Globalfoundries U.S. Inc.

Uttam K Saha

Mahbub Rashed

Shivraj Gurpadappa Dharne

Vivek Raj

Navneet Jain

Dzung T Tran

A disclosed flip-flop includes primary and secondary sections connected to switchable and continuous power supplies, respectively. The primary section includes logic outputting first control signals, a primary latch controlled by the first control signals, and a data output device connected to an output terminal of the primary latch. The secondary section includes logic outputting second control signals and a secondary latch. A first transmission gate controlled by the second control signals is connected between the output terminal of the primary latch and an input terminal of the secondary latch. A second transmission gate controlled by the first and second control signals is connected between output and input terminals of the secondary latch. In a normal mode, both sections receive power and the first transmission gate is conductive. In a retention mode, the primary section is powered down, the first transmission gate is non-conductive and the second transmission gate is conductive.

Retention flip-flop with multiple positive supply voltage domains

A disclosed sense circuit for a memory circuit includes sense amplifiers that detect differences in voltage levels on complementary bitlines during read operations. Instead of the sense amplifiers having built-in footer devices that lead to significant leakage, the sense circuit incorporates a common footer device for all sense amplifiers. To ensure that this footer device has sufficient drive strength to enable voltage differential detection by each sense amplifier, the sense circuit also includes a sense signal generation and boost circuit (SSG&B circuit) that generates a sense mode control signal (SEN) to control the on/off states of the footer device and that further boosts SEN, at the appropriate time, to increase the drive current. By using the common footer device and the SSG&B circuit, leakage from the sense circuit is reduced during a pre-charge operation mode without sacrificing performance during a read operation mode. Also disclosed are associated method embodiments.

Low-leakage sense circuit, memory circuit incorporating the low-leakage sense circuit, and method

A single-rail memory circuit includes an array of memory cells arranged in rows and columns and peripheral circuitry connected to the array for facilitating read and write operations with respect to selected memory cells. The peripheral circuitry includes, but is not limited to, boost circuits for the rows. Each boost circuit is connected to a wordline for a row and to a discrete voltage supply line for the same row. Each boost circuit for a row is configured to increase the voltage levels on the wordline and the voltage supply line for the row during a read of any selected memory cell within the row. Increasing the voltage levels on the wordline and on the voltage supply line during the read operation effectively boosts the read current. A method of operating the memory circuit reduces the probability of a read fail.

Single-rail memory circuit with row-specific voltage supply lines and boost circuits

The present disclosure relates to integrated circuits, and more particularly, to a low clock load dynamic dual output latch circuit and methods of operation. The structure includes: a plurality of dynamic clocked stacks which are configured to receive input data and provide a true logical value and a complement logical value; and a plurality of holding stacks which are configured to provide a hold signal to the dynamic clocked stacks and output the true logical value and the complement logical value in response to the hold signal being activated.

Low clock load dynamic dual output latch circuit

A dynamic single input-dual output latch includes input, feedback, and output stages. In the input stage, operations are dependent on a clock signal (CLK) and a feedback signal (FB) from the feedback stage. For example, when FB is at a low voltage level and CLK switches to a high voltage level, the input stage enters a data capture mode. Once data has been captured, FB switches back to the high voltage level, placing the input stage in a data hold mode. In the output stage, operations are dependent on CLK but independent of FB. For example, instead of initiating output signal stabilization only after both CLK and FB are at high voltage levels, weak pull-down transistors (including at least one CLK-controlled pull-down transistor) are employed in the output stage to ensure output signal stabilization is initiated after data capture has begun but before FB switches to the high voltage level.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Uttam K Saha