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:
Nov. 27, 1990
Filed:
Aug. 28, 1989
William D Miller, Cupertino, CA (US);
National Semiconductor Corporation, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
A programmable interconnection circuit includes first and second ferroelectric capacitors which differentially store the programming state of the circuit. A principal application of the circuit is in the programming of cells within a gate array integrated circuit. The programmable circuit is non-volatile due to the storage of polarization state within the ferroelectric capacitors. Differential voltage states are applied to programming nodes which set the state of a cross-coupled amplifier that, in turn, drives p-channel and n-channel transistors which are connected between first and second nodes of the integrated circuit. A drive line signal applied to terminals of the ferroelectric capacitors goes between high and low voltage states to set differential polarization states into the capacitors. Following restoration of power to the integrated circuit, which includes the programmable circuit, a pulse is applied through the drive line to the ferroelectric capacitors to create differing voltages at the program nodes. These different voltages are differentially amplified to produce the required voltage states to reestablish the programmed interconnection for the circuit.