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. 09, 2002
Filed:
Jul. 14, 2000
Jamil Kawa, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Rahul Nimaiyar, Cupertino, CA (US);
Puneet Sawhney, San Jose, CA (US);
Anwar Awad, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Artisan Components, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Abstract
The present invention provides a voltage tolerant input/output circuit configured to ensure proper interface tolerance between various close voltages in deep sub-micron circuits without any DC leakage. The voltage tolerant input/output circuit includes (1) an arbiter circuit logically configured to ensure that a gate of a P-driver of the voltage tolerant input/output circuit is biased at the higher of an input/output voltage and an input/output supply voltage when the P-driver is tri-stated, (2) a bias circuit logically configured to biased a floating N-well of the P-driver to ensure that no parasitic diodes formed between any source or drain of a p-device of the voltage tolerant input/output circuit and the N-well of the P-driver is forward biased, and (3) a driver circuit comprising the P-driver.