With Field-effect Transistor Patents (Class 327/537)
  • Publication number: 20110163797
    Abstract: A switching circuit controls the flow of current between its input and output in accordance with the state of a control signal applied to the circuit. When the control signal is in a first state and the voltage applied to the input is higher than the voltage at the output, the circuit provides a low resistance path between its input and output terminals thereby enabling current to flow from the input to the output. When the control signal is in the first state and the voltage at the output is higher than the voltage at the input, the circuit inhibits current flow from the output to the input. When the control signal is in a second state, the circuit is turned off thus inhibiting current flow between the input and the output.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2010
    Publication date: July 7, 2011
    Applicant: Decicon, Inc.
    Inventor: Baris Posat
  • Patent number: 7973557
    Abstract: An integrated circuit (IC) includes at least one programmable digital logic cell that includes first dedicated digital logic cell having a plurality of transistors including at least one PMOS transistor and at least one NMOS transistor configured to perform at least one digital logical function. The first dedicated digital logic cell includes a plurality of nodes including at least one input node and at least one output node that reflects performance of a digital logical function. Programmable tuning circuitry includes at least one tuning input and at least one tuning circuit output. Circuitry for coupling or decoupling the tuning input or tuning circuit output to at least one of the plurality of nodes of the first dedicated digital logical cell is provided, wherein the coupling or decoupling is operable to change the processing speed for the first reprogrammable digital logic cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Texas Instruments Incorporated
    Inventors: Clive D. Bittlestone, Kit Wing S. Lee, Ekanayake A. Amerasekera, Anuj Batra, Srinivas Lingam
  • Patent number: 7969235
    Abstract: A charge pump circuit for generating an output voltage is described. The charge pump includes multiple output generation stages connected in series and a corresponding set of multiple gate stages connected in series, where the output stages have the same structure as the corresponding gate stages. The switches that the provide the output of each output generation stage are controlled by the corresponding gate stage. The number of output stages that are active in boosting the voltage self-adapts according to the output level being regulated, with the later stages changing from a boosting operation to a filtering function with not being used to active boost the output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: SanDisk Corporation
    Inventor: Feng Pan
  • Patent number: 7969233
    Abstract: In order to resolve a problem of the conventional technique in which there is a charge pump capacitance which is not used when a boosting method of the charge pump is changed, in a charge pump circuit unit, a connection switching terminal selects a power source voltage, a logically-inverting buffer gate and a capacitor to conduct an operation of boosting the power source voltage so as to be twice the power source voltage, and a connection switching terminal outputs the boosted voltage as a boost control voltage. In a charge pump circuit unit, a connection switching terminal selects the boost control voltage outputted from the charge pump circuit unit, and a logically-inverting buffer gate and a capacitor conduct an operation of boosting the inputted voltage so as to be 3×VRD. An internal voltage is generated by outputting the boosted voltage to an internal power line via a NMOS transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Elpida Memory, Inc.
