Cypress Semiconductor Corporation

Paul D Keswick

Nagendra Srinivas Cherukupalli

Sanjay Rekhi

James M Apland

Bruce Frederick

In one embodiment, a first transistor is configured to switch ON to discharge accumulated charges on an interconnect line during a metallization process. This advantageously protects a second transistor, which is coupled to the interconnect line, from charge buildup. The gate of the first transistor may be coupled to the interconnect line by way of a coupling capacitor. The gate of the first transistor may remain floating during the metallization process, and subsequently coupled to ground at a topmost metal level. The metallization process may be physical vapor deposition, for example.

Protection of integrated circuit gates during metallization processes

Customization methodology for integrated circuit (e.g., clocks) design customization using a software tool that integrates multiple integrated circuit development operations.

Automated integrated circuit development

An improved MOS memory circuit using an MOS clamp circuit on the bitlines which turns on when the voltage on a bitline exceeds a predetermined voltage, thereby drawing current from the bitline to remove excess charge and return the bitline to the predetermined voltage. The clamp circuit of this invention allows prompt read access because reading is not substantially delayed by the excess bitline charge.

MOS memory circuit with fast access time

A first-in first-out buffer memory with improved status flags to indicate not only memory empty and memory full conditions, but to further indicate conditions such as almost empty, almost full and half-full is disclosed. To generate the flags, counters continuously count the number of write and read operations, with a subtractor coupled thereto providing as an output the difference between the two counts. Time delay circuits initiated by write or read operations provide time delays sufficient to enable the counters and the subtractor to settle before clocking the result into a latch. The output of the latch is decoded, with a further time delay circuit clocking the decoder output thereinto to provide output signals for the foregoing status flags. The use of the time delay circuits and the clocking of status flags avoids any significant flag invalid time, making the flag signals constantly monitorable without regard to the timing of read and write operations.

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Morgan Hill, CA, United States of America

Paul D Keswick