Abstract: An antifuse programming, protection, and sensing device incorporates a control circuit to program and protect an antifuse. The antifuse, which is initially constructed as a low conductivity path, is programmable to a high conductivity path by application of an elevated voltage across terminals of the antifuse. Application of 0 volts to the VDD node of a conduction control portion of the antifuse programming, protection, and sensing device allows an elevated voltage for programming to be applied to the antifuse. Upon application of a nominal working voltage to the VDD node of the conduction control circuitry, the antifuse and an adjoining sense amplifier circuit are protected from overvoltage and tampering. The sense amplifier supplies a sense current to the antifuse, measures a voltage at an input to the antifuse, and determines a programmed state if a measured voltage level is low.

Abstract: In a voltage-level shifter, an input line is configured to convey an input voltage to be shifted. A pair of transistors is coupled to and is configured to receive the input voltage from the input line. There is a first side and a second side, with each side comprising the following: a low-voltage transistor that is coupled to the pair of transistors, a medium-voltage transistor that is coupled to the low-voltage transistor, a high-voltage transistor that is coupled to the medium-voltage transistor, and an output line, which is coupled to the first and second sides, for providing an output voltage that is higher than the input voltage.

Abstract: A charge pump clock for a memory device wherein pump clock signals are generated at an adaptive rate. The circuit of the present invention generates clock edges at a minimum of TD seconds apart so long as address transitions do not exceed a pre-determined limit. However, if address changes are occurring more frequently than this limit, i.e., 1/(2*TD), then clock edges will be generated at a rate that is proportional to the rate of address changes, where TD is approximately half of the address period. Two logic rules are implemented in hardware or equivalent software to make the clock signal adjustments.

Abstract: A charge pump clock for a memory device wherein pump clock signals are generated at an adaptive rate. The circuit of the present invention generates clock edges at a minimum of TD seconds apart so long as address transitions do not exceed a pre-determined limit. However, if address changes are occurring more frequently than this limit, i.e., 1/(2*TD), then clock edges will be generated at a rate that is proportional to the rate of address changes, where TD is approximately half of the address period. Two logic rules are implemented in hardware or equivalent software to make the clock signal adjustments.

Abstract: An on-chip interface circuit located between the chip's power supply pin and its internal circuitry senses the current load of the internal circuitry and provides a supplemental current sink so that total current demand seen at the power supply pin is substantially constant despite the internal circuitry's variable load. Sensing of the internal load is done by a sensor stage with two parallel branches, each branch having a resistor, a sense transistor, and a current mirror device, which together produce a voltage drop as a control voltage output which relates the internal load to a constant reference current. The supplemental current sink is in the form of a transistor operating below saturation in its linear region and whose gate is coupled to receive the control voltage output of the sensor stage.