    Inventor: Tatsuya Matano
  • Patent number: 7961531
    Abstract: Herein, a voltage sensing circuit, which is capable of controlling a pumping voltage to be stably generated in a low voltage environment, is provided. The voltage sensing circuit includes a current mirror having first and second terminals, a first switching element configured to control current on the first terminal of the current mirror by a reference voltage, a second switching element configured to control current from the second terminal of the current mirror in response to a pumping voltage, and a third switching element configured to control current sources of the first and second switching elements to receive a negative voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventors: Woo-Seung Han, Khil-Ohk Kang
  • Patent number: 7961031
    Abstract: A semiconductor switch circuit is provided that enables current consumption to be reduced even in a conduction state. A semiconductor switch circuit 100 has P-type MOS transistors Q101 and Q102 for conduction that share a source and are connected in series between an input/output terminal 101 and input/output terminal 102, a P-type MOS transistor Q103 and N-type MOS transistor Q105 having drains connected to the gate of Q101, a P-type MOS transistor Q104 and N-type MOS transistor Q106 having drains connected to the gate of Q102, and a control terminal 103 connected to the gates of the transistors. Further semiconductor switch circuit 100 is configured with the sources and back gates of Q103 and Q104 connected to the sources of Q101 and Q102. Therefore, it is possible to switch the path between input/output terminal 101 and input/output terminal 102 between a conduction state and non-conduction state by means of voltage control by voltage value Vcont of a control signal applied to control terminal 103.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Panasonic Corporation
    Inventors: Hideyuki Kihara, Tomohiro Ukai, Kiyotaka Inagaki
  • Publication number: 20110133822
    Abstract: This invention provides a semiconductor device structure formed on a conventional semiconductor-on-insulator (SeOI) substrate defined by a pattern defining at least one field-effect transistor having: in the thin film of the SeOI substrate, a source region, a drain region, a channel region, and a front control gate region formed above the channel region; and in the base substrate beneath the buried oxide of the SeOI substrate, a back control gate region, arranged under the channel region and configured to shift the threshold voltage of the transistor in response to bias voltages. This invention also provides patterns defining standard-cell-type circuit structures and data-path-cell type circuit structures that include arrays of the FET patterns provided by this invention. Such circuit structures also include back gate lines connecting the back gate control regions. This invention also provides methods of operating and designing such semiconductor device structures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2011
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Inventors: Carlos Mazure, Richard Ferrant
  • Publication number: 20110133823
    Abstract: A conventional circuit requires a booster circuit for generating a voltage higher than an external power supply voltage, thus low power consumption is difficult to be achieved. In addition, a display device incorporating the aforementioned conventional switching element for booster circuit has problems in that the current load is increased and the power supply becomes unstable with a higher output current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2011
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Inventor: Hajime Kimura
  • Publication number: 20110121864
    Abstract: The nonlinearity effect of a rectifying element is enhanced, and further a resonant circuit is used to enlarge the input amplitude. Furthermore, the rectifying efficiency of a detection rectifier circuit is enhanced, thereby allowing the gain of an amplifier circuit in the following stage to be set to a low value. Signals having mutually opposite phases are inputted to RF input terminals (101,102). The signal at the terminal (102) is then inputted to the gate of a transistor (M1) via a capacitor (C3), while the signal at the terminal (101) is then inputted, via a capacitor (C1), to a node (N1) to which the source of the transistor (M1) and the gate and drain of a transistor (M2) are connected, whereby a capacitor (C2) is charged with a half-wave voltage-doubled rectified current. DC biases are inputted to terminals (301,302). There are formed series resonant circuits (L1,C15;L2,C16). A plurality of half-wave voltage-doubled rectifier circuits (M1,M2,C1-C3,R1) are connected in cascade.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2007
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Applicant: NEC Corporation
    Inventors: Tadashi Maeda, Tomoyuki Yamase
  • Patent number: 7948299
    Abstract: In a power supply apparatus for performing constant current driving of a light emitting diode which is a load circuit, a constant current circuit is disposed on a path for driving the load circuit. A charge pump circuit which is a voltage generating circuit outputs a driving voltage to the light emitting diode. A monitoring circuit monitors the voltage across the two ends of the constant current circuit. This monitoring circuit includes a voltage source which generates a threshold voltage that follows the fluctuation of the voltage at which the constant current circuit can operate stably, compares the voltage across the two ends of the constant current circuit and the threshold voltage generated by the voltage source, and outputs a comparison result Vs to a control unit. The control unit controls the charge pump circuit on the basis of the output of the monitoring circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Isao Yamamoto, Tomoyuki Ito
