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:
Sep. 21, 2004
Filed:
Mar. 11, 2002
Applicant:
Inventors:
Masatoshi Sato, Tochigi-ken, JP;
Masayoshi Isobe, Tochigi-ken, JP;
Assignee:
Nippon Precision Circuits Inc., Tokyo, JP;
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H03K 1/9084 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
H03K 1/9084 ;
Abstract
A CMOS inverter capable of operating at low voltages is provided. The gate of a p-channel MOS transistor and the gate of an n-channel MOS transistor are AC coupled to an input terminal via first and second capacitors, respectively. Signals whose amplitude centers are optimized according to the threshold voltages of the p- and n-channel MOS transistors by bias voltages from first and second variable voltage sources, respectively, are supplied to the gates of these MOS transistors. In consequence, the CMOS inverter can operate at high speeds at low power supply voltages without being affected by the threshold voltages.