Abstract: A programmable element that has a first diode having an electrode and a first insulator disposed between the substrate and said electrode of said first device, said first insulator having a first value of a given characteristic, and an FET having an electrode and a second insulator disposed between the substrate and said electrode of said second device, said second insulator having a second value of said given characteristic that is different from said first value. The electrodes of the diode and the FET are coupled to one another, and a source of programming energy is coupled to the diode to cause it to permanently decrease in resistivity when programmed. The programmed state of the diode is indicated by a current in the FET, which is read by a sense latch. Thus a small resistance change in the diode translates to a large signal gain/change in the latch. This allows the diode to be programmed at lower voltages.

Abstract: An SRAM cell with gate tunneling load devices. The SRAM cell uses PFET wordline transistors and NFET cross-coupled transistors. The PFET wordline transistors are fully conductive during read operations, thus a full voltage level is passed through the PFET to the high node of the cell from the bitline. Tunnel current load devices maintain the high node of the cell at full voltage level during standby state.

Abstract: A precision voltage reference for ultra-thin gate oxide process technologies is realized with a network of tunneling current circuit elements. A voltage difference is measured between selected nodes of one or more current paths of a voltage divider. The tunneling current circuit element may be implemented with any suitable device, such as a parallel plate capacitor or MOSFET. The physical properties of gate tunneling currents enable the voltage reference output to be largely independent of temperature. The circuit may be implemented for low voltage operations with input power supply values of 1.2 volts or less. The output voltage tolerance may be designed to be about ±25% or less of a power supply voltage tolerance. In addition, variations in gate oxide thickness account for a change of less than about ±2% in the voltage reference generator output.

Abstract: An ECC based system and method within an integrated circuit memory for self-repair of a failed memory element is disclosed. The method includes processing, within the integrated circuit, data and check bits retrieved from addressed memory locations therein. The locations of memory failures are automatically recorded within the integrated circuit. Logic circuits within the integrated circuit automatically identify failure patterns based on the locations. Based on the identified failure patterns, logic circuits within the integrated circuit then permanently replace a failed memory element with an appropriate redundancy element, using devices such as electronic fuse or antifuse. In this manner, the integrated circuit automatically identifies and effects self repair of a failed memory element therein.

Abstract: Techniques and systems whereby operation of and/or access to particular features of an electronic device may be controlled after the device has left the control of the manufacturer are provided. The operation and/or access may be provided based on values stored in non-volatile storage elements, such as electrically programmable fused (eFUSES).

Abstract: Techniques and systems whereby operation of and/or access to particular features of an electronic device may be controlled after the device has left the control of the manufacturer are provided. The operation and/or access may be provided based on values stored in non-volatile storage elements, such as electrically programmable fused (eFUSES).

Abstract: Techniques and systems whereby operation of and/or access to particular features of an electronic device may be controlled after the device has left the control of the manufacturer are provided. The operation and/or access may be provided based on values stored in non-volatile storage elements, such as electrically programmable fused (eFUSES).

Abstract: A voltage divider for integrated circuits that does not include the use of resistors. In one embodiment, voltage node VDD is connected with two n-type transistors, NFET1 and NFET2, which are connected in series. NFET 1 includes a source (12), a drain (14), a gate electrode (16) having a gate area A1 (not shown), and a p-substrate (18). NFET2 includes a source (20), a drain (22), a gate electrode (24) having a gate area A2 (not shown), and a p-substrate (26). Source (12) and drain (14) of NFET1 are coupled with gate electrode (24) of NFET2. The voltage difference between NFET1 and NFET2 has a linear function with VDD. As a result, voltage VDD may be divided between NFET1 and NFET2 by properly choosing the ratio between each of the respective transistor gate electrode areas, (A1) and (A2).

Abstract: A fuse latch circuit with a current reference generator is described where the resistive switch point of the latch is stabilized against effects of manufacturing processing, operating voltage and temperature. A digital control word is used to select the desired resistive trip point of the fuse latch and compensation within the reference generator maintains this resistive trip point with high accuracy. The variable resistive trip point is set to a first value at test and then to a second value in use condition to enhance operating margin, and soft error immunity.