  • Patent number: 7948303
    Abstract: An internal voltage generating circuit is capable of controlling an amount of charge pumping according to an external power supply voltage. The internal voltage generating circuit includes a periodic signal generating unit configured to control generation of periodic signals according to a level of an external power supply voltage, and a pumping unit driven according to the periodic signals generated by the periodic signal generating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Jae-Hyuk Im
  • Publication number: 20110115553
    Abstract: SOI CMOS structures having at least one programmable electrically floating backplate are provided. Each electrically floating backplate is individually programmable. Programming can be performed by injecting electrons into each conductive floating backplate. Erasure of the programming can be accomplished by tunneling the electrons out of the floating backplate. At least one of two means can accomplish programming of the electrically floating backgate. The two means include Fowler-Nordheim tunneling, and hot electron injection using an SOI pFET. Hot electron injection using pFET can be done at much lower voltage than injection by tunneling electron injection.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 16, 2009
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Jin Cai, Robert H. Dennard, Ali Khakifirooz, Tak H. Ning, Jeng-Bang Yau
  • Publication number: 20110115758
    Abstract: Display irregularities in light emitting devices, which develop due to dispersions per pixel in the threshold value of TFTs for supplying electric current to light emitting elements, are obstacles to increasing the image quality of the light emitting devices. An electric potential in which the threshold voltage of a TFT (105) is either added to or subtracted from the electric potential of a reset signal line (110) is stored in capacitor means (108). A voltage, in which the corresponding threshold voltage is added to an image signal, is applied to a gate electrode of a TFT (106). TFTs within a pixel are disposed adjacently, and dispersion in the characteristics of the TFTs does not easily develop. The threshold value of the TFT (105) is thus cancelled, even if the threshold values of the TFTs (106) differ per pixel, and a predetermined drain current can be supplied to an EL element (109).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2010
    Publication date: May 19, 2011
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hajime Kimura, Yoshifumi Tanada
  • Patent number: 7944278
    Abstract: A circuit for generating negative voltage of a semiconductor memory apparatus includes a first detecting unit configured to generate a first detecting signal by detecting a first negative voltage level, a first negative voltage generating unit configured to generate the first negative voltage in response to the first detecting signal, a second detecting unit configured to generate a second detecting signal by detecting the second negative voltage level, a timing controlling unit configured to output the second detecting signal as an enable signal when a power up signal is enabled and the first detecting signal is disabled, and a second negative voltage generating unit configured to generate the second negative voltage in response to the enable signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2011
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventors: Yeon-Uk Kim, Young-Do Hur
  • Patent number: 7936205
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an apparatus for reducing leakage in an electronic circuit (e.g., a CMOS circuit) includes a power switch transistor configured to selectively couple or decouple a voltage to a logic portion of the electronic circuit. The power switch transistor receives a first voltage during an active mode of the electronic circuit and receives a second voltage during a sleep mode of the electronic circuit. The power switch transistor has a bulk region that is biased using the first voltage during sleep mode. The power switch transistor has a gate region that is biased using the first voltage during sleep mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Xiaohua Kong, Lew G. Chua-Eoan
  • Publication number: 20110089998
    Abstract: An inverter device includes at least a first transistor connected between a power source node and ground. The first transistor includes a first gate and a first terminal that are internally capacitive-coupled to control a boost voltage at a boost node. The first terminal is one of a first source and a first drain of the first transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Publication date: April 21, 2011
    Inventors: Huaxiang Yin, Youngsoo Park, Jaechul Park, Sunil Kim
  • Patent number: 7928794
    Abstract: A dynamically self-bootstrapping circuit for a switch features a resistor in series with the control node of the switch. A bypass switch connects a control node to ground. When the switch is in an off-state, the bypass switch is enabled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Analog Devices, Inc.
