Differential SOI amplifiers having tied floating body connections

• US 6,037,808 A
• Filed: 12/24/1997
• Issued: 03/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Texas Instruments, Inc.
• Inventors: Houston, Theodore W., Bosshart, Patrick W.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, TOAN V
• Application Number:
  US08/998,337
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: 327/51-57, 327/65, 327/66, 327/67, 327/534, 327/537, 327/307, 327/362, 330/253, 365/190, 365/207, 365/208, 365/154, 365/156, 257/288, 257/314, 257/315
• US Class Current: 327/55
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/062 Differential amplifiers of non-latching type, e.g. comparators, long-tailed pairs
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/065 Differential amplifiers of latching type
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 27/1203 the substrate comprising an insulating body on a semiconductor body, e.g. SOI three-dimensional layout H01L27/0688
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/7841 with floating body, e.g. programmable transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 12/50 Peripheral circuit region structures

Abstract

An integrated circuit (SAI₀) comprises a first SOI transistor (T4) comprising a plurality of nodes, the plurality of nodes comprising a first source/drain, a second source/drain, a gate for receiving a potential to enable a conductive path between the first source/drain and the second source/drain, and a body terminal coupled to a body region disposed between the first source/drain and the second source/drain. The integrated circuit further includes a second SOI transistor (T5) comprising a plurality of nodes, the plurality of nodes comprising a first source/drain, a second source/drain, a gate for receiving a potential to enable a conductive path between the first source/drain and the second source/drain, and a body terminal coupled to a body region disposed between the first source/drain and the second source/drain. In the integrated circuit, one of the plurality of nodes of the first SOI transistor is connected to receive a first differential input signal. Moreover, a same one of the plurality of nodes of the second SOI transistor is connected to receive a second differential input signal. Lastly, the body of the first SOI transistor is connected to the body of the second SOI transistor and the bodies of the first and second SOI transistors are connected to float.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit, comprising:

a first SOI transistor comprising a plurality of nodes, the plurality of nodes comprising a first source/drain, a second source/drain, a gate for receiving a potential to enable a conductive path between the first source/drain and the second source/drain, and a body terminal coupled to a body region disposed between the first source/drain and the second source/drain;

a second SOI transistor comprising a plurality of nodes, the plurality of nodes comprising a first source/drain, a second source/drain, a gate for receiving a potential to enable a conductive path between the first source/drain and the second source/drain, and a body terminal coupled to a body region disposed between the first source/drain and the second source/drain;

wherein one of the plurality of nodes of the first SOI transistor is connected to receive a first differential input signal;

wherein a same one of the plurality of nodes of the second SOI transistor is connected to receive a second differential input signal; and

wherein the body of the first SOI transistor is connected to the body of the second SOI transistor and the bodies of the first and second SOI transistors are connected to float.

2. The integrated circuit of claim 1:

wherein the first SOI transistor and the second SOI transistor form a sense amplifier in a memory configuration;

wherein the memory configuration comprises;

a plurality of wordlines;

a first columnar conductor for providing the first differential signal; and

a second columnar conductor for providing the second differential, wherein a differential voltage between the first differential signal and the second differential signal is representative of a data state of a storage cell in the memory array located along one of the plurality of wordlines corresponding to the first and second columnar conductors;

wherein the first source/drain of the first SOI transistor is connected to the gate of the second SOI transistor; and

wherein the first source/drain of the second SOI transistor is connected to the gate of the first SOI transistor.

