Stmicroelectronics International N.v.

Synopsys, Inc.

Stmicroelectronics Pvt. Ltd.

Shishir Kumar

Tanmoy Roy

Abhishek Pathak

Nishu Kohli

Mudit Bhargava

Harold Pilo

Vinay Kumar

Deepak Kumar Bihani

Tushar Sharma

Anurag Garg

Dhori Kedar Janardan

Tanuj Kumar

Rohit Bhasin

John Edward Barth, Jr

Pierre Malinge

Ankur Goel

Bhupender Singh

Dibya Dipti

Peter Kwang Lee

A memory device includes a plurality of select lines, a plurality of word lines, an array of memory cells, a bitline, and a resistance device. The array of memory cells includes multiple rows and multiple columns. The bitline is structured to receive a current in a read operation, causing a value stored in a selected memory cell to be readable when a select line and a word line that interest the selected memory cell are selected. The resistance device has a first terminal and a second terminal. The first terminal is coupled to the select lines, and the second terminal is coupled to ground. The resistance device is structured to bias, in the read operation, word lines of unselected memory cells in a column of a selected memory cell to a determined negative voltage.

Reducing memory device bitline leakage

A memory device includes clock signal generation circuitry, and first integrated level shifter and latch circuitry. The clock signal generation circuitry receives a first clock signal and an isolation signal, and generates a second clock signal based on the first clock signal and the isolation signal. The isolation signal corresponds to a power state of a power supply associated with the first clock signal. The first integrated level shifter and latch circuitry receives an input signal in a first power supply domain, and latches a value the input signal based on the second clock signal. Further, the first integrated level shifter and latch circuitry outputs, based on the latched value, an output signal in a second power supply domain different than the first power supply domain.

Interface level-shifter dual-rail memory architecture

A delay circuit. In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer readable medium includes stored instructions, which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to generate a digital representation of a circuit including: a first inverter, having an input, an output, and two power supply connections; a first current source, electrically coupled in series between a power supply conductor and a power supply connection of the two power supply connections of the first inverter; and a ramp generator circuit, electrically coupled to the input of the first inverter.

Delay circuit

A memory device includes bitcells connected to wordlines and bitlines, and driver circuitry that updates the bitcells. The driver circuitry includes first transistors, and a first inverter device. The first transistors drive a bitcell of a memory device. The first inverter device is coupled to the first transistors, and drives the first transistors with a first control signal. The first inverter device includes first inverter circuitry and second inverter circuitry. The first inverter circuitry receives a first signal, a first voltage, and a second voltage differing from the first voltage, and generates a first inverted signal based on the first signal, the first voltage and the second voltage. The second inverter circuitry receives the first inverted signal, the second voltage and a third voltage differing from the second voltage, and generates the first control signal based on the first inverted signal, the third voltage and the second voltage.

Reducing spurious write operations in a memory device

A method of using on-chip circuitry to test a memory of a chip is provided. The method including, in a capture stage, receiving, at a first n-bit compression structure including n first stage latches corresponding to each bit of the first n-bit compression structure, a value at each respective first stage latch for each of n memory addresses of the memory, such that each respective first stage latch receives a respective value from a memory address of the memory, n being an integer greater than one, and in the capture stage, passing the values from each respective first stage latch through compression logic of the first n-bit compression structure to output a single compressed address value, providing the single compressed address value to a second stage latch of the first n-bit compression structure.

Scan chain compression for testing memory of a system on a chip

Tracking circuitry for a memory device is disclosed. The tracking circuitry includes an inverter, a level shifter, delay circuitry, and a logic gate. The inverter is configured to receive a first clock signal and generate an inverted clock signal. The level shifter is configured to receive the first clock signal and the inverted clock signal and generate a level shifted clock signal. The delay circuitry is configured to receive the level shifted clock signal and generate an inverted level shifted clock signal. The logic gate comprises a first input configured to receive the first clock signal and a second input configured to receive the inverted level shifted clock signal. The logic gate is configured to generate a second clock signal based on the first clock signal and the inverted level shifted clock signal.

Power supply tracking circuitry for embedded memories

The present disclosure is directed to a circuit layout of a dual port static random-access-memory (SRAM) cell. The memory cell includes active regions in a substrate, with polysilicon gate electrodes on the active regions to define transistors of the memory cell. The eight transistor (8T) memory cell layout includes a reduced aspect ratio and non-polysilicon bit line discharge path routing by positioning an active region for the first port opposite an active region for the second port and consolidating power line nodes at a central portion of the memory cell.

Dual port memory cell with improved access resistance

A decoder decodes a memory address and selectively drives a select line (such as a word line or mux line) of a memory. An encoding circuit encodes the data on select lines to generate an encoded address. The encoded address and the memory address are compared by a comparison circuit to generate a test result signal which is indicative of whether the decoder is operating properly. To test the comparison circuit for proper operation, a subset of an MBIST scan routine causes the encoded address to be blocked from the comparison circuit and a force signal to be applied in its place. A test signal from the scan routine and the force signal are then compared by the comparison circuit, with the test result signal generated from the comparison being indicative of whether the comparison circuit itself is operating properly.

Testing of comparators within a memory safety logic circuit using a fault enable generation circuit within the memory

A row decoder located on one side of a memory array selectively drives word lines in response to a row address. A word line fault detection circuit located on an opposite side of the first memory array operates to detect an open word line fault between the opposed sides of the memory array. The word line fault detection circuit includes a first clamp circuit that operates to clamp the word lines to ground. An encoder circuit encodes signals on the word lines to generate an encoded address. The encoded address is compared to the row address by a comparator circuit which sets an error flag indicating the open word line fault has been detected if the encoded address does not match the row address.

Circuit and method for at speed detection of a word line fault condition in a memory circuit

First and second memory arrays have common word lines driven by a row decoder in response to a row address. A first word line encoder associated with the first memory array encodes signals on the word lines to generate a first encoded value, and a second word line encoder associated with the second memory array encodes signals on the word lines to generate a second encoded value. Comparison circuitry compares the first encoded value to a first expected value (e.g., a first portion of the row address) and compares the second encoded value to a second expected value (e.g., a second portion of the row address). An error flag is asserted to indicate presence of a word line fault based upon a lack of match between the first encoded value and the first expected value and/or a lack of match between the second encoded value and the second expected value.

A sense amplifier enable signal and a tracking signal are generated in response to an indication that a sufficient voltage difference has developed across bit lines of a memory. The sense amplifier enable signal has a pulse width between a leading edge and a trailing edge. The sense amplifier enable signal is propagated along a first U-turn signal line that extends parallel to rows of the memory array and is coupled to sense amplifiers arranged in a row to generate a sense amplifier enable return signal. The tracking signal is propagated along a second U-turn signal line extending parallel to columns of the memory array to generate a tracking return signal. The sense amplifier enable return signal and the tracking return signal are logically combined to generate a reset signal. Timing of the trailing edge of the pulse width is controlled by the reset signal.

Robust adaptive method and circuit for controlling a timing window for enabling operation of sense amplifier

A failure determination circuit includes a latch circuit that receives an internal clock from a clock latch that rises in response to an external clock rising. In response to a rising edge of the external clock, the circuit generates a rising edge of a fault flag. In response to a rising edge of the internal clock if it occurs, the fault flag falls. The fault flag is then latched. The latched fault flag indicates a single bit upset in the clock latch if the falling edge of the fault flag was not generated prior to latching, if the clock latch is in an active mode, and indicates a single bit upset in the clock latch if the falling edge of the fault flag was generated prior to latching, if the clock latch is in an inactive mode.

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Shishir Kumar