Abstract: A detector circuit and method for detecting a silicon well voltage or current to indicate an alpha particle or cosmic ray strike of the silicon well. One significant application for the detection circuit of the present invention is for the redundancy repair latches that are used in SRAMs. The redundancy repair latches are normally written once at power-up to record failed latch data and are not normally written again. If one of the latches changes states due to an SER (Soft Error Rate-such as a strike by an alpha particle or cosmic ray) event, the repair data in the redundancy latches of the SRAM would now be incorrectly mapped. The detector circuit and method monitors the latches for the occurrence of an SER event, and responsive thereto issues a reload of the repair data to the redundancy repair latches.

Abstract: An integrated circuit amplifier includes, in an exemplary embodiment, a first field effect transistor (FET) device configured as a source follower and a second FET device configured as a tunneling gate FET, the tunneling gate FET coupled to the source follower. The tunneling gate FET is further configured so as to set a transconductance of the amplifier and the source follower is configured so as to set an output conductance of the amplifier.

Abstract: A resettable fuse device is fabricated on one surface of a semiconductor substrate (10) and includes: a gate region (20) having first and second ends; a source node (81) formed in proximity to the first end of the gate region; an extension region (52) formed to connect the source node to the first end of the gate region; and a drain node (80) formed in proximity to the second end of the gate region and separated from the gate region by a distance (D) such that upon application of a predetermined bias voltage to the drain node a connection between the drain node and the second end of the gate region is completed by junction depletion. A gate dielectric (30) and a gate electrode (40) are formed over the gate region. Current flows between the source node and the drain node when the predetermined bias is applied to both the drain node and the gate electrode.

Abstract: An extruded concrete interlocking roof tile has upper and under surfaces, upper and lower edges, two opposite side edges, with the upper surface having a recess extending transversely between the two opposite side edges adjacent the upper edge for receiving a lower edge region of an adjacent tile in overlapping relationship, and in that an integral spacer acts between the recess floor and the undersurface of the adjacent tile.

Abstract: The invention includes an error correcting logic system that allows critical circuits to be hardened with only one redundant unit and without loss of circuit performance. The system provides an interconnecting gate that suppresses a fault in one of at least two redundant dynamic logic gates that feed to the interconnecting gate. The system is applicable to dynamic or static logic systems. The system prevents propagation of a fault, and addresses not only soft errors, but noise-induced errors.

Abstract: A method for controlling the burn-in temperature of a semiconductor chip includes determining a DC current of the chip, and determining a difference between the DC current and a target current, the target current being selected to produce a desired chip temperature. An operating frequency of the chip is calculated, based on the determined difference between the DC current and the target current, so as generate an additional AC component of current to attain the target current.

Abstract: A low-voltage differential amplifier circuit is disclosed. The low-voltage differential amplifier circuit includes a first differential amplifier, a second differential amplifier and a summing circuit. The first differential amplifier receives a pair of differential input signals to generate a first output. The second differential amplifier receives the same pair of differential input signals to generate a second output. The summing circuit sums the first output of the first differential amplifier and the second output of the second differential amplifier to provide a common output.

Abstract: A method and circuit for tunneling leakage current compensation, the method including: forcing a current of known value through a tunneling current leakage monitor device to provide a voltage signal; and regulating an on-chip power supply of the integrated circuit chip based on the voltage signal.

Abstract: A circuit, including: a capacitor coupled between a first circuit node and a second circuit node and that leaks a leakage current from the first circuit node to the second circuit node; and a compensation circuit adapted to supply a compensatory current to compensate for the leakage current to the first circuit node.

Abstract: A method and circuit for timing the start of a precharge period in an eDRAM. The circuit including: a delayed lock loop circuit for receiving a clock signal and generating a control signal for adjusting an internal delay of the clock signal; and means for generating a delayed clock signal in response to the control signal. The means for generating the delayed clock signal is a multiple stage delay circuit, each stage of the multiple delay stage circuit connected in series and each stage individually responsive to the control signal.

Abstract: A fuse latch circuit with a current reference generator is described where the resistive switch point of the latch is stabilized against effects of manufacturing processing, operating voltage and temperature. A digital control word is used to select the desired resistive trip point of the fuse latch and compensation within the reference generator maintains this resistive trip point with high accuracy. The variable resistive trip point is set to a first value at test and then to a second value in use condition to enhance operating margin, and soft error immunity.