Mediatek Corporation

Rei-Fu Huang

Shih-Huang Huang

Jin-Bin Yang

Chien-Chung Chen

Che-Yuan Jao

Chin-Jung Su

Chia-Hsien Liu

Hang-Kaung Shu

Meng-Cheng Peng

The present invention provides a differential sensing circuit with a dynamic voltage reference for a single-ended bit line memory is disclosed. The exemplary differential sensing circuit comprises: a dynamic voltage reference generating unit and a differential sensing amplifying unit. The dynamic voltage reference generating unit is coupled to an input voltage, and utilized for receiving a setting signal to generate the dynamic voltage reference. The differential sensing amplifying unit is coupled to the single-ended bit line memory and the dynamic voltage reference generating unit, and utilized for receiving at least an input signal from the single-ended bit line memory and the dynamic voltage reference from the dynamic voltage reference generating unit, so as to generate at least an output signal accordingly.

Differential sensing circuit with dynamic voltage reference for single-ended bit line memory

A retention flip-flop is provided. The flip-flop includes a clock generation circuit, a master latch circuit, and a salve latch circuit. The clock generation circuit generates first and second clock signals in a first mode. The master latch circuit performs a first latch operation on an input signal from the input terminal according to the first and second clock signals to generate a first latched signal at a first node in the first mode. The salve latch circuit performs a second latch operation on the first latched signal according to the first and second clock signals to generate a second latched signal at a second node in the first mode. In a sleep or power-down mode, the total number of transistors in the clock generation circuit and the salve latch circuit is equal to or less than eight.

Low-power retention flip-flops

A flip-flop circuit includes a D flip-flop and a gating controller. The D flip-flop generates an output signal according to a data signal and a gated clock signal. The gating controller receives an original clock signal. The gating controller further compares the output signal with the data signal. If the output signal is the same as the data signal, the gating controller will maintain the gated clock signal at a constant logic level. If the output signal is different from the data signal, the gating controller will use the original clock signal as the gated clock signal.

Flip-flop circuit with data-driven clock

A flip-flop device is provided. The flip-flop device includes a first flip-flop and a clock controller. The first flip-flop receives a first clock signal and a second clock signal for operation. The clock controller receives a clock source signal and generates the first clock signal and the second clock signal according to the clock source signal. Each of the first clock signal and the second clock signal switches between a first voltage level and a second voltage level. For each of the first clock signal and the second clock signal, a period of the first voltage level is shorter than a period of the second voltage level. The period of the first voltage level of the first clock signal and the period of the first voltage level of the second clock signal are non-overlapping.

Flip-flop devices with clock sharing

A memory-testing device for testing a memory is provided. The memory-testing device includes a testing circuitry and a register. The testing circuitry is coupled to the memory for testing performance of the memory. The register is coupled to the testing circuitry and inputted by a testing clock signal, wherein the testing clock signal is different from an original clock signal of the memory and/or the testing circuitry. The testing clock signal is utilized for adjusting the time when the memory-testing device latches data from the memory to decrease a timing slack of the memory-testing device.

Memory-testing device and memory-testing method

An eFuse with at least one fuse unit is provided. The fuse unit includes a first common node providing a first reference voltage, a second common node providing a second reference voltage, at least one fuse coupled to the first common node, and a determining unit coupled between the fuse and the second common node, generating an output signal indicating whether the fuse is blown or not according to a first condition in a normal mode and a second condition in a test mode.

eFuse macro

A content addressable memory (CAM) has a CAM array, a path selection circuit and a control circuit. The CAM array has a plurality of main columns of CAM cells and at least one redundant column of CAM cells. The path selection circuit receives an input search data, and outputs a plurality of bits of the input search data to a plurality of selected columns in the CAM array, respectively. The control circuit controls the path selection circuit to couple to the selected columns, and sets each CAM cell of at least one faulty column found in the main columns at a match state. The at least one faulty column is not included in the selected columns, and the at least one redundant column is included in the selected columns.

Content addressable memory and related column repair method

An eFuse with at least one fuse unit is provided. The fuse unit includes a common node, a sensing unit with a first input terminal and a second input terminal, at least one fuse coupled between the common node and the first input terminal of the sensing unit with a resistance, and a switching unit coupled between the common node and the second input terminal of the sensing unit. A resistance of the switching unit is equivalent to a first resistance in a normal mode and equivalent to a second resistance in a test mode, and the second resistance is higher than the first resistance. The sensing unit generates an output signal indicating whether the fuse is blown or not according to the resistances of the fuse and the switching unit.

An exemplary embodiment of an efuse device is provided, operating in a write mode and a read mode and comprising a source line, a cell, a blow device, and a sensing circuit. The cell has a first terminal coupled to the source line and a second terminal. The blow device is coupled between the second terminal of the cell and a ground terminal. The blow device is turned on in the read mode. The sensing circuit is coupled to the first terminal of the cell and the ground terminal, and is arranged to determine a state of the cell.

Efuse device

An electrically programmable fuse (e-fuse) apparatus includes an e-fuse macro and a switch device. The e-fuse macro is disposed in an integrated circuit, and has a plurality of e-fuse units. The switch device is disposed in the integrated circuit, and has an output node coupled to the e-fuse units and a first input node coupled to a first power source which supplies a first reference voltage acting as a programming voltage of the e-fuse macro. The switch device connects the first power source to the e-fuse units when the e-fuse macro is operated under a programming mode.

E-fuse apparatus for controlling reference voltage required for programming/reading e-fuse macro in an integrated circuit via switch device in the same integrated circuit

The disclosure relates to a voltage converter, converting a first signal of a first voltage to output a second signal of a second voltage. A level shifter receives the first signal to generate the second signal. An isolation circuit is coupled to the output of the level shifter, passing the second signal out. When the input of voltage converter is floated, the isolation circuit stops passing the second signal as the output, instead, the isolation circuit outputs a substitution signal having a predetermined voltage level irrelevant to the input of the level shifter.

Growing community of inventors

Hsinchu, Taiwan

Rei-Fu Huang