Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Tsung-Hsin Yu

Chung-Hui Chen

Wan-Yen Lin

Bo-Ting Chen

Hao-Jie Zhan

Nick Pai

Yung-Chow Peng

Wei-Ting Lin

Chien-Wen Chen

Mu-Jen Huang

Chia-Hui Chen

Chih Chi Hsiao

Cheng-Hsiang Hsieh

Wei Chih Chen

Chin-Ming Fu

Shao-Yu Li

Wan-Te Chen

Tzu-Ching Chang

Weichih Chen

Chi-Chang Lu

Hui-Zhong Zhuang

Chih-Hsien Chang

Tung-Heng Hsieh

Chia-Chung Chen

Ruey-Bin Sheen

Kuo-Ji Chen

Ker-Min Chen

Tien-Chien Huang

Yung Feng Chang

Hao-Chieh Chan

Ya Yun Liu

Shu-Wei Chung

Chien-Chun Tsai

Tzu Ching Chang

Wan-te Chen

Cheng-Ting Ko

Systems and methods are provided for a level shifter. A level shifter includes a network of transistors configured to receive a signal at a first node in a first voltage domain and to generate a corresponding signal at a second node in a second voltage domain during a transition period of time. A self timing circuit is configured to receive an initiation signal based on the signal at the first node and to generate a voltage transition accelerator signal that is used to pull up the second node prior to the expiration of the transition period of time.

Self timed level shifter circuit

A semiconductor structure including first finfet cells and second finfet cells. Each of the first finfet cells has an analog fin boundary according to analog circuit design rules, and each of the second finfet cells has a digital fin boundary according to digital circuit design rules. The semiconductor structure further includes first circuits formed with the first finfet cells, second circuits formed with the second finfet cells, and third circuits formed with one or more of the first finfet cells and one or more of the second finfet cells.

Circuits designed and manufactured with first and second fin boundaries

Circuits and methods for preventing glitch in a circuit are disclosed. In one example, a circuit coupled to an input/output pad is disclosed. The circuit includes: a first level shifter, a second level shifter, and a control logic circuit. The first level shifter is configured for generating a data signal. The second level shifter is configured for generating an output enable signal. The first and second level shifters are controlled by first and second power-on-control signals, respectively. The control logic circuit is coupled to the first level shifter and the second level shifter.

Glitch preventing input/output circuits

An integrated circuit (IC) including a plurality of finfet cells designed with digital circuit design rules to provide smaller finfet cells with decreased cell heights, and analog circuit cell structures including first finfet cells of the plurality of finfet cells and including at least one cut metal layer. The smaller finfet cells with decreased cell heights provide a first shorter metal track in one direction and the at least one cut metal layer provides a second shorter metal track in another direction to increase maximum electromigration currents in the integrated circuit.

Circuits designed and manufactured with first and second design rules

The present disclosure describes structure with a substrate, a first well region, a second well region, and a third well region. The first well region is in the substrate. The second well region is in the first well region and includes a first source/drain (S/D) region. The third well region is in the substrate and adjacent to the first well region. The third well region includes a second S/D region, where a spacing between the first and second S/D regions is less than about 3 μm.

Cell placement optimization

A semiconductor device includes a substrate. A first nanosheet structure and a second nanosheet structure are disposed on the substrate. Each of the first and second nanosheet structures have at least one nanosheet forming source/drain regions and a gate structure including a conductive gate contact. A first oxide structure is disposed on the substrate between the first and second nanosheet structures. A conductive terminal is disposed in or on the first oxide structure. The conductive terminal, the first oxide structure and the gate structure of the first nanosheet structure define a capacitor.

Capacitor in nanosheet

A semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same are provided. The semiconductor device includes a first active region extending along a first direction. The semiconductor device also includes a second active region extending along the first direction. The semiconductor device further includes a first gate extending along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The first gate has a first segment disposed between the first active region and the second active region. In addition, the semiconductor device includes a first electrical conductor extending along the second direction and across the first active region and the second active region, wherein the first segment of the first gate and the first electrical conductor are partially overlapped to form a first capacitor.

Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same

A circuit includes: a first swing reduction circuit coupled between an input/output pad and a buffer circuit, and a second swing reduction circuit coupled between the input/output pad and the buffer circuit. The first swing reduction circuit comprises a first transistor gated by a first bias voltage and comprises a second transistor drained by the first bias voltage. The first swing reduction circuit is configured to increase a voltage at a first node in the buffer circuit when a voltage applied on the input/output pad is equal to a first supply voltage. The second swing reduction circuit is configured to reduce a voltage at a second node in the buffer circuit when the voltage applied on the input/output pad is equal to a second supply voltage.

Temperature instability-aware circuit

Circuits and methods for preventing glitch in a circuit are disclosed. In one example, a circuit coupled to an input/output pad is disclosed. The circuit includes: a first level shifter, a second level shifter, and a control logic circuit. The first level shifter is configured for generating a data signal. The second level shifter is configured for generating an output enable signal. The first and second level shifters are controlled by first and second power-on-control signals, respectively. The control logic circuit is coupled to the first level shifter and the second level shifter, and configured for driving the input/output pad to a voltage level based on the data signal and the output enable signal.

A circuit includes: a first type of swing reduction circuit coupled between an input/output pad and a buffer circuit; and a second type of swing reduction circuit coupled between the input/output pad and the buffer circuit, wherein the first type of swing reduction circuit is configured to increase a voltage received by respective gates of a first subset of transistors of the buffer circuit when a voltage applied on the input/output pad is equal to a first supply voltage, and the second type of swing reduction circuit is configured to reduce a voltage received by respective gates of a second subset of transistors of the buffer circuit when the voltage applied on the input/output pad is equal to a second supply voltage.

A circuit includes a supply voltage node having a supply voltage value and a node having a node voltage, the node voltage having a node voltage value higher than the supply voltage value. A current generating circuit is coupled between the supply voltage node and the node and is configured to generate a current, and a tracking circuit electrically coupled to the node is configured to selectively supply the current to the node based on the node voltage.

Tracking circuit and method

Growing community of inventors

Hsinchu, Taiwan

Tsung-Hsin Yu