Abstract: An improved integrated circuit area efficient redundancy multiplexer circuit technique provides similar functionality to conventional CMOS transmission, or “pass” gates while concomitantly reducing circuit complexity, the die area necessary to support redundant elements and complementary control signals in memory device ICs and undesired parasitic capacitance. The technique of the present invention effectuates this end by utilizing the on-chip boosted voltage levels (Vpp) which are generally available in integrated circuit memory devices to supply the voltage for the control signal applied to a single N-channel transistor pass gate instead of the conventional supply voltage level of Vcc. The Vpp voltage and circuit ground (“GND”) are then utilized as the logic “high” and “low” signal levels respectively. This use is made possible due to the fact that these control signals operate at a direct current (“DC”) level after device power-up.

Abstract: Disclosed are circuits and methods that prevent failure modes in related circuits. The circuit processes a pulse for use with a related circuit. The circuit comprises a timer and one or more logic gates. The timer produces an output in a given state if the duration of the pulse reaches a predetermined amount of time. The predetermined amount of time is related to a parameter of the related circuit. The one or more logic gates have an output that is the same as the pulse unless and until the output of the timer is in the given state, at which time, the output of the one or more logic gates is forced to a non-pulsed state. Preferably, the parameter is a subthreshold leakage rate across an FET. The method is used with a circuit in which leakage can occur at a first rate. The method comprises the step of sensing a condition that prompts leakage to occur in the circuit. In response to the sensing step, the method produces a related leakage at a faster rate than the first rate.

Abstract: A register device is provided with a plurality of sub-register devices. The plurality of sub-register devices are grouped into three sub-register device groups, with a signal processing unit constituted of inverters and a capacitative element provided between adjacent sub-register device groups. A transfer signal output by a transfer signal generator is amplified at the signal processing units. This structure achieves an accurate and efficient transfer of data within the sub-register devices from write register units to read register units.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a decoder circuit that can be operated at higher frequencies of a RLL clock. RLL data input from a disk drive is shifted through a first stage of the decoder circuit by the standard RLL clock. The RLL data is shifted from the first stage through a second stage of the decoder circuit by a modified RLL' clock that operates at a lower frequency than the RLL clock. In a preferred embodiment, RLL' clock operates at one-third the frequency of the RLL clock. The decoding step is accomplished within the period of one clock cycle of the slower RLL' clock, which affords the decoder circuit of the present invention a sufficient amount of time to decode the RLL data from the disk drive into NRZ data for the host. Since RLL' clock used in the decoding step is slower, the RLL clock used to generate RLL' clock and to clock data into the decoder circuit from the disk drive can be operated at a higher frequency than currently possible.

Abstract: A shift register which is stably operable even under low power voltage and including a first transfer gate NTM1 connected to a data input terminal DIN1, second and third transfer gates NTM2 and NTM3 connected in series to a ground line, a pair of inverters IVM1 and IVM2 connected in the opposite orientation between the output terminals of the first and third gates, and fourth and fifth transfer gates NTS1 and NTS2 connected in parallel with respect to the outputs of the pair of inverters IVM1 and IVM2. The shift register further includes a pair of inverters IVS1 and IVS2 connected in the opposite orientation between the output terminals of the fourth and fifth gates. The gate terminal of the second gate is connected to the data input terminal, a first clock signal MCLK is input into the gate terminals of the first and third gates, and a second clock signal SCLK, in which the phase differs from the first clock signal, is input into the gate terminals of the fourth and fifth gates.

Abstract: A driver circuit in an integrated circuit includes a flip-flop circuit and a plurality of AND gates. The flip-flop circuit causes an external control signal which is supplied externally to synchronize with a clock signal, and produces an internal control signal. The AND gates control a plurality of outputs based on a data signal in accordance with the internal control signal. Since the internal control signal is synchronized with the clock signal, changes in the outputs from the AND gates are delayed from the timing of the clock signal. Thus, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of malfunction caused by a switching current to flow in transient of changes in the outputs.

Abstract: A shift register includes a plurality of alternating shifting and latching sections connected in cascade. The phases of clocks (CLK, CLKB) for driving transmission gates (10, 14) of the shifting sections advance in phase relative to the phases of clocks (CLK, CLKB1) for driving transmission gates (12, 16) of the latching sections. The ON-resistance of the transmission gates (10, 14) of the shifting sections is sufficiently larger than that of the transmission gates (12, 16) of the latching sections, so that even when both of the clocks CLK and CLKB are at H or L levels due to delay imparted by inverters included in a clock generator, data to be latched is always given priority over data to be shifted. Thus, the shift register is free of a race condition which otherwise would be caused by a phase difference between the driving clocks.

