Including Field-effect Transistor Patents (Class 327/203)
  • Patent number: 11962303
    Abstract: An architecture for high-performance flip-flops having minimal clock-activated transistors is disclosed. The flip-flops operating in a first voltage domain can receive an input signal from a second voltage domain. The flip-flops include a first latch electrically coupled to a second latch. The first latch includes a first output and a second output. The second latch further includes a first and a second keeper pull-up sub-circuit which electrically couples to the first and second output of the first latch. The clock-gating functionality of the first and second keeper pull-up sub-circuits is merged with the first latch to reduce the loading on the clock signal, and thus the operation of the flip-flop is contention-free and fully-static. An embodiment of the second latch includes only one clock-activated transistor for low-power application. Another embodiment includes two clock-activated transistors for high-speed application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Inventor: Steve Dao
  • Patent number: 11916056
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes a standard cell having a plurality of height regions. A plurality of partial circuits having an identical function and each operating in response to common signals S and NS are arranged in any one of the height regions. A metal interconnect forming part of a supply path for the common signal S is arranged in the height region so as to be connected to the partial circuits, and a metal interconnect forming part of a supply path for the common signal S is arranged in the height region so as to be connected to the partial circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: SOCIONEXT INC.
    Inventor: Junji Iwahori
  • Patent number: 11901902
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a flip-flop configured to operate in synchronization with a clock signal. The flip-flop includes a multiplexer configured to output an inverted signal of a scan input signal to a first node based on a scan enable signal, or the multiplexer configured to output an inverted signal of a data input signal or a signal having a first level to a first node based on a reset input signal, a master latch configured to latch the signal output through the first node, and to output the latched signal, and a slave latch configured to latch an output signal of the master latch and to output the latched output signal of the master latch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seungman Lim, Minsu Kim, Ahreum Kim
  • Patent number: 11863187
    Abstract: A circuit is provided. The circuit includes a first master stage, a second master stage, a first slave stage, a first slave stage, and a second slave stage. The first master stage includes a data input line. The second master stage includes an inverse data input line. The first slave stage is coupled to an output of the first master stage. The second slave stage is coupled to an output of the second master stage. The first slave stage generates an output signal during a rising edge of a clock cycle. The second slave stage generates an inverted output signal during the rising edge of the clock cycle. The output signal and the inverted output signal are available concurrently.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: Synopsys, Inc.
    Inventors: Pradip Jadhav, Michael McManus
  • Patent number: 11764766
    Abstract: A flip flop circuit includes a first master portion, a second master portion, at least one determining portion and a slave portion. The first master portion is configured to operate at a first mode and to receive a first input and generate first master outputs. The second master portion is configured to operate at a second mode and to receive a second input and generate second master outputs. The at least one determining portion is configured to receive at least one enable signal, and has determining inputs and determining outputs. The determining inputs are connected to the first master outputs and the second master outputs. The determining portion is configured to determine the determining outputs being the first master outputs or the second master outputs according to the at least one enable signal. The slave portion is configured to receive the determining outputs and generate an output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2023
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Po-Chia Lai, Stefan Rusu
  • Patent number: 11677384
    Abstract: Provided is a semiconductor device including a sequential circuit including a first transistor and a capacitor. The first transistor includes a semiconductor layer including indium, zinc, and oxygen to form a channel formation region. A node electrically connected to a source or a drain of the first transistor and a capacitor becomes a floating state when the first transistor turns off, so that a potential of the node can be maintained for a long period. A power-gating control circuit may be provided to control supply of power supply potential to the sequential circuit. The potential of the node still can be maintained while supply of the power supply potential is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2023
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jun Koyama
  • Patent number: 11616507
    Abstract: A low power sequential circuit (e.g., latch) uses a non-linear polar capacitor to retain charge with fewer transistors than traditional CMOS sequential circuits. The sequential circuit includes a 3-input majority gate having first, second, and third inputs, and a first output. The sequential circuit includes a driver coupled to the first output, wherein the driver is to generate a second output. The sequential circuit further includes an exclusive-OR (XOR) gate to receive a clock and the second output, wherein the XOR gate is to generate a third output which couples to the second input, where the first input is to receive a data, and wherein the third input is to receive the second output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Kepler Computing Inc.
