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. 04, 1994
Filed:
Aug. 13, 1992
Walter S Klara, Hopewell Junction, NY (US);
Frank A Montegari, Wappingers Falls, NY (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
A zero power decoder/driver circuit for high performance array chips dissipates zero power when in the deselected state. The decoder/driver circuit is a complementary bipolar circuit comprising a first bipolar transistor of a first conductivity type having its base connected to a down level decoded output of a first level decoder and its emitter connected to an up level decoded output of said first level decoder. The decoder/driver circuit is selected by a predetermined voltage differential across the base/emitter circuit of the first transistor. A diode-connected second bipolar transistor of a second conductivity type is connected to the collector of said first bipolar transistor. A line driver third bipolar transistor of the second conductivity type is connected to a load resistor and mirrors current flowing in said second bipolar transistor. When the second state decoder is deselected, no current flows in the second bipolar transistor of second conductivity type and, therefore, no current is mirrored into the third bipolar transistor of second conductivity type, thus resulting in zero power dissipation. Since only one word line and one bit column are selected at a time, total power dissipation can be substantially reduced.