Abstract: A signal receiver for an interface of an MPU or a memory has a differential amplifier for receiving an input signal from an input/output line for the IPU and the memory, an inverter for receiving the output of the differential amplifier, and a feed-back section for providing the signal receiver with a transfer characteristic having a hysteresis with respect to the input signal of tile signal receiver. The feed-back section includes a feed-back signal path and a feed-back current path formed between a supply line and the output of the differential amplifier. The output signal of the gate is feed-backed to the feed-back current path as a control signal for making the feed-back current path active or inactive to shift tile voltage level of the output of the differential amplifier. The gate is not operated by a transient oscillation of the input signal so that unnecessary power consumption due to tile transient oscillation of the input of tile signal receiver is avoided.

Abstract: A CMOS delay cell with feedback circuitry to ensure that the delay cell is operating in saturation mode. A voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) comprising a loop of an odd number of delay cells, where the VCO is operating in a saturation mode. Under normal operation any intermediate node in the VCO will generate an output signal from a delay cell with reduced supply noise. The output signal can be used to generate a PLL clock signal with a lower phase jitter than prior art VCO's operating at low supply potentials.

Abstract: An input buffer circuit is disclosed which provides better noise margin and sharper switching edges than previously known systems. This circuit includes an input level translator, a Schmitt trigger circuit coupled to the input level translator circuit, a buffer, and sleep function circuit. The sleep function circuit reduces power when the input buffer circuit is powered down. The Schmitt trigger circuit comprises the hysteresis transfer characteristic providing means of the present invention. The Schmitt trigger circuit and buffer circuit, both with properly matched beta values for the participating transistors, allows for improved noise immunity of and sharper switching edges for the input buffer of the present invention.

Abstract: A data input/output sensing circuit of a semiconductor memory device including a plurality of memory cells, the circuit comprises: input/output lines of the memory cell; data input/output terminals connected to outside of the memory cells; a single data input/output line connected between the input/output lines and the data input/output terminals; a sensing unit for sensing whether or not effective data is provided in the data input/output lines to thereby generate a sensing signal; an output driving unit for transmitting data of the data input/output lines to the data input/output terminals in response to the sensing signal; and a writing driving unit for inputting data of the data input/output terminals in response to the sensing signal.

Abstract: A hysteresis circuit comprises a first logic section, a second logic section cascaded with the first logic section, and circuitry for controlling hysteresis threshold voltages of the hysteresis circuit. The hysteresis controlling circuitry conducts current from a source of a first supply voltage to the output lead of the first logic section during a low-to-high transition of an input voltage on an input terminal of the hysteresis circuit. The hysteresis controlling circuitry conducts current from the output lead of the first logic section to a source of a second supply voltage during a high-to-low transition of the input voltage on the input terminal of the hysteresis circuit. A clock generator integrated circuit chip employing the hysteresis circuit in a voltage controlled oscillator can generate squarewave signals of 150 MHz onto a plurality of output terminals when powered from approximately 3.3 volts throughout a 0 to 70 degree Celsius temperature range, a clock skew of less than 0.

Abstract: An improved output driver circuit for a semiconductor integrated circuit device, wherein a stepped control voltage generation circuit is connected to the gate of a driving transistor for driving an output terminal DQ. The stepped control voltage generation circuit responds to an applied input data signal to provide a stepped control voltage changing in a stepped form including a plurality of steps to the gate of the driving transistor. The driving transistor therefore changes its state on a step by step basis from a cut off state to a conduction state. Thus, sharp change in output current flowing through the output terminal can be prevented, and noise caused by a parasitic inductance can be avoided, thus preventing an erroneous operation in the device.

Abstract: An integrated circuit memory (114) has a power supply independent address buffer (50) that comprises an inverter (60), a bipolar transistor (67), and a P-channel transistor (68). The inverter (60) has an output terminal coupled to a base of the bipolar transistor (67). The P-channel transistor (63) is for injecting a current at the output terminal of the inverter in response to a reference voltage. The reference voltage varies proportionally to variations of a power supply voltage in order to compensate for gate-to-source voltage changes of a P-channel transistor (61) of the inverter (60) that occurs as a result of a changing power supply voltage. For address buffer (50), a range of address transition times as a function of power supply voltage is decreased, thus improving an address set-up and hold time of the integrated circuit memory (114).

Abstract: In a semiconductor device, an input voltage is applied to a gate of a first MIS transistor of a first conductivity type and gates of second and third MIS transistors of a second conductivity type. The first MIS transistor is connected between a first power supply pad and an output node, the second MIS transistor is connected between the output node and a second power supply pad, and the third MIS transistor is connected between the output node and a third power supply pad.

Abstract: An integrated circuit chip with high level logic functions formed from a pass gate logic family. The logic for each logic book includes at least one pass gate. Each book has complementary outputs and a pseudo latch attached to its outputs. If the book is of one FET type, the pseudo latch is of the opposite type. Books are placed in the logic function such that the output pseudo latches redrive opposite logic levels on alternating stages of series-connected books.

Abstract: A CMOS inverter circuit is provided which includes a compensation circuit which modifies the input threshold of the inverter depending on changes in the supply voltage. The inverter includes a standard CMOS inverter, current boosting circuitry and a further inverter. The input of the inverter is coupled to the current boosting circuitry and the input of the further inverter. The current boosting circuitry is also coupled to one of the supply voltages. The current boosting circuitry is operative to effectively change the PMOS to NMOS ratio of the inverter to maintain a substantially constant input threshold to counter the effect of any change in supply voltage.

Abstract: In a signal transmitting device in a semiconductor apparatus, a second signal 29 and a third signal 40 are activated by the activation of a first signal 2 which is entered. More specifically, the third signal 40 is firstly activated, and the second signal 29 is then activated while the third signal 40 is being activated, and then the third signal 40 is inactivated. Further, a fourth signal 42 is activated by the activation of the second signal 29 or by the activation of the third signal 40. Accordingly, even though a noise removing circuit 80 or the like is disposed in a first signal transmitting circuit 70 for activating the second signal 29, the period of time required by the time the fourth signal 42 is activated, can be shortened. Thus, there can be obtained a semiconductor apparatus which is fast in access (speed at which a signal is transmitted to a subsequent stage) and which is resistant to noise.

Abstract: CMOS transistor logic circuitry is permitted to operate at higher power supply voltages while retaining lower voltage processing geometries by inserting input shielding transistors before the gate terminals of each input switching transistor. Each shielding transistor has a gate terminal coupled to a shield voltage of a magnitude substantially midway between ground potential and the positive power supply voltage. The input signal is conveyed by the source-drain channel of the input shielding transistor to the gate of the switching transistor, while preventing the gate of the switching transistor from rising above the shield voltage, in the case of n-channel devices, or below the shield voltage, in the case of p-channel devices.

Abstract: An interface circuit includes first and second MOS transistors of depletion type, first and second switching elements, and a control circuit. The current path of the first MOS transistor is connected between an output node of a MOS circuit formed in a semiconductor substrate and an output terminal and the gate thereof is connected to a power supply. The first switching element is connected between the backgate of the first MOS transistor and a ground terminal. The second switching element and the current path of the second MOS transistor are serially connected between the backgate of the first MOS transistor and the output terminal. The gate of the second MOS transistor is connected to the power supply and the backgate thereof is connected to the backgate of the first MOS transistor. The first and second switching elements are set into complementary states according to an output of the MOS circuit in response to an output signal of the control circuit.