    Inventor: Edmund J. Balboni
  • Patent number: 7928796
    Abstract: A constant voltage boost power supply according to an aspect of the invention includes a voltage-controlled variable frequency oscillator that produces and supplies a clock signal and changes an oscillating frequency of the supplied clock signal according to an input control voltage; a charge pump into which the clock signal is fed, the charge pump performing a pumping operation in synchronization with the clock signal to boost an input voltage and supply an output voltage in which the input voltage is boosted; a voltage dividing circuit that divides the output voltage of the charge pump to supply a monitor voltage; and a differential amplifier into which the monitor voltage and a reference voltage are fed, the differential amplifier amplifying a potential difference between the monitor voltage and the reference voltage to supply the control voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventor: Toshimasa Namekawa
  • Patent number: 7928797
    Abstract: The invention relates to electronic integrated circuits capable of operating either in active mode or in standby mode and of having, in standby mode, a very low current consumption. According to the invention, the leakage current of a power transistor inserted in series between a supply terminal and an active circuit is controlled by a gate reverse overbias in the following manner: a voltage step-up charge pump generates a gate bias voltage from pulses delivered by an oscillator having its frequency controlled by a current. The control current Ic is the leakage current of a transistor having technological characteristics similar to those of the power transistor. The system optimizes the current consumption in standby mode, the frequency of the oscillator being reduced when the gate is biased so as to minimize the leakage current. The invention is applicable to circuits powered by a battery or a cell (mobile telephones, cameras, portable computers, etc.).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2011
    Assignee: Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique
    Inventors: Alexandre Valentian, Olivier Thomas
  • Patent number: 7924087
    Abstract: A reference buffer circuit with high driving capability is disclosed. In which, a buffering stage has a first NMOS transistor and a first PMOS transistor to provide high and low tracking voltages respectively based on a high input voltage and a low input voltage. A first driving stage is driven by the high and low tracking voltages to output a first high output voltage and a first low output voltage. A body of the first PMOS transistor is tied to a first bias voltage lower than a supply voltage for the buffering and first driving stages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Mediatek Inc.
    Inventors: Wei-Hsuan Tu, Tzung-Hung Kang
  • Patent number: 7920019
    Abstract: A microprocessor including a substrate bias rail providing a bias voltage during a first operating mode, a supply node providing a core voltage, a clamp device coupled between the bias rail and the supply node, and control logic. The control logic turns on the clamp device to clamp the bias rail to the supply node during a second operating mode and turns off the clamp device during the first operating mode. The clamp devices may be implemented with P-channel and N-channel devices. Level shift and buffer circuits may be provided to control the clamp devices based on substrate bias voltage levels. The microprocessor may include a substrate with first and second areas each including separate substrate bias rails. The control logic separately turns on and off clamp devices to selectively clamp the substrate bias rails in the first and second areas based on various power modes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2011
    Assignee: VIA Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Raymond A. Bertram, Mark J. Brazell, Vanessa S. Canac, Darius D. Gaskins, James R. Lundberg, Matthew Russell Nixon
  • Patent number: 7915944
    Abstract: One embodiment is a gate drive circuitry for switching a semiconductor device having a non-isolated input, the gate drive circuitry having a first circuitry configured to turn-on the semiconductor device by imposing a current on a gate of the semiconductor device so as to forward bias an inherent parasitic diode of the semiconductor device. There is a second circuitry configured to turn-off the semiconductor device by imposing a current on the gate of the semiconductor device so as to reverse bias the parasitic diode of the semiconductor device wherein the first circuitry and the second circuitry are coupled to the semiconductor device respectively through a first switch and a second switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Antonio Caiafa, Jeffrey Joseph Nasadoski, John Stanley Glaser, Juan Antonio Sabate, Richard Alfred Beaupre
  • Publication number: 20110068824
    Abstract: The invention provides a shift register which can operate normally while suppressing a delay of signal and a rounding of waveform. The shift register of the invention includes a plurality of stages of flip-flop circuits each of which includes a clocked inverter. The clocked inverter includes a first transistor and a second transistor which are connected in series, a first compensation circuit including a third transistor and a fourth transistor which are connected in series, and a second compensation circuit including a fifth transistor and a transmission gate. According to the first compensation circuit, a timing at which a signal outputted from the flip-flop circuit rises or falls can be controlled in synchronization with an output of two stages before. The second compensation circuit can control a clock signal input can be controlled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2010
    Publication date: March 24, 2011
    Applicant: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Mitsuaki OSAME, Aya ANZAI
  • Patent number: 7911260