    Inventors: Sasikanth Manipatruni, Yuan-Sheng Fang, Robert Menezes, Rajeev Kumar Dokania, Ramamoorthy Ramesh, Amrita Mathuriya
  • Patent number: 11509294
    Abstract: A flip-flop having first and second shared transistors. The flip-flop including a tri-state inverter and a master latch configured to receive an output of the tri-state inverter. The flip-flop also having a slave latch coupled to the master latch, the slave latch including a slave tri-state inverter. The flip-flop further having an output inverter coupled to receive one of an output of the slave latch and an output of the master latch and configured to generate a flip-flop output. The first shared transistor configured to receive a clock signal and having a drain terminal coupled a first transistor in the tri-state inverter and a second transistor in the slave tri-state inverter. The second shared transistor configured to receive an inverted clock signal and having a drain terminal coupled a third transistor in the tri-state inverter and a fourth transistor in the slave tri-state inverter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Badarish Mohan Subbannavar, Arnab Khawas, Suvam Nandi
  • Patent number: 11496134
    Abstract: A cross-coupled differential activated latch circuit with circuitry comprising a plurality of n-FETs and inverters that can be implemented completely in GaN. The circuitry prevents the digital latched values on the outputs of the latch from changing unless the digital input values on the inputs are different, thus preventing common-mode voltage on the inputs from corrupting the stored latch values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Efficient Power Conversion Corporation
    Inventors: Edward Lee, Ravi Ananth
  • Patent number: 11374560
    Abstract: A regeneration circuit includes a first inverting circuit having an input and an output, a second inverting circuit having an input and an output, a first transistor coupled to the input of the second inverting circuit, wherein a gate of the first transistor is configured to receive a first input signal, and a second transistor coupled to the input of the first inverting circuit, wherein a gate of the second transistor is configured to receive a second input signal. The regeneration circuit also includes a first switch coupled between the first transistor and the output of the first inverting circuit, wherein a control input of the first switch is configured to receive a timing signal, and a second switch coupled between the second transistor and the output of the second inverting circuit, wherein a control input of the second switch is configured to receive the timing signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Todd Morgan Rasmus
  • Patent number: 11303268
    Abstract: A system and method for efficiently storing and driving data between pipeline stages. In various embodiments, a flip-flop circuit includes a bypass circuit, which is a tri-state inverter, and the bypass circuit receives a clock signal and a version of a data signal. When the clock signal received by the flip-flop circuit is asserted, the output of the bypass circuit is sent as the output of the flip-flop circuit. In one example, the version of the data signal received by the bypass circuit is the data signal. In another example, the version of the data signal received by the bypass circuit is the output of a master latch. Although the output of the master latch is pre-charged, when the clock is asserted, each of a late arriving rising and falling data transition are included in the critical path of the flip-flop circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Vivekanandan Venugopal, Ajay Kumar Bhatia
  • Patent number: 11201619
    Abstract: The present application relates to an isolated drive circuit, of the type commonly employed as high side drivers, for providing a drive signal to a semiconductor switch. The isolated drive circuit comprises a transformer with primary and secondary windings. The circuit further comprises a primary side circuit having a plurality of switches arranged in a bridge configuration with the primary winding positioned across the output of the bridge and a secondary side circuit connected to the secondary winding of the transformer and having a drive circuit output for providing a drive signal to the semiconductor switch. The advantage of this approach is that the entire circuit can be constructed as a module for use as a single component on a circuit board without requiring additional external components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Heyday Integrated Circuits SAS
    Inventors: Karl Rinne, Joseph Duigan
  • Patent number: 11177792
