Patents by Inventor Kuo-Ji Chen

Kuo-Ji Chen 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).

  • Patent number: 7248076
    Abstract: A dual-voltage three-state buffer circuit controls a post driver circuit to operate in a three-state mode and includes a tri-state logic control module operated under a low supply voltage, a level shifter for receiving one or more inputs from the tri-state logic control module and operating with an output control circuit for controlling two differential outputs of the level shifter, and a post driver circuit driven by the two differential outputs of the level shifter, wherein the level shifter, the output control circuit, an the post driver circuit are operated under a high supply voltage, and wherein when the tri-state logic control module generates the inputs for putting the post driver circuit in a high impedance state, the output control circuit operates with the level shifter to turn off the PMOS and NMOS transistors of the post driver circuit while isolating the level shifter from a high supply voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company
    Inventors: Kuo-Ji Chen, Ker-Min Chen
  • Patent number: 7205823
    Abstract: An oscillating buffer is coupled to an oscillating source, in parallel, for providing a predetermined waveform at a predetermined frequency for a core circuit with a plurality of MOS transistors operating at a core voltage. In one embodiment, the oscillating buffer includes an inverter, coupled between the core voltage and ground, for amplifying an input signal from the oscillating source. The inverter has one or more MOS transistors with gate oxides of a thickness substantially the same as that of the MOS transistors of the core circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2007
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kuo-Ji Chen
  • Publication number: 20070069770
    Abstract: An input buffer includes a signal passing module for generating a first output signal in response to the input signal based on a comparison between the input signal and a first supply voltage thereof; a regulating module having a first input terminal receiving the input signal and a second input terminal receiving the first output signal for generating a second output signal within a first predetermined voltage range; and a level down module for generating a third output signal within a second predetermined voltage range for the core circuitry in response to the second output signal. The input signal passes through the signal passing module with a substantial voltage drop when a voltage level of the input signal is substantially greater than the first supply voltage, and without a substantial voltage drop when the voltage level of the same is less than or equal to the first supply voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2005
    Publication date: March 29, 2007
    Inventor: Kuo-Ji Chen
  • Patent number: 7193441
    Abstract: A high voltage buffer module used in an input/output buffer circuit coupled between a high voltage circuit and a low voltage circuit, operates between a first supply voltage and its complementary second supply voltage. A pull-up module, coupled between the first supply voltage and an output node, outputs the first supply voltage to the output node, in response to an input signal. A voltage detection circuit provides the pull-up module with at least one bias voltage selected from a predetermined set of voltage levels, wherein the voltage detection circuit selects the bias voltage upon detecting a reduction of the first supply voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kuo-Ji Chen, Ker-Min Chen
  • Patent number: 7173472
    Abstract: An input buffer for interfacing a high voltage signal received at an input node to a low voltage circuit comprising low voltage devices is provided. The buffer includes a threshold adjustment circuit including an inverter coupled to a threshold adjusted output node. The inverter includes low voltage devices and is coupled between a high supply voltage node and a ground node. The inverter includes a first and second transistors having biasing nodes coupled to a low voltage supply node of the low voltage circuit and coupled to the threshold adjusted output node. The adjustment circuit provides at the threshold adjusted output node an inverted signal corresponding to the high voltage input signal. The buffer also includes a level shifting circuit including low voltage devices and provides a low voltage signal corresponding to the high voltage input signal in response to said inverted signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2007
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kuo-Ji Chen, Tsung-Hsin Yu, Ker-Min Chen
  • Patent number: 7151391
    Abstract: An integrated circuit for level-shifting voltage signals comprising an input/output pad, and an input/output circuit coupled to the output pad having a plurality of devices operating with a bias supply voltage operable to shift between the range of the bias supply voltage to the range of an input/output supply voltage that is higher than the bias supply voltage is provided. In addition, an integrated circuit comprises an input circuit coupled to an input pad operable to input shift signals from an input/output supply voltage range to a core supply voltage range, an output circuit coupled to an output pad operable to shift output signals from a bias supply voltage range to an input/output supply voltage range, and a core circuit coupled to the input and output circuits and having a gate dielectric thickness substantially similar to a gate dielectric thickness of the input circuit and the output circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2006
