Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

TSMC Nanjing Company, Limited

TSMC China Company Limited

Taiwan China Company, Limited

Zhang-Ying Yan

Lei Pan

Jing Ding

Qingchao Meng

Yi-Ting Chen

Xin-Yong Wang

Ya-Qi Ma

Kai Zhou

Yaqi Ma

A semiconductor device includes a substrate, an active region, an isolation structure, a first metal line, gate structure, source/drain region, a source/drain contact, and a second metal line. The active region protrudes from a top surface of the substrate. The isolation structure is over the substrate and laterally surrounds the active region. The first metal line is in the isolation structure. The gate structure is over the active region. The source/drain region is in the active region. The source/drain contact is over the active region and is electrically connected to the source/drain region. The second metal line is over the gate structure and the source/drain contact, in which the second metal line vertically overlaps the first metal line.

Multilevel interconnection structure and method for forming the same

An integrated circuit includes a control circuit and first to second voltage generation circuits. The control circuit is coupled between a first voltage terminal providing a first supply voltage and a first node coupled to a first capacitive unit. The first voltage generation circuit includes at least one first transistor that has a source terminal receiving a second supply voltage, a drain terminal coupled to a second node in contact with a second capacitive unit, and a gate terminal coupled to the first node. The second voltage generation circuit is coupled to the first voltage terminal and the first and second nodes. Firstly the control circuit turns on the at least one first transistor to adjust a voltage level of the second node to have the second supply voltage. The second voltage generation circuit adjusts a voltage level of the first node to have the first supply voltage.

Integrated circuit and an operation method thereof

A circuit includes an input circuit, a level shifter circuit and an output circuit. The input circuit is coupled to a first voltage supply, and configured to receive a first input signal, and to generate at least a second or a third input signal. The level shifter circuit is coupled to the input circuit and a second voltage supply, and configured to receive a first enable signal, the second or third input signal, and to generate a first signal responsive to the first enable signal, the second input signal or the third input signal. The level shifter circuit includes a header circuit coupled to a first node, and is configured to enable or disable the level shifter circuit responsive to the first enable signal. The output circuit is coupled to at least the level shifter circuit and the second voltage supply, and is configured to generate an output signal.

Level shifter circuit and method of operating the same

A method includes: forming first, second, and third NWs; forming form first to fourth transistors in corresponding first to fourth groups of active regions, connecting selected transistors amongst the first and second transistors to form first and second input circuits respectively receiving a first input signal in a first domain and a second input signal in the first domain; connecting selected transistors amongst the first and third transistors and amongst the first and fourth transistors to respectively form a first single bit level shifter (SBLS) and a second SBLS; each SBLS operates in the second domain and receives correspondingly versions of the first and second input signals; and connecting selected transistors amongst the first and third transistors to form a control circuit for toggling the first and second SBLSs between a normal and a standby state, a portion of the control circuit and the first SBLS sharing the second NW.

Method of method of forming a multi-bit level shifter

A Schmitt trigger circuit includes a first and second set of transistors, a first and second feedback transistor, and a first and second circuit. The first set of transistors is connected between a first voltage supply and an output node. The first voltage supply has a first voltage. The second set of transistors is connected between the output node and a second voltage supply. The second voltage supply has a second voltage. The first feedback transistor is connected to the output node, a first node and a second node. The second feedback transistor is connected to the output node, a third node and a fourth node. The first circuit is coupled to and configured to supply the second supply voltage to the second node. The second circuit is coupled to and configured to supply the first supply voltage to the fourth node.

Integrated circuit and method of manufacturing same

An integrated circuit includes a control circuit, a first voltage generation circuit, and a second voltage generation circuit. The control circuit is coupled between a first voltage terminal and a first node, and generates an initiation voltage at the first node. The first voltage generation circuit and the second voltage generation circuit are coupled to a first capacitive unit at the first node and coupled to a second capacitive unit at a second node. The first voltage generation circuit generates, in response to the initiation voltage at the first node, a first control signal based on a first supply voltage to the second voltage generation circuit. The second voltage generation circuit generates, in response to the first control signal received from the first voltage generation circuit, a second control signal to the first node, based on a second supply voltage.

A multi-bit level-shifter (MBLS) includes two or more input circuits correspondingly configured to operate in a first voltage domain. The MBLS also includes two or more single bit level shifters (SBLSs) electrically coupled correspondingly to the two or more input circuits, and correspondingly configured to operate in a second voltage domain. The MBLS also includes a control circuit configured to toggle each of the two or more SBLSs between a normal mode and a standby mode according to a toggle-control signal received from the control circuit.

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Nanjing, China

Zhang-Ying Yan