    Abstract: Provided is a semiconductor device including a sequential circuit including a first transistor and a capacitor. The first transistor includes a semiconductor layer including indium, zinc, and oxygen to form a channel formation region. A node electrically connected to a source or a drain of the first transistor and a capacitor becomes a floating state when the first transistor turns off, so that a potential of the node can be maintained for a long period. A power-gating control circuit may be provided to control supply of power supply potential to the sequential circuit. The potential of the node still can be maintained while supply of the power supply potential is stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Jun Koyama
  • Patent number: 10911032
    Abstract: A flip-flop includes a first node charging circuit configured to charge a first node with inverted input data generated by inverting input data, a second node charging circuit configured to charge a second node with the input data, and first through eighth NMOS transistors. The flip-flop is configured to latch the input data at rising edges of a clock signal and output latched input data as output data. The flip-flop includes an internal circuit configured to charge a sixth node with inverted input data generated by inverting the latched input data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyun-Chul Hwang, Min-Su Kim, Dae-Seong Lee
  • Patent number: 10903214
    Abstract: The semiconductor device includes a first inverter and a second inverter which is connected thereto in series. Each of the first and the second inverters includes a p-channel transistor and an n-channel transistor, respectively. The number of projection semiconductor layers each as the active region of the p-channel and the n-channel transistors of the second inverter is smaller than the number of the projection semiconductor layers each as the active region of the p-channel and the n-channel transistors of the first inverter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventor: Takeshi Okagaki
  • Patent number: 10684316
    Abstract: A voltage detection circuit for a charge pump is disclosed. The voltage detection circuit includes a sampling circuit and a latch circuit. The sampling circuit is configured to sample a supply voltage and provide the latch circuit with a sampled voltage. The latch circuit is configured to detect the sampled voltage and latch a result of the detection. And the latch circuit is connected to a voltage regulation circuit which is configured to regulate a charge-pump cascade structure in the charge pump based on the result of the detection so as to maintain an output voltage of the charge pump stable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 16, 2020
    Assignee: WUHAN XINXIN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuan Tang, Shiou-Yu Alex Wang, Jen-Tai Hsu, Zhifeng Mao, Sean Chen
  • Patent number: 10523188
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: first through fourth active regions spaced apart from one another; a first gate line disposed to overlap with the first and second active regions, but not with the third and fourth active regions, and to extend in a first direction; a second gate line disposed to overlap with the third and fourth active regions, but not with the first and second active regions, and to extend in the first direction while being spaced apart from the first gate line; and a dummy gate line disposed to overlap with the first through fourth active regions and a field region, to be spaced apart from the first and second gate lines in a second direction, and to extend in the first direction, wherein a signal input to the first or second active region is transmitted to the third or fourth active region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2019
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ji Kyum Kim, Dae Seong Lee, Min Su Kim
  • Patent number: 10491197
    Abstract: An electronic circuit is disclosed. A first flip-flop is coupled to receive a clock signal from clock gating circuit. The first flip-flop includes an input circuit having a data input, a master-slave latch, and an output circuit. Responsive to an edge of the clock signal, the master-slave latch may latch a logic value of a signal received on the data input. The output circuit is coupled to the master-slave latch, and provides a logic output signal corresponding to the logic value latched by the master-slave latch. The clock gating circuit may provide one or more inversions of the clock signal which it receives. The flip-flop provides no inversions of the clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: Apple Inc.
