Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Seyednaser Pourmousavian

Robert Bogdan Staszewski

Chewn-Pu Jou

Huan-Neng Chen

Feng Wei Kuo

Lan-Chou Cho

Chih-Hsien Chang

Min-Shueh Yuan

Yu-Tso Lin

A device includes a capacitive element that is coupled between first and second nodes and that includes a first well region, a second well region, and a transistor. The second well region is formed in the first well region, has a different conductivity type than the first well region, and is coupled to the second node. The transistor includes source and drain regions formed in the second well region and coupled to each other and to the second node, a channel region between the source and drain regions, and a gate region over the channel region. The first well region and the gate region are coupled to each other and to the first node, whereby a capacitance of the capacitive element is increased without substantially enlarging a physical size of the capacitive element.

Device with a high efficiency voltage multiplier

An all-digital phase locked loop (ADPLL) receives an analog input supply voltage which is utilized to operate analog circuitry within the ADPLL. The ADPLL of the present disclosure scales this analog input supply voltage to provide a digital input supply voltage which is utilized to operate digital circuitry within the ADPLL. The analog circuitry includes a time-to-digital converter (TDC) to measure phase errors within the ADPLL. The TDC can be characterized as having a resolution of the TDC which is dependent, at least in part, upon the digital input supply voltage. In some situations, process, voltage, and/or temperature (PVT) variations within the ADPLL can cause the digital input supply voltage to fluctuate, which in turn, can cause fluctuations in the resolution of the TDC. These fluctuations in the resolution of the TDC can cause in-band phase noise of the ADPLL to vary across the PVT variations. The digital circuitry regulates the digital input supply voltage to stabilize the resolution of the TDC across the PVT variations. This stabilization of the resolution of the TDC can cause the ADPLL to maintain a fixed in-band phase noise across the PVT variations.

All-digital phase locked loop using switched capacitor voltage doubler

A device includes a level shifter and a voltage multiplier. The level shifter is responsive to a first clock signal configured to shift the first clock signal to a second clock signal at a higher level than the first clock signal based on a node voltage. The voltage multiplier is responsive to the second clock signal for generating the node voltage. The node voltage is output from the voltage multiplier for driving a load and is further fed back to the level shifter for generating the second clock signal.

Device with a voltage multiplier

An ADPLL circuit includes a time-to-digital converter (TDC) configured to generate a signal indicative of a phase difference between a first signal and a reference signal and a doubler electrically coupled to the TDC. The doubler is configured to receive a first voltage signal and generate a second voltage signal. The second voltage signal is provided to a voltage input of the TDC. The TDC is configured to generate one or more control signals for the doubler to adjust the second voltage signal.

Growing community of inventors

Dublin, Ireland

Seyednaser Pourmousavian