Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Yu-Kai Tsai

Chia-Jung Chang

Chia-Hui Chen

Chia-Wei Kuo

Circuits and methods are provided for an input hysteresis buffer that includes a voltage limiting unit, a voltage detecting unit connected to the voltage limiting unit, and a supply tracking bias unit connected to the voltage detecting unit. The voltage liming unit comprises a first voltage limiting unit and a second voltage limiting unit. The voltage detecting unit comprises a first voltage detecting unit configured to detect the presence of a first threshold voltage in an input signal, and a second voltage detecting unit configured to detect the presence of a second threshold voltage in the input signal. The supply tracking bias unit is configured to supply a control signal to the voltage detecting unit.

Input hysteresis buffer in overdrive design

Systems and methods are provided for an electronic device that comprises a core logic circuit coupled to a supply voltage rail and an operating voltage rail. During a standard operation, the supply voltage rail has a supply voltage, the operating voltage rail has an operating voltage, and a post driver voltage rail has an overdrive voltage that is greater than the operating voltage. The electronic device further comprises a first power clamp circuit coupled to the supply voltage rail and the post driver voltage rail, a low-side logic-high voltage rail coupled to the first end of the core logic circuit, and a first power-to-power clamp circuit coupled to the low-side logic-high voltage rail and the post driver voltage rail. The first power-to-power clamp circuit is configured to receive electrostatic discharge (ESD) current between the post driver voltage rail and the low-side logic-high voltage rail.

Overdrive I/O ESD protection network

An integrated circuit includes an upper threshold circuit, a lower threshold circuit, and a control circuit. The upper threshold circuit is configured to set a logic level of a first enabling signal based on comparing an input voltage signal with an upper threshold voltage. The lower threshold circuit is configured to set a logic level of a second enabling signal based on comparing the input voltage signal with a lower threshold voltage. The control circuit is configured to change an output voltage signal from a first voltage level to a second voltage level when the logic level of the first enabling signal and the logic level of the second enabling signal are changed consecutively.

Input buffer circuit

A buffering device includes: a buffering circuit coupled between a first voltage source providing a first voltage level and a second voltage source providing a second voltage level, for selectively outputting an output signal with the first voltage level or the second voltage level according to an input signal; and a controlling circuit coupled to the buffering circuit, for generating a first control signal to disconnect the buffering circuit from the first voltage source and generating a second control signal to connect the buffering circuit to the second voltage source when the buffering circuit transits the output signal from the first voltage level to the second voltage level. The second voltage level is different from the first voltage level.

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Hsinchu, Taiwan

Yu-Kai Tsai