    Inventors: Vivekanandan Venugopal, Michael R Seningen, Ajay Bhatia
  • Patent number: 10388333
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods related to selectively performing logical operations. An example apparatus comprises sensing circuitry including a sense amplifier and a compute component. A controller is coupled to sensing circuitry and is configured to cause storing of an indication of whether a logical operation is to be selectively performed between an operand stored in the sensing circuitry and an operand stored in the sense amplifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2019
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel B. Penney, Harish N. Venkata
  • Patent number: 10353372
    Abstract: The device includes a master module and a slave module. The master module includes a control unit for controlling overall operation of the master module, a power unit electrically for storing electricity to supply the master module, an electricity transmission unit for receiving electricity from the power unit and wirelessly transmitting the electricity; and a communication unit for communicating of the master module. The slave module is electrically connected to the master module and includes a control subunit for controlling overall operation of the slave module, a communication subunit for wirelessly communicating with the communication unit, an electricity reception unit for wirelessly receiving the electricity from the power unit of the master module, a storage unit for storing electricity from the electricity reception unit and supplying power to each unit of the slave module, and an electricity transmission subunit for wirelessly outward transmitting electricity of the storage unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: NATIONAL APPLIED RESEARCH LABORATORIES
    Inventors: Chun-Ming Huang, Chen-Chia Chen, Chien-Ming Wu
  • Patent number: 10355672
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a power-gated logic circuit suitable for operating in response to a first power gating enable signal which is deactivated in a standby mode and activated in an active mode; a transmission unit suitable for selectively transmitting an output signal of the power-gated logic circuit to an output terminal in response to a third power gating enable signal; a clocked latch unit suitable for latching a signal of the output terminal in the standby mode and an initial stage of the active mode in response to a second power gating enable signal; and an internal circuit suitable for operating based on the signal of the output terminal, wherein the first to third power gating enable signals are sequentially activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 16, 2019
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Gyu Wan Kwon, Jae Hyeong Kim, Amal Akbar
  • Patent number: 10340898
    Abstract: The disclosed pulsed latched circuitry includes first and second latch circuits. The first and second latch circuits can be provided with additional logic circuit components to permit them to be operated as a flip-flop circuit, or as a FIFO circuit with a depth of two.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: XILINX, INC.
    Inventor: Ilya K. Ganusov
  • Patent number: 10288678
    Abstract: A latch circuit having a master latch and a slave latch includes a device used to short either the master latch or the slave latch. The device includes a transistor and a global control used to assert a signal, and is positioned to short an inverter of the master latch or the slave latch. When the signal is asserted by the global control, the inverter is shorted such that the output value of the inverter is the same as the input value. The assertion of the signal is facilitated by another device connected to the master latch and the slave latch that includes the global control and a transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventor: James D. Warnock
  • Patent number: 10171080
    Abstract: Voltage level shifter (VLS) circuits employing a pre-conditioning circuit for pre-conditioning an input signal to be voltage level shifted in response to a pre-charge phase are disclosed. A VLS circuit is configured to voltage level shift an input signal in a lower voltage domain on an output node in a higher voltage domain. The VLS circuit includes a pre-charge circuit configured to pre-charge the output node in a pre-charge phase. The VLS circuit also includes a pull-up circuit and a pull-down circuit that are configured to pull-up and pull-down the pre-charge phase of the output node, respectively, in an evaluation phase based on a logic state of the input signal to generate the output signal. To mitigate or avoid contention between the pull-up and pull-down circuits in the evaluation phase, the input signal is pre-conditioned such that the pull-down circuit is deactivated in response to the pre-charge phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Manish Garg
  • Patent number: 10157902
