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:
Apr. 02, 2002
Filed:
Jul. 01, 1999
Greg Warwar, Santa Paula, CA (US);
Vitesse Semiconductor Corporation, Camarillo, CA (US);
Abstract
A high bandwidth clock buffer, including a steering circuit, significantly increases the maximum frequency at which CMOS technology can be used to perform high-speed logic functions. In particular, the clock buffer includes a steering circuit for enhancing a voltage follower stage. The steering circuit includes steering transistors positioned between voltage follower transistors and constant current sources. The steering circuit switches all or substantially all of the current from both of the constant current sources through whichever of the two voltage follower transistors is being pulled low, thus doubling the amount of current that is available for slewing when the output is being pulled low. At the same time, since the voltage follower transistor that is being pulled high no longer has to source the constant current I , the effective maximum current that can be supplied to charge up the load capacitance is increased by approximately I . The clock buffer provides a higher unity gain bandwidth than a standard CML buffer, while maintaining a well controlled delay which will track other logic gates.