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:
Oct. 26, 2010
Filed:
Mar. 11, 2008
Ping-chuan Wang, Hopewell Junction, NY (US);
Jong-ru Guo, Wappingers Falls, NY (US);
Louis L. Hsu, Fishkill, NY (US);
Zhijian Yang, Stormville, NY (US);
Ping-Chuan Wang, Hopewell Junction, NY (US);
Jong-ru Guo, Wappingers Falls, NY (US);
Louis L. Hsu, Fishkill, NY (US);
Zhijian Yang, Stormville, NY (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
A circuit and a method for extending the lifetime of a semiconductor chip. The circuit including a voltage reference generator, a voltage switch, a threshold voltage regulator device and a threshold voltage monitor device tunes an automatic internal power supply. The voltage reference generator provides one or more reference voltage levels that are transmitted to the voltage switch. The threshold voltage monitor device monitors the threshold voltage of the device, triggering the voltage switch to select a reference level for use as a voltage reference for the regulator when the threshold voltage of the monitored device exceeds a predetermined value. The regulator then converts the external power supply to an internal supply and holds it at the predetermined reference level.