    Abstract: Circuit, system and method of current control circuits are disclosed. In one embodiment, a control circuit includes a first MOS transistor and a second MOS transistor. The first source/drains of the first and the second MOS transistors are coupled to an output of a power source. A second source/drain of the first MOS transistor is coupled to a first output node of the current control circuit. A second source/drain of the second MOS transistor is coupled to a second output node of the current control circuit. The control circuit further includes a means to block flow of current from the first output node of the current control circuit to the second output node of the current control circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2011
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Luca Petruzzi, Paolo Del Croce, Markus Ladurner, Bernhard Meldt, Adrian Apostol, Vasile Matei
  • Publication number: 20110063019
    Abstract: A dual dielectric tri-gate field effect transistor, a method of fabricating a dual dielectric tri-gate field effect transistor, and a method of operating a dual dielectric tri-gate effect transistor are disclosed. In one embodiment, the dual dielectric tri-gate transistor comprises a substrate, an insulating layer on the substrate, and at least one semiconductor fin. A first dielectric having a first dielectric constant extends over sidewalls of the fin, and a metal layer extends over the first dielectric, and a second dielectric having a second dielectric constant is on a top surface of the fin. A gate electrode extends over the fin and the first and second dielectrics. The gate electrode and the first dielectric layer form first and second gates having a threshold voltage Vt1, and the gate electrode and the second dielectric layer form a third gate having a threshold voltage Vt2 different than Vt1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2009
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Josephine B. Chang, Leland Chang, Chung-Hsun Lin, Jeffrey W. Sleight
  • Publication number: 20110063002
    Abstract: A bias circuit for generating an output bias current includes a first transistor, a passive component, a second transistor, and a bias current generator. The first transistor has a first node coupled to a first reference voltage, a second node, and a control node. The passive component is coupled between the first reference voltage and the control node of the first transistor. The second transistor has a first node coupled to the control node of the first transistor, a control node coupled to the second node of the first transistor, and a second node for providing the output bias current according to a current passing through the passive component. The bias current generator is coupled to the second node of the first transistor, and implemented for providing the first transistor with a bias current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 9, 2010
    Publication date: March 17, 2011
    Inventor: Shiue-Shin Liu
  • Patent number: 7902902
    Abstract: The present invention relates to an anti-fuse repair control circuit which regulates transmission of a power voltage and a back-bias voltage that are converted to repair an anti-fuse to a circuit part. As such, the present invention prevents the influence of a high power voltage or a low back-bias voltage on a circuit part such as a cell, a peripheral circuit, or a core region during an anti-fuse repair. The anti-fuse repair control circuit includes an anti-fuse repair enabling part providing an anti-fuse repair enabling signal corresponding to a repair of an anti-fuse; a power voltage control part controlling transmission of a power voltage to a first circuit part according to an enablement state of the anti-fuse repair enabling signal; and a back-bias voltage control part controlling transmission of a back-bias voltage to a second circuit part according to the enablement state of the anti-fuse repair enabling signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventors: Shin Ho Chu, Min Jung Koh
  • Publication number: 20110050329
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit includes a cascode circuit having a transistor, a detector circuit and a bias generator circuit. A bias is applied to a substrate of the transistor. The detector circuit generates a signal related to a threshold voltage of the transistor. The bias generator circuit generates the bias based on the signal generated by the detector circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2010
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Applicant: FUJITSU LIMITED
    Inventor: Mariko SUGAWARA
  • Patent number: 7893752
    Abstract: A reversal charge pump circuit generates a negative voltage from an input voltage received from an input terminal, and provides an output terminal with the negative voltage. The charge pump circuit achieves increased voltage stability and avoids breakdown voltage problems, with an uncomplicated structure. The circuit may have first and second capacitors, first through fourth switches, and a voltage control circuit. The voltage control circuit controls the voltage provided to the first capacitor. The switches are on/off controlled by signals from a control circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Ricoh Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Shunsei Tanaka
  • Patent number: 7893753
    Abstract: A conventional circuit requires a booster circuit for generating a voltage higher than an external power supply voltage, thus low power consumption is difficult to be achieved. In addition, a display device incorporating the aforementioned conventional switching element for booster circuit has problems in that the current load is increased and the power supply becomes unstable with a higher output current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Hajime Kimura
  • Patent number: 7884665
    Abstract: A charge pump circuit generates a desired output voltage by stepping up an input voltage. An LCD driver IC and an electronic appliance are provided with the charge pump circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Koji Saikusa, Yasunori Kawamura
  • Patent number: 7881756
