Advanced Micro Devices Corporation

Kyoung Kim

Alan C Folmsbee

An output buffer circuit is provided which significantly reduces ground/Vcc bounce and glitches of signals provided to an integrated circuit. The circuit includes a plurality of transistors for providing a drive potential at the output of the device. The transistors are coupled such that they increase in size from the input to the output of the output buffer circuit. A control circuit provides control signals for sequentially turning off the transistors from the largest to smallest device thereby substantially reducing the Vcc bounce and glitches of the signals provided to the integrated circuit by the output buffer circuit.

Gradual on output buffer circuit including a reverse turn-off apparatus

A new input protection device for integrated circuits in which the metal-semiconductor contact between a metal line from a metal input pad and doped semiconductor region in the substrate leading to the rest of the integrated circuit is significantly rounded. This reduces the tendency of high current densities to flow through specific areas of the contact creating a short-circuiting metal-semiconductor spike into the substrate. Furthermore, the contact is enlarged beyond the normal size of contacts within the integrated circuit and the conducting region below is formed deeper and laterally away from the contact for further protection.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Kyoung Kim