Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

TSMC China Company Limited

Ming-En Bu

He-Zhou Wan

Ching-Wei Wu

XiuLi Yang

Mu-Jen Huang

Xiu-Li Yang

Hidehiro Fujiwara

Cheng Hung Lee

Jie Cai

Weiyang Jiang

Mengxiang Xu

Zong-Liang Cao

A method includes specifying a target memory macro, and determining failure rates of function-blocks in the target memory macro based on an amount of transistors and area distributions in a collection of base cells. The method also includes determining a safety level of the target memory macro, based upon a failure-mode analysis of the target memory macro, from a memory compiler, based on the determined failure rate.

Method of certifying safety levels of semiconductor memories in integrated circuits

A circuit includes a power management circuit and a memory circuit. The power management circuit is configured to receive a first control signal and a second control signal, and to supply a first supply voltage, a second supply voltage and a third supply voltage. The first control signal has a first voltage swing, and the second control signal has a second voltage swing different from the first voltage swing. The first control signal causes the power management circuit to enter a power management mode having a first state and a second state. The memory circuit is coupled to the power management circuit, and is in the first state or the second state in response to at least the first supply voltage supplied by the power management circuit.

Circuit and method of operating the same

A device includes a first virtual power line, a second virtual power line, a first delay circuit, and a first wakeup detector. The first virtual power line and the second virtual power line are coupled to a power supply correspondingly through a first group of transistor switches and a second group of transistor switches. The first delay circuit is coupled between gate terminals of the first group of transistor switches and gate terminals in the second group of transistor switches. The first wakeup detector is configured to generate a first trigger signal after receiving a signal from the first delay circuit.

System and method of power management in memory design

A method includes specifying a target memory macro with one or more parameters, finding function-blocks in the target memory macro, and determining failure rates of the function-blocks based on an amount of transistors and area distributions in a collection of base cells. The method includes generating a failure-mode analysis for the target memory macro, from a memory compiler, based on the failure rates of the function-blocks. The method includes determining a safety level of the target memory macro, based upon the failure-mode analysis of the target memory macro.

A method includes delaying an input voltage signal to generate an output voltage, enabling a capacitor unit to apply across a word line driver a boosted voltage greater than the output voltage, and enabling the word line driver to provide a driving voltage that corresponds to the boosted voltage. A word line driving unit that performs the method and a memory device that includes the word line driving unit are also disclosed.

Word line driving unit with a boost voltage generator and memory device including the same

In some embodiments, a circuit comprises a plurality of memory banks, a column line tracking loop and/or a row line tracking loop, and a tracking circuit. The plurality of memory banks are arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns of memory building blocks. The column line tracking loop traverses at least a portion of the plurality of rows. The row line tracking loop traverses at least a portion of the plurality of columns. The tracking circuit is configured to receive a first edge of a first signal, cause the first edge of a first signal to be propagated through the column line tracking loop and/or through the row line tracking loop and cause a second edge of the first signal when receiving the propagated first edge of the first signal. The first signal is associated with accessing of the plurality of memory banks.

Multi-bank memory with line tracking loop

In some embodiments, a time division multiplexing (TDM) circuit is configured to receive an external clock signal and generate an internal clock signal that has at least one pulse during a clock cycle of the external clock signal. An address selector is configured to select a current address before a first time within one of the at least one pulse, and select a next address starting from the first time to generate a selected address. An address storage element is configured to receive the selected address from the address selector and provide a passed through or stored address. The provided address is the current address substantially throughout the one of the at least one pulse. A single-port (SP) memory is configured to access at least one SP memory cell at the address provided by the address storage element in response to the internal clock signal.

Time division multiplexed multiport memory

A boost system for dual-port SRAM includes a comparator and a boost circuit. The comparator is configured to compare a first row address of a first port and a second row address of a second port, and output a first enable signal. The boost circuit is configured to boost a voltage difference between a first voltage source and a second voltage source according to the first enable signal.

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Shanghai, China

Ming-En Bu