    Abstract: A level shifter includes a level shifting circuit which receives input signal from a function block and changes the voltage level of the input signal, to output an output signal; a current blocking circuit, which suppresses current flowing to the level shifting circuit in an input suppression mode in which power supplied to the function block is cut and deactivates the level shifting circuit; and an output control circuit, which controls the output signal of the level shifting circuit to have a direct current (DC) voltage level in the input suppression mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jin-soo Park, Min-su Kim
  • Publication number: 20110018619
    Abstract: A negative voltage generator with AC coupled control signals is described. In an exemplary design, the generator includes four switches (which may be implemented with MOS transistors) and a capacitor. A first switch is coupled between a positive input voltage and a first end of the capacitor. A second switch is coupled between the first end of the capacitor and circuit ground. A third switch is coupled between a second end of the capacitor and circuit ground. A fourth switch is coupled between the second end of the capacitor and a negative output voltage. The first and second switches are controlled by first and second control signals, respectively. The third and fourth switches are controlled by first and second AC coupled control signals, respectively. The first and second AC coupled control signals may be generated by AC coupling the first and second control signals, respectively, and applying appropriate biasing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 13, 2009
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Applicant: QUALCOMM INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Marco Cassia
  • Publication number: 20110018620
    Abstract: An SDRAM includes a DC-DC converter IC for generating a first internal power supply voltage from external power supply voltage, a regulator IC for generating a second internal power supply voltage lower than the first internal power supply voltage, from external power supply voltage, and a switching portion for supplying the first internal power supply voltage to an internal circuit in a normal operation mode and supplying the second internal power supply voltage to the internal circuit in a self-refresh mode. The switching unit allows the DC-DC converter IC and the regulator IC to operate simultaneously only for a prescribed overlapped period, at a time of operation mode switching. The DC-DC converter IC temporarily increases the first internal power supply voltage within the operating voltage range of the internal circuit in the overlapped period.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 27, 2010
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Applicant: SANYO ELECTRIC CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Koji MORIGUCHI, Toshio TAKAHASHI
  • Publication number: 20110012672
    Abstract: A body-bias voltage controller includes: a plurality of transistors at least one of which is supplied with a body-bias voltage; a monitor circuit to detect voltage characteristics of the plurality of transistors and to output a indicator signal; and a body-bias voltage generator to generate the body-bias voltage based upon the indicator signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 13, 2010
    Publication date: January 20, 2011
    Applicant: FUJITSU SEMICONDUCTOR LIMITED
    Inventor: Yasushige OGAWA
  • Patent number: 7863968
    Abstract: Methods and circuits for implementing negative voltage regulators are provided. The negative voltage regulator circuit includes an operational amplifier (op-amp), a PMOS transistor, and two resistors. The op-amp is powered by positive and negative voltages, and the PMOS transistor has a gate in electrical communication with the op-amp. A first resistor is disposed between a positive reference voltage and a tap point, while the second resistor is disposed between the tap point and the output of the negative voltage regulator circuit. The use of the PMOS transistor facilitates a common drain output stage making the loop gain load independent, resulting in a stable system independent of current load.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventor: Srinivas Perisetty
  • Patent number: 7863967
    Abstract: A multistage circuit for regulating the charge voltage or the discharge current of a capacitance of an integrated device at a certain charge-pump generated boosted voltage is implemented without integrating high voltage transistor structures having a type of conductivity corresponding to the same sign of the boosted voltage (high-side transistors). The multistage circuit current includes at least a first stage, and an output stage in cascade to the first stage and coupled to the capacitance. The first stage is supplied at an unboosted power supply voltage of the integrated device, and the output stage is supplied at an unregulated charge-pump generated boosted voltage. The first stage includes a transistor having a type of conductivity corresponding to an opposite sign of the boosted voltage and of the power supply voltage. The drain of the output stage transistor is coupled to the boosted voltage either through a resistive pull-up or a voltage limiter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Inventors: Luca Crippa, Miriam Sangalli, Giancarlo Ragone, Rino Micheloni
  • Patent number: 7863969
    Abstract: A device includes an N-channel transistor for output, a voltage raising circuit, a voltage dropping circuit, and an amplifier. A power supply voltage that is a first voltage is supplied to one end of the output N-channel transistor, and the other end of the output N-channel transistor functions as an output terminal. The voltage raising circuit raises the first voltage to generate a second voltage higher than the first voltage. The voltage dropping circuit reduces the second voltage to generate a third voltage that is higher than the first voltage and is lower than the second voltage. The amplifier amplifies the difference between a reference voltage and a voltage generated at the output terminal, using the third voltage as a power supply voltage, to generate a fourth voltage, and supplies the fourth voltage to the gate of the N-channel transistor for output.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2011
    Assignee: Elpida Memory, Inc.