    Abstract: A cell comprising at least one diffusion region and a plurality of interconnection conductive patterns located over the at least one diffusion layer and comprising a first outer interconnection conductive pattern and a second outer interconnection conductive pattern. The cell further includes at least one different conductive pattern located above the at least one diffusion region and interspersed between the plurality of interconnection conductive patterns. The at least one diffusion region extends in a first direction and the plurality of interconnection conductive patterns and at least one different conductive pattern extend in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
    Inventors: Mao-Wei Chiu, Ting-Wei Chiang, Hui-Zhong Zhuang, Li-Chun Tien, Chi-Yu Lu
  • Patent number: 10033357
    Abstract: Provided is a semiconductor device capable of reducing a penalty associated with ensuring reliability. The semiconductor device includes a latch circuit which has input/output paths of three systems or more independent from each other. The latch circuit includes a plurality of storage elements STE1 to STE3 which are provided on the input/output paths of the three systems or more, respectively, and hold input data in synchronization with a clock signal. At least one storage element (for example, STE1) of the plurality of storage elements STE1 to STE3 includes a majority decision unit (for example, 81a) executing a majority decision using data from the storage elements provided on other input/output paths different from the input/output path thereof and outputs data in which a result of the majority decision is reflected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yusuke Kanno, Takeshi Sakata, Nobuyasu Kanekawa
  • Patent number: 9985610
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a power gating circuit including a synchronous reset flip-flop, a retention circuit including a retention flip-flop, a clock management circuit configured to provide an operation clock to the power gating circuit and the retention circuit, and a power management circuit configured to transmit a power gating control signal to the power gating circuit, the retention circuit, and the clock management circuit. The power gating circuit is activated to signal entry to a power reduction mode. The retention circuit retains states of the semiconductor device. Upon exit from the power reduction mode, the power management circuit is configured to complete a reset operation of the power gating circuit before signaling the retention circuit to cancel a retention state and restore the states of the semiconductor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sang Woo Kim, Suk Nam Kwon, Jin Ook Song
  • Patent number: 9966936
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit includes a scan enable (SE) inverter and a clock (CK) inverter on a substrate, a first multiplex part, and a second multiplex part. The SE inverter and the CK inverter are aligned in a first direction. The first multiplex part includes a first wiring and a first transistor, the first wiring is connected to a power supply voltage part of the SE inverter, and the first wiring and the first transistor share a source region contacting the first wiring. The second multiplex part includes a second wiring and a second transistor, the second wiring is connected to a power supply voltage part of the CK inverter, and the second wiring and the second transistor share a source region contacting the second wiring. The SE inverter and the CK inverter are aligned in a first direction to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ji-Kyum Kim, Dae-Seong Lee, Min-Su Kim
  • Patent number: 9941863
    Abstract: Provided is a power gating control circuit for stably controlling data restoring. The power gating control circuit includes a retention circuit and a non-retention circuit. The retention circuit includes a first flip-flop, which stores or restores data of the first flip-flop in a power gating mode. The non-retention circuit includes a second flip-flop and a third flip-flop. The power gating control circuit performs initialization of data of the second flip-flop and the third flip-flop in the power gating mode, and an initialization operation of the non-retention circuit is controlled to be performed before data of the retention circuit is restored.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Sangwoo Kim
  • Patent number: 9859876
    Abstract: An apparatus is provided which comprises: a clock node; a first inverter having an input coupled to the clock node; a data node; a master latch with a shared p-type keeper coupled to an output of the first inverter, the master latch coupled to the data node; and a slave latch coupled to an output of the master latch, the slave latch having a shared p-type keeper and a shared n-type footer, wherein the shared p-type keeper and the shared n-type footer of the slave latch are coupled to the clock node and the input of the first inverter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Amit Agarwal, Steven K. Hsu, Simeon Realov, Iqbal R. Rajwani, Ram K. Krishnamurthy
  • Patent number: 9641159
