Stmicroelectronics International N.v.

Stmicroelectronics (rousset) Sas

Stmicroelectronics (crolles 2) Sas

Stmicroelectronics (grenoble 2) Sas

Manoj Kumar

Nicolas Demange

Ravinder Kumar

Kailash Kumar

Saiyid Mohammad Irshad Rizvi

Paras Garg

Olivier Le-Briz

Vishal Kumar Sharma

Lionel Courau

Geeta

Jean Guillorit

Navin Kumar Dayani

The present disclosure is directed to a high-voltage fault protection for an interface circuit. The interface circuit is transmitting data signals through an output driver to an external circuit coupled to a PAD contact. The output driver includes pull-up and pull-down drivers. The pull-up driver includes two series PMOS coupled between a voltage supply and the PAD. The pull-down driver includes two series NMOS coupled between the PAD and a ground node. A first safe signal is coupled to one PMOS. A first circuit scheme is designed to generate the first safe signal to be low-logical level voltage when the PAD voltage is lower than a threshold, while being high-logical level voltage when the PAD voltage is higher than the threshold. A second circuit scheme is designed to control one of the series NMOS to be in OFF state when the PAD voltage is higher than the threshold.

High-voltage fault protection circuit

An integrated circuit includes an overvoltage protection circuit. The overvoltage protection circuit detects overvoltage events at a pad of the integrated circuit. The overvoltage protection circuit generates a max voltage signal that is the greater of the voltage at the pad and a supply voltage of the integrated circuit. The overvoltage protection circuit disables a PMOS transistor coupled to the pad by supplying the max voltage signal to the gate of the PMOS transistor when an overvoltage event is present at the pad.

Overvoltage protection circuit for a PMOS based switch

An integrated circuit includes an input pad and a Schmitt trigger coupled to the input pad. The Schmitt trigger includes a main PMOS branch that charges an intermediate node of the Schmitt trigger responsive to voltage transitions at the input node. The Schmitt trigger includes a charging assistance circuit that helps to rapidly charge the intermediate node of the Schmitt trigger. The charging assistance circuit includes a parallel PMOS branch in parallel with the main PMOS branch.

Schmitt trigger with current assistance circuit

A serial peripheral interface (SPI) device includes a serial clock (SCK) pad receiving a serial clock, first and second Schmitt triggers directly electrically connected to the SCK pad to selectively respectively generate first and second clocks in response to rising and falling edges of the serial clock, first and second flip flops clocked by the first and second clocks to output bits of data to a data node, a multiplexer having an input coupled to the data node and an output coupled to driving circuitry, and driving circuitry transmitting data via a master-in-slave-out (MISO) pad.

Serial data interface with reduced loop delay

An integrated circuit die has a peripheral edge and a seal ring extending along the peripheral edge and surrounding a functional integrated circuit area. A test logic circuit located within the functional integrated circuit area generates a serial input data signal for application to a first end of a sensing conductive wire line extending around the seal ring between the seal ring and the peripheral edge of the integrated circuit die. Propagation of the serial input data signal along the sensing conductive wire line produces a serial output data signal at a second end of the sensing conductive wire line. The test logic circuit compares data patterns of the serial input data signal and serial output data signal to detect damage at the peripheral edge of the integrated circuit die.

Circuit for detecting damage to a peripheral edge on an integrated circuit die

An input signal having a logic low level at a first voltage and a logic high level at a second voltage is received by a Schmitt trigger. A voltage generator outputs a reference voltage generated from a third voltage that is higher than the second voltage. A first transistor coupled between the third voltage and a power supply node of the Schmitt trigger is biased by the reference voltage to apply a fourth voltage to the power supply node of the Schmitt trigger that is dependent on the reference voltage. The reference voltage has a value which causes the fourth voltage to be less than or equal to the second voltage. A second transistor coupled between the input signal and the input of the Schmitt trigger circuit is also biased by the reference voltage to control the logic high level voltage of the input signal at the Schmitt trigger.

Low power input receiver using a Schmitt trigger circuit

A computerized method for designing a layout of a driver includes analyzing a schematic circuit. PMOSFETs coupled between first common nodes are grouped into one or more first classes. NMOSFETs coupled between second common nodes are grouped into one or more second classes. The method further includes generating the layout for each MOSFET at each location in a layout area of the driver by generating a super parameterized cell (PCELL) layout block comprising a master MOSFET PCELL and a master guard ring PCELL for each of the first class and the second class. The master MOSFET PCELL includes a first set of parameters for the MOSFET and the master guard ring PCELL includes a second set of parameters for the guard ring around the MOSFET. A child PCELL of the master MOSFET PCELL and the master guard ring PCELL are instantiated at each location in the layout area.

Area optimized driver layout

An input/output circuit layout has a first section in which first transistors having a thicker gate oxide are located and a second section in which second transistors having a thinner gate oxide are located. Due to process technology constraints, the gates of all of the second transistors are oriented in a single common direction. The second section has a perimeter having a square shape including a first edge and a second edge adjacent to the first edge. First connection pins coupled to the second transistors are provided with an orientation that extends inwardly from and perpendicular to the first edge. Second connection pins coupled to the second transistors are provided with an orientation that extends inwardly from and perpendicular to said second edge. The square shape and presence of pins on adjacent first and second edges permits rotation of the second section to fit within different orientations of the layout.

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Greater Noida, India

Manoj Kumar