The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 29, 2019
Filed:
Feb. 04, 2016
Qualcomm Incorporated, San Diego, CA (US);
Yu Pu, San Diego, CA (US);
Giby Samson, San Diego, CA (US);
Kendrick Hoy Leong Yuen, San Diego, CA (US);
QUALCOMM Incorporated, San Diego, CA (US);
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for identifying a process corner are provided. Provided is an exemplary method for identifying a process corner of an integrated circuit (IC). The IC has a first asymmetrical ring oscillator (ARO1) including pull-up transistors that have a low threshold voltage (LVT) and pull-down transistors that have a regular threshold voltage (RVT), and has a second asymmetrical ring oscillator (ARO2) including pull-up transistors that have an RVT and pull-down transistors having an LVT. The exemplary method includes applying an ultra-low power supply voltage to the ARO1 and the ARO2 that causes the integrated circuit to operate near a verge of malfunction, measuring an output frequency of the ARO1, measuring an output frequency of the ARO2, calculating a calculated ratio of the output frequency of the ARO1 and the output frequency of the ARO2, and comparing the calculated ratio to a fiduciary ratio to identify the process corner.