    Inventors: Ryohei Furuya, Yoji Idei
  • Publication number: 20100329158
    Abstract: Techniques for designing a highly differential single-ended-to-differential converter for use in, e.g., communications receivers. In an exemplary embodiment, an auxiliary current path including cascomp transistors is coupled to a main current path including input transistors and cascode transistors. The transistors are biased such that inter-modulation products generated by the auxiliary current path cancel out inter-modulation products generated by the main current path. In another exemplary embodiment, current source transistors for the main current path are adaptively biased depending on the level of the input signal received. In an exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be applied to designing a converter for interfacing a single-ended low-noise amplifier (LNA) output voltage with a differential mixer input in a communications receiver.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2009
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Susanta Sengupta, Kenneth C. Barnett
  • Patent number: 7859323
    Abstract: A negative output regulator circuit (24) is provided with clamp circuits CLP (X1, X2, Q1, Q2), which detect a current generated when the output of a negative voltage (VM) is stopped and fixing the voltage of an output end (T2) at a prescribed value. Generation of a positive voltage at an output terminal is suppressed without increasing chip size nor making the sequence complicated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Rohm Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Kenya Kondo
  • Publication number: 20100321100
    Abstract: A transmission gate includes first and second MOS transistors of opposite conductivity type coupled in parallel with each other. Each transistor includes a body connection that is separately biased by corresponding first and second biasing circuits. The first biasing circuit generates a first bias voltage having a voltage level that is generated as a function of the signal at the first node and a first (for example, positive) reference voltage. The second biasing circuit generates a second bias voltage having a voltage level that is generated as a function of the signal at the first node and a second (for examples ground) reference voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2009
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Applicant: STMicroelectronics Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd. (SG)
    Inventor: Dianbo Guo
  • Patent number: 7855592
    Abstract: A charge pump circuit has at least three stages: a pre-stage, a common stage and post stage. Each stage has three devices which are common. An NMOS device, which is called the charge injection device (CID), is controlled by a PMOS device during charge injection and an NMOS device during charge trapping. Also, each of the stages includes comparison stages for the CID in order to minimize the bulk to source voltage (Vbs) or bulk to drain voltage (Vbd). This greatly improves efficiency during the charge injection phase. Furthermore, the post-stage includes a comparison stage for the PMOS device since the threshold voltage increases as you increase the number of stages with the bulk tied to VPWR. The PMOS comparison stage should be inserted at the stage where the PMOS device begins to operate in the sub-threshold region, which is technology and voltage dependent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Gary Moscaluk
  • Publication number: 20100315155
    Abstract: A semiconductor device including: a low threshold PMOS device formed over an N-type region, the source and drain of the low threshold PMOS formed in P-regions surrounded by N-regions; a low threshold NMOS device formed in a P-type region, the source and drain of the low threshold NMOS formed in N-regions surrounded by P-regions; first and second substrate bias generators, each connected to one of the low threshold devices for generating a substrate bias; a voltage source for generating substrate bias during a standby mode to reduce leakage current; wherein a low voltage threshold is established by the source and drain regions of the low threshold devices and their respective surrounding regions of opposite polarity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2010
    Publication date: December 16, 2010
    Applicant: Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Jun Cai
  • Patent number: 7852140
    Abstract: An internal voltage generation circuit includes a level detection unit configured to generate a detection voltage corresponding to a voltage level difference between a reference voltage with an internal voltage, an oscillation signal generation unit configured to generate an oscillation signal having a period corresponding to a voltage level of the detection voltage, and an internal voltage generation unit configured to generate the internal voltage in response to the oscillation signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventors: Do-Yun Lee, Hong-Gyeom Kim