3. The integrated circuit of claim 2 wherein each of the first and second SOI transistors is an n-channel transistor.

4. The integrated circuit of claim 2 wherein each of the first and second SOI transistors is a p-channel transistor.

5. The integrated circuit of claim 2 wherein the sense amplifier comprises a first sense amplifier, and further comprising:

a plurality of columnar conductors in addition to the first and second columnar conductors, wherein each pair of the plurality of columnar conductors provides a pair of corresponding signals, and wherein a differential voltage between the corresponding signals is representative of a data state of a storage cell in the memory array located along one of the plurality of wordlines and corresponding to the corresponding pair of columnar conductors;

a plurality of sense amplifiers in addition to the first sense amplifier, wherein each of the plurality of sense amplifiers is coupled to a corresponding pair of the plurality of columnar conductors, and comprises;

a first SOI transistor having a first source/drain, a second source/drain, a gate for receiving a potential to enable a conductive path between the first source/drain and the second source/drain, and a body terminal coupled to a body region disposed between the first source/ drain and the second source/ drain;

a second SOI transistor having a first source/drain, a second source/drain, a gate for receiving a potential to enable a conductive path between the first source/drain and the second source/drain, and a body terminal coupled to a body region disposed between the first source/drain and the second source/drain;

wherein the first source/drain of the first SOI transistor is connected to the gate of the second SOI transistor;

wherein the first source/drain of the second SOI transistor is connected to the gate of the first SOI transistor;

wherein the body of the first SOI transistor is connected to the body of the second SOI transistor and the bodies of the first and second SOI transistors are connected to float.

6. The integrated circuit of claim 5 wherein, for each of the plurality of sense amplifiers, each of the first and second SOI transistors is an n-channel transistor.

7. The integrated circuit of claim 5 wherein, for each of the plurality of sense amplifiers, each of the first and second SOI transistors is a p-channel transistor.

8. The integrated circuit of claim 5 wherein each data storage cell located along one of the plurality of wordlines and corresponding to a corresponding pair of columnar conductors is a dynamic random access memory storage cell.

9. The integrated circuit of claim 5 wherein each data storage cell located along one of the plurality of wordlines and corresponding to a corresponding pair of columnar conductors is a static random access memory storage cell.

10. The integrated circuit of claim 2 wherein the data storage cell is a dynamic random access memory storage cell.

11. The integrated circuit of claim 2 wherein the data storage cell is a static random access memory storage cell.

12. The memory configuration of claim 2 wherein the second source/drain of the first SOI transistor is connected to the second source/drain of the second SOI transistor.

13. The integrated circuit of claim 2:

wherein the second source/drain of the first SOI transistor is connected to the second source/drain of the second SOI transistor; and

wherein the sense amplifier further comprises a third SOI transistor having a first source/drain connected to the second source/drain of the first SOI transistor and the second source/drain of the second SOI transistor, having a gate connected to receive an enable signal, and having a second source/drain connected to a fixed potential.

14. The integrated circuit of claim 2:

wherein the second source/drain of the first SOI transistor is connected to the second source/drain of the second SOI transistor; and

wherein the sense amplifier further comprises;

a third SOI transistor having a first source/drain connected to the second source/drain of the first SOI transistor and the second source/drain of the second SOI transistor, having a gate connected to receive an enable signal, and having a second source/drain connected to a fixed potential;

a fourth SOI transistor having a first source/drain connected to the first source/drain of the first SOI transistor, and having a gate connected to the gate of the first SOI transistor; and

a fifth SOI transistor having a first source/drain connected to the first source/drain of the second SOI transistor, and having a gate connected to the gate of the second SOI transistor, and having a second source/drain connected to a second source/drain of the fourth SOI transistor.

15. The integrated circuit of claim 14 wherein the first and second SOI transistors are of a first conductivity type, and wherein the third and fourth SOI transistors are of a second conductivity type complementary of the first conductivity type.

16. The integrated circuit of claim 15:

wherein the fixed potential is a first fixed potential; and

wherein the second source/drain of each of the fourth and fifth SOI transistors is connected to a second fixed potential different than the first fixed potential.

17. The integrated circuit of claim 15:

wherein the fixed potential is a first fixed potential; and

further comprising a sixth SOI transistor having a first source/drain connected to the second source/drain of the fourth SOI transistor and the second source/drain of the fifth SOI transistor, having a gate connected to receive a complement of the enable signal, and having a second source/drain connected to a second fixed potential different than the first fixed potential.