Abstract: A charge transfer device is fabricated on a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type and comprises a well formed in a surface portion of the semiconductor substrate and having a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type, a charge transfer region of the first conductivity type formed in a surface portion of the well, a floating diffusion region of the first conductivity type formed in the surface portion of the well and contiguous to the charge transfer region, an insulating film covering the surface portion of the well, and a plurality of gate electrodes provided on the insulating film and applied with driving clocks in such a manner as to produce conductive channels in the charge transfer region for transferring electric charges toward the floating diffusion region, in which the channels in the vicinity of the floating diffusion region are gradually decreased in width toward the floating diffusion region, and in which impurity atoms of the well beneath the charge transfer r

Abstract: A redundancy circuit that substitutes a redundant circuit element for a corresponding defective circuit element includes a severable fuse link and a redundancy control circuit with an input connected to the severable fuse link and first and second outputs. When the fuse link is intact, the first output of the redundancy control circuit is in a first state and the second output is in a second state. When the fuse link is severed, a momentary signal on power up places the first output in the second state and the second output in the first state. The first output is coupled to the one circuit element and the second output is coupled to the corresponding redundant circuit element. If the one circuit element is defective, it is disabled by severing the fuse link.

Abstract: A sample-hold circuit comprises a large number of sample-hold elements, and a multi-stage shift register for controlling sampling timings of the sample-hold elments, including a large number of stages corresponding to respective sample-hold elements, wherein each of stages of the multi-stage shift register includes an input gate for taking a signal shifted from the preceding stage thereinto, an output gate for shifting the signal taken in by the input gate to the succeeding stage, respective sampling timings of the sample-hold elements corresponding to respective stages being determined by signals taken in between the input and output gates through the input gates at the respective stages. Waveforms of output signals from respective stages for determining the sampling timing are not affected by interstage wiring capacity.

Abstract: A plurality of static induction transistors capable of establishing a controllable potential barrier for charge carriers in the channel region between the source and the drain under the influence of the potentials of the gate and the drain connected in series and integrated in a semiconductor chip to constitute a charge transfer train. The drain of one static induction transistor and the source of the next adjacent static induction transistor are integrated in common into a charge storage region. An insulated electrode is provided on each charge storage region to control the potential thereof. The charge transfer train can be driven by 4-phase, 3-phase or 2-phase signals. The gate electrode and the drain electrode for each transistor may be integrated to form directional 2-phase charge transfer train. Image pick up device of very high operation speed can be materialized with the above charge transfer train.

Abstract: A coincidence element responsive to a plurality of input signals for outputting the level of the input signals when said plurality of input signals coincide with each other includes, a serial connection of a first electrically conductive type and a second electrically conductive type MOS transistors of the same number, the number being equal to the number of the input signals, responsive to said plurality of inputs connected between a first power supply and a second power supply; and a CMOS inverter responsive to an intermediate output at the connection of the most lower stage first conductivity type MOS transistor and the most upper stage second conductivity type MOS transistor for outputting a coincidence signal.

Abstract: A shift register comprising a plurality of memory cells serially coupled together along a signal bus. Each one of the plurality of memory cells comprises a first amplifier, fed by an input logic signal, for amplifying and inverting the logic state of the input logic signal. A first storage section is included for either enabling storage in the first storage section of an electric charge corresponding to the voltage level of the amplified and inverted input logic signal, or disabling storage in the first storage section of the electric charge, selectively in response to a first control signal. The stored electric charge is converted to an intermediate logic signal having a predetermined voltage level. Each memory cell additionally includes a second amplifier, fed by the intermediate logic signal, for amplifying and inverting the logic state of the intermediate logic signal.

Abstract: A dynamic type semiconductor memory device having refreshing function includes a clock pulse generating circuit having a row clock pulse generating section which includes a plurality of cascade-connected delay circuits, a plurality of MOS transistors selectively connected between said delay circuits, and a gate control circuit for changing conduction resistances of the MOS transistors according to the level of a refreshing signal.

Abstract: A shift register stage responsive to a clock signal having first and second phases, the stage having an input and an output node (206 and 228) and comprising: capacitive storage means (208); switch means (202, 210) connected between the capacitive storage means and the input node of the stage and having a control electrode; and amplifier means (230) connected between the capacitive storage means and the output node of the stage, the switch means being conductive and non-conductive respectively during the first and second phases of the clock signal so that the capacitive storage means is charged during the first phase of the clock signal to a voltage representative of the voltage at the input node of the stage, and the amplifier means being operative during at least the second phase of the clock signal so that the amplifier means produces at the output node of the stage a voltage representative of the voltage on the capacitive storage means, wherein the voltage applied to the control electrode of the switch me

Abstract: A five-transistor CMOS static latch cell useful in static flip-flop applications comprises, in one embodiment, an inverting latch cell having a data input node, a data storage node, a complementary data output node, a clock input node for selectively enabling or not enabling the cell, and a pair of voltage supply nodes. An essentially standard CMOS inverter has an output connected to the complementary data output node. The inverter includes a complementary pair of IGFETs i.e., an N-channel IGFET and a P-channel IGFET. The channel of the N-channel inverter IGFET selectively electrically connects the complementary data output node to ground. The channel of the P-channel inverter IGFET selectively electrically connects the complementary data output node to the voltage supply node. The inverter transistor gate electrodes are connected to the data storage node.