Integrated circuit with separate supply voltage for memory that is different from logic circuit supply voltage

• US 8,098,534 B2
• Filed: 06/01/2010
• Issued: 01/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Campbell, Brian J., von Kaenel, Vincent R., Murray, Daniel C., Scott, Gregory S., Santhanam, Sribalan
• Primary Examiner(s): Elms, Richards
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Hien N
• Application Number:
  US12/791,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20100238745A1
• Time in Patent Office: 595 Days
• Field of Search: 365/189.11, 365/189.08, 365/189.12, 365/189.04
• US Class Current: 365/189.11
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/417 for memory cells of the field-effect type
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/419 Read-write [R-W] circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 5/143 Detection of memory cassette insertion or removal; Continuity checks of supply or ground lines; Detection of supply variations, interruptions or levels G11C5/148 takes precedence; Switching between alternative supplies G11C5/141 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/00 Arrangements for writing information into, or reading information out from, a digital store G11C5/00 takes precedence; auxiliary circuits for stores using semiconductor devices G11C11/4063, G11C11/413
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/12 Bit line control circuits, e.g. drivers, boosters, pull-up circuits, pull-down circuits, precharging circuits, equalising circuits, for bit lines
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 8/08 Word line control circuits, e.g. drivers, boosters, pull-up circuits, pull-down circuits, precharging circuits, for word lines
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 19/018528 with at least one differential stage
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 3/35613 the input circuit having a differential configuration

Abstract

In one embodiment, an integrated circuit includes at least one logic circuit supplied by a first supply voltage and at least one memory circuit coupled to the logic circuit and supplied by a second supply voltage. The memory circuit is configured to be read and written responsive to the logic circuit even if the first supply voltage is less than the second supply voltage during use. In another embodiment, a method includes a logic circuit reading a memory cell, the logic circuit supplied by a first supply voltage; and the memory cell responding to the read using signals that are referenced to the first supply voltage, wherein the memory cell is supplied with a second supply voltage that is greater than the first supply voltage during use.

Claims

1. An integrated circuit comprising:

at least one logic circuit supplied by a first supply voltage during use, wherein a first voltage domain corresponds to the first supply voltage; and

at least one memory circuit coupled to the logic circuit and supplied by a second supply voltage during use, wherein a second voltage domain corresponds to the second supply voltage, and wherein the memory circuit comprises one or more circuits that interface with the logic circuit, and wherein the one or more circuits are configured to level shift at least one signal between the first voltage domain and the second voltage domain, and wherein a magnitude of the first supply voltage is less than a magnitude of the second supply voltage at least a portion of the time during use, and wherein the logic circuit is configured to read and write the memory circuit.

2. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 1 wherein the memory circuit is supplied by the first supply voltage in addition to the second supply voltage during use.

3. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 1 wherein the memory circuit comprises a first memory cell supplied by the second supply voltage and a word line driver circuit supplied by the second supply voltage, wherein the first memory cell is coupled to receive a word line from the word line driver circuit to activate the first memory cell for access.

4. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 3 wherein the one or more circuits comprise a level shifter circuit supplied with the second supply voltage, wherein the level shifter circuit is coupled to receive an input signal from the logic circuit and to level shift the input signal from the first voltage domain to the second voltage domain, and wherein the level shifter circuit is coupled to provide the level-shifted signal to the word line driver circuit.

5. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 4 wherein the input signal comprises a clock signal, and wherein the word line driver circuit comprises a dynamic logic circuit, and wherein the clock signal triggers a precharge of the dynamic logic circuit.

6. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 5 wherein the word line driver circuit is further coupled to receive one or more additional input signals that are not level shifted.

7. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 4 wherein the level shifter circuit comprises an output inverter comprising a series connection of two n-type metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS) transistors, wherein a gate of a first of the NMOS transistors is coupled to receive the level-shifted signal, and wherein a gate of a second of the NMOS transistors is coupled to the first supply voltage.

8. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 7 wherein the output inverter further comprises a series connection of two p-type metal oxide semiconductor (PMOS) transistors, wherein a gate of a first of the PMOS transistors is coupled to receive the level-shifted signal, and wherein a gate of a second of the PMOS transistors is coupled to the first supply voltage, and wherein a source of the second of the PMOS transistors is coupled to the second supply voltage.

9. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 1 wherein the memory circuit further comprises a plurality of memory cells coupled to a pair of bit lines, wherein the plurality of memory cells are supplied by the second supply voltage, and wherein the memory circuit comprises a bit line driver circuit coupled to the pair of bit lines and configured to drive the pair of bit lines to write the first memory cell, and wherein the bit line driver circuit is supplied by the first supply voltage.

10. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 1 wherein the memory circuit further comprises a plurality of memory cells coupled to a pair of bit lines, wherein the plurality of memory cells are supplied by the second supply voltage, and wherein the memory circuit comprises a sense amplifier circuit coupled to the pair of bit lines and configured to sense a value of a selected memory cell of the plurality of memory cells for output in response to a read, and wherein the sense amplifier circuit is supplied with the first supply voltage.

11. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 1 wherein the memory circuit further comprises a bit line precharge circuit configured to precharge a pair of bit lines to prepare for the read, and wherein the bit line precharge circuit is supplied by the first supply voltage.

12. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 11 wherein the memory circuit further comprises a bit line hold circuit configured to hold the precharge on the pair of bit lines during periods of inactivity, and wherein the bit line hold circuit is supplied by the first supply voltage.

13. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 1 wherein the memory circuit is further configured not to level shift at least a second signal from the first voltage domain to the second voltage domain, wherein the memory circuit comprises one or more p-type metal oxide semiconductor (PMOS) transistors having a source coupled to the second power supply, and wherein the second signal is not coupled to a gate of the one or more PMOS transistors.

14. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 13 wherein the signal level shifted by the one or more circuits is coupled to the gate of at least one of the one or more PMOS transistors.

15. A method comprising:

supplying a logic circuit with a first supply voltage;

supplying a memory circuit with a second supply voltage having a magnitude that is greater than a magnitude of the first supply voltage;

the logic circuit generating a read to the memory circuit;

the memory circuit responding to the read using signals that are referenced to the first supply voltage; and

the memory circuit level shifting at least one of a plurality of signals generated by the logic circuit to perform the read, the level shifting from a first voltage domain corresponding to the first supply voltage to a second voltage domain corresponding to the second supply voltage.

16. The method as recited in claim 15 further comprising:

the logic circuit generating a write to the memory circuit using signals that are referenced to the first supply voltage, the write comprising write data; and

the memory circuit storing the write data from the logic circuit in one or more memory cells referenced to the second supply voltage.

17. The method as recited in claim 15 further comprising:

powering down the first supply voltage; and

not powering down the second supply voltage while the first supply voltage is powered down.

18. The method as recited in claim 15 wherein a pair of bit lines are coupled to a plurality of memory cells in the memory circuit, the method further comprising operating the bit lines in the first voltage domain.

19. The method as recited in claim 15 further comprising not level shifting at least a second signal from the first voltage domain to the second voltage domain, wherein the second signal is not coupled to a gate of any p-type metal oxide semiconductor (PMOS) transistors that have a source coupled to the second supply voltage in the memory circuit.

20. An integrated circuit comprising:

at least one logic circuit supplied by a first supply voltage during use, wherein a first voltage domain corresponds to the first supply voltage; and

at least one memory circuit coupled to the logic circuit and supplied by a second supply voltage during use, wherein a second voltage domain corresponds to the second supply voltage, and wherein the memory circuit comprises one or more circuits that interface with the logic circuit, and wherein the one or more circuits are configured to level shift at least one signal between the first voltage domain and the second voltage domain, and wherein a magnitude of the first supply voltage is less than a magnitude of the second supply voltage at least a portion of the time during use, and wherein the logic circuit is configured to read and write the memory circuit, and wherein the memory circuit is further supplied by the first supply voltage in addition to the second supply voltage during use, wherein at least one of the one or more circuits is powered by the first power supply voltage during use.

21. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 20 wherein the memory circuit comprises a plurality of pairs of bit lines, and wherein the memory circuit comprises a plurality of bit line driver circuits, each bit line driver circuit of the plurality of bit line driver circuits coupled to a respective pair of bit lines of the plurality of pairs of bit lines and configured to drive the respective pair of bit lines to write the first memory cell, and wherein the plurality of bit line driver circuits are supplied by the first supply voltage.

22. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 20 wherein the memory circuit comprises a plurality of pairs of bit lines, and wherein the memory circuit comprises a plurality of bit line precharge circuits, each bit line precharge circuit of the plurality of bit line precharge circuits coupled to at least one bit line of the plurality of pairs of bit lines and configured to precharge the bit line to prepare for a read, and wherein the plurality of bit line precharge circuits are supplied by the first supply voltage.

23. An integrated circuit comprising:

at least one logic circuit supplied by a first supply voltage during use, wherein a first voltage domain corresponds to the first supply voltage; and

at least one memory circuit coupled to the logic circuit and supplied by a second supply voltage during use, wherein a second voltage domain corresponds to the second supply voltage, and wherein the memory circuit comprises one or more circuits that interface with the logic circuit, and wherein the one or more circuits are configured to level shift at least one signal between the first voltage domain and the second voltage domain, and wherein a magnitude of the first supply voltage is less than a magnitude of the second supply voltage at least a portion of the time during use, and wherein the logic circuit is configured to read and write the memory circuit, wherein the memory circuit comprises a plurality of precharge circuits configured to precharge lines in the memory circuit, and wherein the plurality of precharge circuits are supplied by the first supply voltage.