coupled to the reference voltage. A sense circuit is coupled to the bit line pair and is configured to detect a data state associated with the ferroelectric capacitor using a voltage associated with the first bit line and the reference voltage on the second bit line.Type: GrantFiled: June 5, 2003Date of Patent: November 16, 2004Assignee: Texas Instruments IncorporatedInventors: Jarrod Eliason, Bill Kraus, Hugh McAdams, Scott Summerfelt, Theodore S. Moise
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Publication number: 20040174750Abstract: A ferroelectric memory device is disclosed and comprises a logic programmable capacitance reference circuit. The circuit is adapted to generate a reference voltage during a sense mode of operation, wherein the reference voltage comprises a value that is a function of one or more memory conditions. The memory device further comprises a bit line pair, wherein a first bit line of the bit line pair has a ferroelectric capacitor coupled thereto for sensing thereof, and a second bit line of the bit line pair is coupled to the reference voltage. A sense circuit is coupled to the bit line pair and is configured to detect a data state associated with the ferroelectric capacitor using a voltage associated with the first bit line and the reference voltage on the second bit line.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 5, 2003Publication date: September 9, 2004Inventors: Jarrod Eliason, Bill Kraus, Hugh McAdams, Scott Summerfelt, Theodore S. Moise
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Publication number: 20040130381Abstract: This invention is a new CMOS voltage booster (20) having an output which can be used in memories to boost the word line voltage above VDD or other voltage boosting applications. One key idea in this CMOS booster is to use a NMOS FET (MN1) to charge the boosting capacitor (C1) to VDD at the end of each memory access and to use a PMOS FET (MP1, MP2) to keep the voltage at the output at VDD during standby. By using this combination, the word line rise time, the size of the booster, and the power consumption during access are significantly reduced. The gate of the NMOS FET is boosted above VDD+Vthn by a small capacitor (C2) to charge the word line boosting capacitor to VDD at the end of each memory access. The small capacitor (C2) is pre-charged to VDD by a NMOSFET (MN2) whose gate is connected to the word line boosting capacitor. The gate of the PMOS FET is shorted to its source to turn it off during boosting.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 6, 2003Publication date: July 8, 2004Inventors: Xiao Hong Du, Jarrod Eliason, Yunchen Qiu, Bill Kraus
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Publication number: 20040130382Abstract: This invention is a new CMOS voltage booster (20) having an output which can be used in memories to boost the word line voltage above VDD or other voltage boosting applications. The CMOS booster includes a NMOS FET (MN1) to charge a boosting capacitor (C1) to VDD at the end of each memory access and includes a PMOS FET (MP1, MP2) to keep the voltage at the output at VDD during standby. By using this combination, the word line rise time, the size of the booster, and the power consumption during access are significantly reduced. The gate of the NMOS FET (MN1) is boosted above VDD+Vthn by a small capacitor (C2) to charge the word line boosting capacitor to VDD at the end of each memory access. The small capacitor (C2) is pre-charged to VDD by a NMOSFET (MN2) whose gate is connected to the word line boosting capacitor. The gate of each PMOS FET (MP1, MP2) is shorted to ists source to turn if off during boostenig. Ttransistor (MP3) facilitates boosting the NMOS FET (MN1) above VDD.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 27, 2003Publication date: July 8, 2004Inventors: Xiao Hong Du, Jarrod Eliason, Yunchen Qiu, Bill Kraus
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Publication number: 20040130383Abstract: This invention is a new CMOS voltage booster (20) having an output which can be used in memories to boost the word line voltage above VDD or other voltage boosting applications. The CMOS booster includes a NMOS FET (MN1) to charge a boosting capacitor (C1) to VDD at the end of each memory access and includes a PMOS FET (MP1, MP2) to keep the voltage at the output at VDD during standby. By using this combination, the word line rise time, the size of the booster, and the power consumption during access are significantly reduced. The gate of the NMOS FET (MN1) is boosted above VDD+Vthn by a small capacitor (C2) to charge the word line boosting capacitor to VDD at the end of each memory access. The small capacitor (C2) is pre-charged to VDD by a NMOSFET (MN2) whose gate is connected to the word line boosting capacitor. The gate of each PMOS FET (MP1, MP2) is shorted to its source to turn if off during boostenig. Transistor (MP3) facilitates boosting the NMOS FET (MN1) above VDD.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 9, 2003Publication date: July 8, 2004Inventors: Xiao Hong Du, Jarrod Eliason, Yunchen Qiu, Bill Kraus