    Abstract: A flip-flop circuit including a first logic circuit, a first master latch, a second master latch, and a slave latch is provided. The first logic circuit operates a logic operation on a selecting signal and a clock signal to generate a first control signal. The first master latch receives a data signal according to the first control signal and latches the data signal according to the selecting signal and the clock signal. The second master latch receives a scan data signal according to the selecting signal and the clock signal, wherein an output terminal of the second master latch is directly connected to an output terminal of the first master latch. The slave latch latches a signal on the output terminals of the first and second master latches for generating an output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: Faraday Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Chiang-Hsiang Liao, Sheng-Hua Chen
  • Patent number: 9634649
    Abstract: Embodiments of a device and method are disclosed. In an embodiment, a flip-flop circuit is disclosed. The flip-flop circuit includes a master latch, a slave latch connected to the master latch, and a dual-function circuit connected between the master latch and the slave latch and configured to perform state retention and double sampling.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Juan Echeverri Escobar, Jose de Jesus Pineda de Gyvez, Sebastien Antonius Josephus Fabrie
  • Patent number: 9628062
    Abstract: A 24-transistor D flip-flop circuit operates in a sampling mode when a clock signal has a first voltage state, and a holding mode when the clock signal has a second voltage state. The flip-flop circuit includes an internal control node coupled to a reference voltage node by way of a transistor controllable to couple the internal control node to the reference voltage node when the clock signal has the second voltage state. The flip-flop has very low power dissipation as it includes a 4-transistor change-sense component to detect changes in input data. The change-sense component is coupled in series with the transistor and receives an indication of an input voltage state of the flip-flop circuit and an indication of an output voltage state of the flip-flop circuit, and inhibits toggling of the internal control node if the indicated input voltage state and the indicated output voltage state are the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
    Inventors: Van-Loi Le, Tae-Hyoung Kim, Juhui Li, Alan Yeow Khai Chang
  • Patent number: 9590599
    Abstract: An apparatus is disclosed that includes a clock distribution circuit configured to shift a first clock signal in the first voltage domain to a second voltage domain to produce the second clock signal. The second voltage domain extends outside of the first voltage domain. A set of flip-flops operating in the first voltage domain, each including a master latch, a slave latch, and a clock node is coupled to receive the second clock signal. Each flip-flop includes a master pass transistor configured to pass a value from an input of the flip-flop to an input of the master latch when the second clock node is set to a first value. Each flip-flop also includes a master pass transistor configured to pass the value from an output of the master latch to an input of the slave latch when the second clock node is set to a second value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventor: Vibhu Sharma
  • Patent number: 9590598
    Abstract: A flip-flop (10) is disclosed comprising a slave latch (30) and a master latch (20). Each of the slave and master latch comprise a pair of cross-coupled logic gates (21, 22, 31, 32). A cross coupling connection of the slave or master latch (30, 20) comprises a resistive element (8, 9, 11, 12) arranged to reduce the sensitivity of the flip-flop (10) to a current injection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2017
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventors: Vibhu Sharma, Ralf Malzahn
  • Patent number: 9490783
    Abstract: The invention is an intelligent connection of the internal scan logic in a multi-bit flip-flop register. Individual bits in this register are connected in a serial scan chain. In this invention the serial chain is connection reuses logic between slave latches on bit n and master latches on bit n+1. This reuse reduces the number of transistors required to implement the multi-bit register. This reduction in the number of required transistors enables a consequent reduction in integrated circuit area required, thereby reducing manufacturing cost. Alternatively, the area saved using this invention may be used for other purposes. This could increase the value of the corresponding integrated circuit without increasing manufacturing costs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Anthony Martin Hill
  • Patent number: 9384824
    Abstract: A list sort static random access memory (LSSRAM) unit cell includes a static random access memory (SRAM) cell having a pair of cross-coupled elements to store data and a dynamic/static (D/S) mode selector to selectably switch the LSSRAM unit cell between a dynamic storage mode and a static storage mode. The LSSRAM unit cell further includes a swap selector to swap the stored data with data stored in an adjacent memory cell during the dynamic storage mode when the swap selector is activated, and a data comparator to compare the stored data in the SRAM cell with the data stored in the adjacent memory cell and to activate the swap selector according to a result of the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2016
    Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