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ker-Min Chen, Kuo-Ji Chen
  • Publication number: 20060197616
    Abstract: An oscillating buffer is coupled to an oscillating source, in parallel, for providing a predetermined waveform at a predetermined frequency for a core circuit with a plurality of MOS transistors operating at a core voltage. In one embodiment, the oscillating buffer includes an inverter, coupled between the core voltage and ground, for amplifying an input signal from the oscillating source. The inverter has one or more MOS transistors with gate oxides of a thickness substantially the same as that of the MOS transistors of the core circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2005
    Publication date: September 7, 2006
    Inventor: Kuo-Ji Chen
  • Publication number: 20060186921
    Abstract: A dual-voltage three-state buffer circuit controls a post driver circuit to operate in a three-state mode and includes a tri-state logic control module operated under a low supply voltage, a level shifter for receiving one or more inputs from the tri-state logic control module and operating with an output control circuit for controlling two differential outputs of the level shifter, and a post driver circuit driven by the two differential outputs of the level shifter, wherein the level shifter, the output control circuit, an the post driver circuit are operated under a high supply voltage, and wherein when the tri-state logic control module generates the inputs for putting the post driver circuit in a high impedance state, the output control circuit operates with the level shifter to turn off the PMOS and NMOS transistors of the post driver circuit while isolating the level shifter from a high supply voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2005
    Publication date: August 24, 2006
    Inventors: Kuo-Ji Chen, Ker-Min Chen
  • Publication number: 20060103435
    Abstract: A high voltage buffer module used in an input/output buffer circuit coupled between a high voltage circuit and a low voltage circuit, operates between a first supply voltage and its complementary second supply voltage. A pull-up module, coupled between the first supply voltage and an output node, outputs the first supply voltage to the output node, in response to an input signal. A voltage detection circuit provides the pull-up module with at least one bias voltage selected from a predetermined set of voltage levels, wherein the voltage detection circuit selects the bias voltage upon detecting a reduction of the first supply voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2004
    Publication date: May 18, 2006
    Inventors: Kuo-Ji Chen, Ker-Min Chen
  • Publication number: 20050270079
    Abstract: An input buffer for interfacing a high voltage signal received at an input node to a low voltage circuit comprising low voltage devices is provided. The buffer includes a threshold adjustment circuit including an inverter coupled to a threshold adjusted output node. The inverter includes low voltage devices and is coupled between a high supply voltage node and a ground node. The inverter includes a first and second transistors having biasing nodes coupled to a low voltage supply node of the low voltage circuit and coupled to the threshold adjusted output node. The adjustment circuit provides at the threshold adjusted output node an inverted signal corresponding to the high voltage input signal. The buffer also includes a level shifting circuit including low voltage devices and provides a low voltage signal corresponding to the high voltage input signal in response to said inverted signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 3, 2004
    Publication date: December 8, 2005
    Inventors: Kuo-Ji Chen, Tsung-Hsing Yu, Ker-Min Chen
  • Publication number: 20050258864
    Abstract: An integrated circuit for level-shifting voltage signals comprises an input/output pad, and an input/output circuit coupled to the output pad having a plurality of devices operating with a bias supply voltage operable to shift between the range of the bias supply voltage to the range of an input/output supply voltage that is higher than the bias supply voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2004
    Publication date: November 24, 2005
    Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Ker-Mih Chen, Kuo-Ji Chen
  • Publication number: 20030059968
    Abstract: A method for producing a field emission display, especially for producing a carbon nanotube field emission display, is invented. The invention is to produce a field emission display via different control media, e.g. diode or triode field emission arrays. In addition, the invention discloses the procedure of controlling the field emission array of carbon nanotube stably by thin film transistor technology, and provides the method of producing the collimated carbon nanotube.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2002
    Publication date: March 27, 2003
    Applicant: National Science Council
    Inventors: Huang-Chung Cheng, Fu-Gow Tarntair, Kuo-Ji Chen