  • Patent number: 7849336
    Abstract: Embodiments for generating a boost voltage in a computing platform are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Brian Roger Loiler, Ludger Mimberg, Srikanth Lakshmikanthan
  • Patent number: 7847620
    Abstract: A charge pumping circuit consumes less current by reducing the number of charge pumps operating simultaneously. The charge pumping circuit includes a voltage sensor that detects a level of a high voltage and outputs a control signal based on the detection result. An oscillator provides an oscillating clock signal in response to the control signal of the voltage sensor, and the oscillator sequentially outputs the clock signal as a plurality of clock signals having shifted phases A plurality of high-voltage pumps are disposed in a plurality of regions to pump the high voltage in response to the clock signals and a different phase is designated for each region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventors: Jong Sam Kim, Jong Chern Lee
  • Patent number: 7847616
    Abstract: A balanced input inverter circuit includes a first P-type MOS transistor including a gate terminal connected to an input, a source terminal connected to a first power source potential, and a drain terminal connected to an output, a first N-type MOS transistor including a gate terminal connected to the input, a drain terminal connected to the output, and a source terminal connected to a second power source potential, a first inverter circuit including an input terminal connected to an inverted input, and an output terminal connected to a back gate terminal of the first N-type MOS transistor, a first diode connected between the first power source potential and a first power source terminal of the first inverter circuit, a second inverter circuit including an input terminal connected to the inverted input, and an output terminal connected to a back gate terminal of the first P-type MOS transistor, and a second diode connected between the second power source potential and a second power source terminal of the sec
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
    Inventor: Yasuhiro Hashimoto
  • Patent number: 7843217
    Abstract: The invention provides a shift register which can operate normally while suppressing a delay of signal and a rounding of waveform. The shift register of the invention includes a plurality of stages of flip-flop circuits each of which includes a clocked inverter. The clocked inverter includes a first transistor and a second transistor which are connected in series, a first compensation circuit including a third transistor and a fourth transistor which are connected in series, and a second compensation circuit including a fifth transistor and a transmission gate. According to the first compensation circuit, a timing at which a signal outputted from the flip-flop circuit rises or falls can be controlled in synchronization with an output of two stages before. The second compensation circuit can control a clock signal input can be controlled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2010
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratories Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Mitsuaki Osame, Aya Anzai
  • Publication number: 20100289559
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a first transistor is comprised of a first p+ source region doped in an n-well in the substrate and a first n+ drain region doped on one side at the top of the pillar. A second transistor is comprised of a second p+ source region doped into the second side of the top of the pillar and serially coupled to the top drain region for the first transistor. A second n+ drain region is doped into the substrate adjacent the pillar. Ultra-thin body layer run along each pillar sidewall between their respective active regions. A gate structure is formed along the pillar sidewalls and over the body layers. The transistors operate by electron tunneling from the source valence band to the gate bias-induced n-type channels, along the ultra-thin silicon bodies, thus resulting in a drain current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2010
    Publication date: November 18, 2010
    Inventor: Leonard Forbes
  • Publication number: 20100289558
    Abstract: A conventional circuit requires a booster circuit for generating a voltage higher than an external power supply voltage, thus low power consumption is difficult to be achieved. In addition, a display device incorporating the aforementioned conventional switching element for booster circuit has problems in that the current load is increased and the power supply becomes unstable with a higher output current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2010
    Publication date: November 18, 2010
    Inventor: Hajime Kimura