    Inventor: Frederick Perner
  • Patent number: 9348770
    Abstract: A non-violate memory device and a control method thereof are provided. The non-violate memory device includes a flip-flop, a retention cell and a memory cell. The flip-flop includes an output inverter. The flip-flop generates a second data according to a first data and a retention signal. The retention cell is coupled to the output inverter of the flip-flop. The retention cell temporarily stores the second data when the retention signal is enabled. During the period that retention signal is enabled, the memory cell stores the second data temporarily stored by the retention cell. Thus, another operation mode of the non-violate memory device is provided to save more power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
    Inventors: Keng-Yu Lin, Wei-Xiang Tang, Po-Han Huang, Chih-Wei Hsu
  • Patent number: 9166595
    Abstract: A configurable flip-flop circuit has modifiable connections between its circuit elements that allow it to be modified for primary and secondary uses. For example, the flip-flop circuit can be modified to provide secondary functions of NOR and NAND gates during an implementation of an ECO. At other times, the flip-flop circuit can be used to deliver normal flip-flop functionality. A configurable latch circuit is provided that can be modified to provide an output signal or an inverted output signal. A scan circuit is provided that can provide the functionality of a multiplexer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 20, 2015
    Assignee: FREESCALE SEMICONDUCTOR, INC
    Inventors: Gaurav Gupta, Shiva Belwal, Ashish Goel
  • Patent number: 9141338
    Abstract: A storage circuit 2 in the form of a master slave latch includes a slave stage 6 serving as a bit storage circuit. The slave stage 6 includes an inverter chain which when operating in a normal mode includes an even number of inverters 10, 12 and when operating in an random number generation mode includes an odd number of inverters 10, 12, 14 and so functions as a free running ring oscillator. When a switch is made back from the random number generation mode to the normal mode, then the oscillation ceases and a stable pseudo random bit value is output from the bit value storage circuit 6.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2015
    Assignee: ARM Limited
    Inventors: Sachin Satish Idgunji, Vikas Chandra
  • Patent number: 9130549
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a flip flop circuit includes a master latch and a slave latch. The master latch comprises a storage element, a first data leg, and a second data leg. The first and second data legs may be coupled to the storage element. Clock selection logic may be coupled to the first and second data legs. The clock selection logic may have a select input for selecting between the first and second data legs. The slave latch may be coupled to the master latch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2015
    Assignee: Cavium, Inc.
    Inventors: Suresh Balasubramanian, Nitin Mohan, Manan Salvi
  • Patent number: 9088271
    Abstract: In an embodiment of the invention, a dual-port positive level sensitive data retention latch contains a clocked inverter and a dual-port latch. Data is clocked through the clocked inverter when clock signal (CKT) goes high, (CLKZ) goes low and retention control signal is low. The dual-port latch is configured to receive the output of the clocked inverter, a second data bit (D2), the clock signals (CKT) and (CLKN), the retain control signals (RET) and the control signals SS (SS) and (SSN). The signals (CKT), (CLKZ), (RET), (SS) and (SSN) determine whether the output of the clocked inverter or the second data bit (D2) is latched in the dual-port latch. Control signal (RET) determines when data is stored in the dual-port latch during retention mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2015
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Steven Bartling, Sudhanshu Khanna
  • Patent number: 9035686
    Abstract: Described is a latch which comprises: a first AND-OR-invert (AOI) logic gate; and a second AOI logic gate coupled to the first AOI logic gate, wherein the first and second AOI logic gates have respective first and second keeper devices coupled to a power supply node. Described is a flip-flop which comprises: a first latch including: a first AOI logic gate; and a second AOI logic gate coupled to the first AOI logic gate, wherein the first and second AOI logic gates have respective first and second keeper devices coupled to a power supply, the first latch having an output node; and a second latch having an input node coupled to the output node of the first latch, the second latch having an output node to provide an output of the flip-flop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Steven K. Hsu, Amit Agarwal, Ram K. Krishnamurthy
  • Publication number: 20150123722
    Abstract: A latch circuit is based on a master-slave cross-coupled inverter pair configuration. The inverters of the slave circuit are coupled to a high voltage rail and a low voltage rail, wherein for each of the two inverters of the slave circuit inverter pair, the coupling to one of the voltage rails is through a resistive element. This circuit design avoids the need for an internal clock-buffer and enables single phase clocking, and therefore does not need internal clock signal inversion. The circuit can be implemented with low power, with no dynamic power consumption for redundant transitions when the input and the output data signal is same.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2014
