Mark R Santoro

Title: The Innovative Contributions of Mark R. Santoro

Introduction

Mark R. Santoro is a notable inventor based in Sunnyvale, California, with a remarkable portfolio of nine patents. His work primarily focuses on advancements in programmable logic arrays and SRAM design, showcasing his expertise in the field of electronics and semiconductor technology.

Latest Patents

One of Santoro's latest patents is titled "Controlled PMOS Load on a CMOS PLA." This invention involves a programmable logic array (PLA) that receives data input signals from input registers and generates corresponding minterms. The minterms are OR-ed together to form a sum of products, which are provided to output latches and clocked out before the end of each clock cycle by an internal self-timed signal as PLA output data. The design includes NOR gates with NMOS transistors, where each NMOS transistor's drain is connected to a common NOR gate output node, its source to ground, and its gate receives a corresponding minterm from the AND plane. Additionally, the NOR gate features a PMOS load transistor that operates based on timing signals to manage the output effectively.

Another significant patent is "Fast SRAM Design Using Embedded Sense Amps." This innovation enhances the speed of large SRAMs by embedding sense amplifiers into the SRAM core. By doing so, the bit line length that the SRAM cells must drive is minimized, resulting in a faster slew rate. The design incorporates an additional layer of metal to route and accumulate the sense amp results vertically over the entire SRAM core, along with a sense amp muxing scheme to reduce the required pitch of the additional metal layers.

Career Highlights

Throughout his career, Mark R. Santoro has made significant contributions while working at prominent companies such as Sun Microsystems, Inc. and Micro Magic, Inc. His experience in these organizations has allowed him to develop and refine his innovative ideas in the field of electronics.

Collaborations

Santoro has collaborated with notable professionals in the industry, including Lee S. Tavrow and Gary W. Bewick. These collaborations have likely contributed to the success and development of his inventions.

Conclusion

Mark R. Santoro's contributions to the field of electronics through his patents and career achievements highlight his innovative spirit and technical expertise. His work continues to influence advancements in programmable logic and memory design.