18. The integrated circuit of claim 14:

wherein the fixed potential is a first fixed potential; and

wherein the second source/drain of each of the fourth and fifth SOI transistors is connected to a second fixed potential different than the first fixed potential.

19. The integrated circuit of claim 14:

wherein the fixed potential is a first fixed potential; and

further comprising a sixth SOI transistor having a first source/drain connected to the second source/drain of the fourth SOI transistor and the second source/drain of the fifth SOI transistor, having a gate connected to receive a complement of the enable signal, and having a second source/drain connected to a second fixed potential different than the first fixed potential.

20. The integrated circuit of claim 14:

wherein the fourth SOI transistor further has a body terminal coupled to a body region disposed between the first source/drain and the second source/drain of the fourth SOI transistor;

wherein the fifth SOI transistor further has a body terminal coupled to a body region disposed between the first source/drain and the second source/drain of the fifth SOI transistor; and

wherein the body of the fourth SOI transistor is connected to the body of the fifth SOI transistor and the bodies of the fourth and fifth SOI transistors are connected to float.

21. The integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein the integrated circuit is part of a stand alone memory integrated circuit.

22. The integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein the integrated circuit is part of an application specific integrated circuit.

23. The integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein the integrated circuit is part of a digital signal processor.

24. The integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein the memory configuration is part of a microprocessor.

25. The integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein each of the first and second SOI transistors is an n-channel transistor.

26. The integrated circuit of claim 1 wherein each of the first and second SOI transistors is a p-channel transistor.

27. The integrated circuit of claim 1:

wherein the one of the plurality of nodes of the first SOI transistor connected to receive a first differential input signal is the gate of the first SOI transistor; and

wherein the same one of the plurality of nodes of the second SOI transistor connected to receive a second differential input signal is the gate of the second SOI transistor.

28. The integrated circuit of claim 27 and further comprising a third SOI transistor having a first source/drain connected to the first source/drain of the first SOI transistor and the first source/drain of the second SOI transistor, having a gate connected to receive an amplify signal, and having a second source/drain connected to a fixed potential.

29. The integrated circuit of claim 28 and further comprising:

a fourth SOI transistor having a first source/drain connected to the second source/drain of the first SOI transistor and a second source/drain connected to receive a bias voltage;

a fifth SOI transistor having a first source/drain connected to the second source/drain of the second SOI transistor, a second source/drain connected to receive the bias voltage, a gate connected to a gate of the fourth SOI transistor, and a body terminal connected to the body terminal of the fourth SOI transistor.

30. The integrated circuit of claim 29:

wherein the gates of the fourth and fifth SOI transistors are further connected to the first source/drain of the fourth SOI transistor; and

wherein the first source/drain of the fifth SOI transistor is operable to output an amplified signal representative of a differential signal between the first differential input signal and the second differential input signal.

31. The integrated circuit of claim 29:

wherein the gates of the fourth and fifth SOI transistors are further connected to receive a reference voltage; and

wherein the first source/drain of the fourth SOI transistor is operable to output a first output signal;

wherein the first source/drain of the fifth SOI transistor is operable to output a second output signal;

and wherein a difference between the first and second output signals is an amplified signal representative of a differential signal between the first differential input signal and the second differential input signal.

32. The integrated circuit of claim 1:

wherein the body of the first SOI transistor is connected to the body of the second SOI transistor by way of a conductor having an RC time constant; and

wherein the RC time constant is adjusted to a time period approximately equal to a time period between consecutive accesses of the integrated circuit.

33. The integrated circuit of claim 32:

wherein the integrated circuit is synchronously accessed once per a clock cycle; and

wherein the RC time constant is adjusted to a time period approximately equal to the clock cycle.

34. The integrated circuit of claim 32:

wherein the integrated circuit is asynchronously accessed; and

wherein the RC time constant is adjusted to a time period approximately equal to a minimum period of time between expected successive asynchronous accesses of the integrated circuit.