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Inventors: Vibhu Sharma, Ajay Kapoor, Ralf Malzahn
  • Publication number: 20150116019
    Abstract: Described is a latch which comprises: a first AND-OR-invert (AOI) logic gate; and a second AOI logic gate coupled to the first AOI logic gate, wherein the first and second AOI logic gates have respective first and second keeper devices coupled to a power supply node. Described is a flip-flop which comprises: a first latch including: a first AOI logic gate; and a second AOI logic gate coupled to the first AOI logic gate, wherein the first and second AOI logic gates have respective first and second keeper devices coupled to a power supply, the first latch having an output node; and a second latch having an input node coupled to the output node of the first latch, the second latch having an output node to provide an output of the flip-flop.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2013
    Publication date: April 30, 2015
    Inventors: Steven K. HSU, Amit AGARWAL, Ram K. KRISHNAMURTHY
  • Patent number: 9013219
    Abstract: A flip flop circuit has a first stage and a second stage. The first stage and the second stage each have interleaved filters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: The Boeing Company
    Inventors: Manuel F. Cabanas-Holmen, Ethan Cannon, Salim A. Rabaa
  • Patent number: 9013218
    Abstract: In an embodiment of the invention, a dual-port negative level sensitive reset data retention latch contains a clocked inverter and a dual-port latch. Data is clocked through the clocked inverter when clock signal CKT goes low, CLKZ goes high, reset control signal REN is high and retention control signal RET is low. The dual-port latch is configured to receive the output of the clocked inverter, a second data bit D2, the clock signals CKT and CLKZ, the retain control signal RET, the reset control signal REN and the control signals SS and SSN. The signals CKT, CLKZ, RET, REN, SS and SSN determine whether the output of the clocked inverter or the second data bit D2 is latched in the dual-port latch. Control signal RET determines when data is stored in the dual-port latch during retention mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2015
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Steven Craig Bartling, Sudhanshu Khanna
  • Publication number: 20150102847
    Abstract: An example embodiment discloses a flip-flop including a first inverter configured to invert first data, first and second transistors connected to each other in series and configured to receive the inverted first data and a first clock, respectively, a third transistor and a first gate configured to perform a logic operation on the first data and the first clock, the third transistor configured to receive an output of the logic operation. The second transistor and the third transistor are connected to a first node.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 24, 2014
    Publication date: April 16, 2015
    Inventors: Rahul SINGH, Min-Su KIM, Chung-Hee KIM
  • Patent number: 9007111
    Abstract: In an embodiment of the invention, a flip-flop circuit contains a 2-input multiplexer, a master latch, a transfer gate and a slave latch. The scan enable control signals SE and SEN of the multiplexer determine whether data or scan data is input to the master latch. Clock signals CKT and CLKZ and retention control signals RET and RETN determine when the master latch is latched. The slave latch is configured to receive the output of the master latch, a second data bit D2, the clock signals CKT and CLKN, the retain control signals RET and RETN, the slave control signals SS and SSN. The signals CKT, CLKZ, RET, RETN, SS, SS, RE and REN determine whether the output of the master latch or the second data bit D2 is latched in the slave latch. Control signals RET and RETN determine when data is stored in the slave latch during retention mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Steven Bartling, Sudhanshu Khanna
  • Patent number: 8988124
    Abstract: An input buffer chooses, in accordance with first control clocks, to output an input data signal or output a high-impedance signal. A master flip-flop chooses, in accordance with second control clocks, to output a data signal received from the input buffer or retain a currently output data signal. A master-slave switch chooses, in accordance with the second control clocks, to output a high-impedance signal or output a data signal received from the master flip-flop. A slave flip-flop chooses, in accordance with the second control clocks, to retain a currently output data signal or output a data signal received from the master-slave switch. A clock buffer inputs the second control clocks, and generates and outputs the first control clocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2015
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Masanao Yokoyama, Noboru Okuzono