Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Hsin-Hsin Ko

Chiting Cheng

Jonathan Tsung-Yung Chang

Yangsyu Lin

Cheng Hung Lee

Yen-Huei Chen

Hung-Jen Liao

Chung-Cheng Chou

Jung-Hsuan Chen

Mahmut Sinangil

Ping-Lin Yang

Shu Cheng Huang

A level shifter circuit is provided that uses a boosting circuit. The boosting circuit is configured to improve the operation of the level shifter circuit when the high voltages of voltage domains across the level shifter circuit are widely separated. A circuit apparatus includes a core level shifter circuit that changes a first voltage of an input signal to a second voltage of an output signal. The circuit apparatus further includes a first boosting circuit that is coupled to the core level shifter circuit and generates a first transient voltage applied to the core level shifter circuit when the input signal transitions from a low value to a high value. The circuit apparatus also includes a second boosting circuit that is coupled to the core level shifter circuit and generates a second transient voltage applied to the core level shifter circuit when the input signal transitions from a high value to a low value.

Level shifter circuit using boosting circuit

A circuit for reading a memory device includes a sense amplifier (SA) and a controller. The SA has an input, an output and an enabling terminal. The controller has a first input coupled to the output of the SA, a second input configured to receive a control signal, and an output coupled to the enabling terminal of the SA to send an SA enabling (SAE) signal from the controller to the SA. The controller is configured to start the SAE signal, in response to the control signal, to enable the SA, and to terminate the SAE signal, in response to an SA output signal at the output of the SA, to disable the SA.

Memory reading circuit, memory device and method of operating memory device

A write assist circuit includes a first switch, a second switch and a bias voltage circuit. The first switch connects a cell supply voltage node of a memory cell to a power supply voltage node in response to a write control signal having a first state, and disconnects the cell supply voltage node from the power supply voltage node in response to the write control signal having a second state. The bias voltage circuit generates, at an output thereof, an adjustable bias voltage lower than the power supply voltage. The second switch connects the cell supply voltage node to the output of the bias voltage circuit in response to the write control signal having the second state, and disconnects the cell supply voltage node from the output of the bias voltage circuit in response to the write control signal having the first state.

Write assist circuit, memory device and method

One or more techniques or systems for controlling a voltage divider are provided herein. In some embodiments, a control circuit is configured to bias a pull up unit of a voltage divider using an analog signal, thus enabling the voltage divider to be level tunable. In other words, the control circuit enables the voltage divider to output multiple voltage levels. Additionally, the control circuit is configured to bias the pull up unit based on a bias timing associated with a pull down unit of the voltage divider. For example, the pull up unit is activated after the pull down unit is activated. In this manner, the control circuit provides a timing boost, thus enabling the voltage divider to stabilize more quickly.

Voltage divider control circuit

A word line driver cell suitable for RAM devices such as SRAM, static random access memory devices, is provided. The word line driver cell is compatible with double pattern processing techniques and enables the formation of all word lines from a single metal layer which, in turn, enables overlying and underlying metal levels to be used for other features such as signal lines for word line decoders. A power mesh is formed using multiple metal layers and the formation of all the word lines from a single metal layer enables VDD and VSS power lines that are formed from an overlying layer to extend orthogonal to the cell direction and include wider widths reducing metal line resistance and increasing the deliverable power.

Word line driver cell layout for SRAM and other semiconductor devices

A circuit includes a first power supply node at a first power supply voltage; a gated-node; and a first control device coupled between the first power supply node and the gated-node. The first control device is configured to pass the first power supply voltage to the gated-node or to disconnect the gated-node from the first power supply voltage. A second control device is coupled between the first power supply node and the gated-node. The second control device is configured to pass a gated-voltage to the gated-node or disconnect the gated-node from the gated-voltage. A voltage-drop device is coupled between the first power supply node and the gated-node, wherein the voltage-drop device is serially connected with the second control device. A negative-feedback current source is connected in parallel with the voltage-drop device. The negative-feedback current source is configured to provide a current tracking a variation of the gated-voltage at the gated-node.

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Hsinchu, Taiwan

Hsin-Hsin Ko