Circuit, an adjusting method, and use of a control loop

• US 8,525,583 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2012
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Atmel Corporation (Microchip Technology Incorporated)
• Inventors: Dathe, Lutz, Vorwerk, Matthias, Hanusch, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Hiltunen, Thomas J
• Application Number:
  US13/561,416
• Publication Number:
  US 20120293246A1
• Time in Patent Office: 400 Days
• Field of Search: 327/544, 326/33, 326/34
• US Class Current: 327/544
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 5/147 Voltage reference generators, voltage or current regulators; Internally lowered supply levels; Compensation for voltage drops G11C5/141 takes precedence

Abstract

A circuit, an adjusting method, and use of a control loop for adjusting a data retention voltage and/or a leakage current of a CMOS circuit for a sleep mode, wherein the CMOS circuit is operated to control in a measuring mode, whereby in the measuring mode a leakage current exclusively flows through the CMOS circuit, the control loop in the measuring mode adjusts the data retention voltage and/or the leakage current, and the adjustments of the control loop for the sleep mode are stored.

Claims

1. A circuit comprising:

a CMOS circuit having NMOS field-effect transistors and having PMOS field-effect transistors;

a first load device, wherein source terminals of the NMOS field-effect transistors of the CMOS circuit are connectable via the first load device to a first supply voltage;

a second load device, wherein source terminals of the PMOS field-effect transistors of the CMOS circuit are connectable via the second load device to a second supply voltage; and

an evaluation circuit configured to;

evaluate a first source voltage at the source terminals of the NMOS field-effect transistors;

evaluate a second source voltage at the source terminals of the PMOS field-effect transistors;

determine whether a leakage current through the CMOS circuit is predominantly due to the NMOS field-effect transistors or the PMOS field-effect transistors;

adjust, when a determination is made that the leakage current is predominately due to the PMOS field-effect transistors, a first voltage drop across the first load device; and

adjust, when a determination is made that the leakage current is predominately due to the NMOS field-effect transistors, a second voltage drop across the second load device.

2. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the circuit is configured to alternate between a sleep mode in which the leakage current flows through the CMOS circuit and an operating mode in which an operating current flows through the CMOS circuit, and wherein the operating current exceeds the leakage current.

3. The circuit of claim 1, wherein one or more of the following is true:

the circuit has a first memory that is configured to store the adjustment of the first voltage drop; and

the circuit has a second memory configured to store the adjustment of the second voltage drop.

4. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the first load device is configured to operate in a sleep mode in which the first voltage drop is generated via only a leakage current that flows through the CMOS circuit and the first load device.

5. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the second load device is configured to operate in a sleep mode in which the second voltage drop is generated via only a leakage current that flows through the CMOS circuit and the second load device.

6. The circuit of claim 1, wherein:

the evaluation circuit has a device for measuring a condition; and

the evaluation circuit is configured to perform one or more of the following;

adjust the first voltage drop to as a function of the measurement; and

adjust the second voltage drop as a function of the measurement.

7. The circuit of claim 6, wherein:

the device comprises a temperature sensor; and

the condition comprises a temperature.

8. The circuit of claim 1, wherein one or more of the following is true:

the first load device has an adjustable load comprising a plurality of transistors that act between the source terminals of the NMOS field-effect transistors and the first supply voltage; and

the second load device has an adjustable load comprising a plurality of transistors that act between the source terminals of the PMOS field-effect transistors and the second supply voltage.

9. The circuit of claim 1, wherein:

the circuit, to adjust, when a determination is made that the leakage current is predominately due to the PMOS field-effect transistors, a first voltage drop across the first load device, is configured to adjust the first voltage drop across the first load device to the lowest voltage drop; and

the circuit, to adjust, when a determination is made that the leakage current is predominately due to the NMOS field-effect transistors, a second voltage drop across the second load device, is configured to adjust the second voltage drop across the second load device to the lowest voltage drop.

10. A method comprising:

determining a first source voltage applied at source terminals of NMOS field-effect transistors of a CMOS circuit;

determining a second source voltage applied at source terminals of PMOS field-effect transistors of the CMOS circuit;

determining whether a leakage current through the CMOS circuit is predominantly due to the NMOS field-effect transistors or the PMOS field-effect transistors;

adjusting, when a determination is made that the leakage current is predominately due to the PMOS field-effect transistors, a first voltage drop across a first load device, the first load device being connected to the source terminals of the NMOS field-effect transistor; and

adjusting, when a determination is made that the leakage current is predominately due to the NMOS field-effect transistors, a second voltage drop across a second load device, the second load device being connected to the source terminals of the PMOS field-effect transistor.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the first load device is directly connected to the source terminals of the NMOS field-effect transistor; and

the second load device is directly connected to the source terminals of the PMOS field-effect transistor.

12. The method of claim 10, comprising alternating between a sleep mode in which the leakage current flows through the CMOS circuit and an operating mode in which an operating current flows through the CMOS circuit, and wherein the operating current exceeds the leakage current.

13. The method of claim 10, comprising one or more of the following:

storing the adjustment of the first voltage drop; and

storing the adjustment of the second voltage drop.

14. The method of claim 10, comprising operating the first load device in a sleep mode in which the first voltage drop is generated via only a leakage current that flows through the CMOS circuit and the first load device.

15. The method of claim 10, comprising operating the second load device in a sleep mode in which the second voltage drop is generated via only a leakage current that flows through the CMOS circuit and the second load device.

16. The method of claim 10, comprising:

measuring a condition; and

performing one or more of the following;

adjusting the first voltage drop as a function of the measurement; and

adjusting the second voltage drop as a function of the measurement.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein measuring the condition comprises measuring a temperature using a temperature sensor.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein one or more of the following is true:

the first load device has an adjustable load comprising a plurality of transistors that act between the source terminals of the NMOS field-effect transistors and the first supply voltage; and

the second load device has an adjustable load comprising a plurality of transistors that act between the source terminals of the PMOS field-effect transistors and the second supply voltage.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein:

adjusting, when a determination is made that the leakage current is predominately due to the PMOS field-effect transistors, a first voltage drop across the first load device, comprises adjusting the first voltage drop across the first load device to the lowest voltage drop; and

adjusting, when a determination is made that the leakage current is predominately due to the NMOS field-effect transistors, a second voltage drop across the second load device, comprises adjusting the second voltage drop across the second load device to the lowest voltage drop.

20. An apparatus, comprising:

means for determining a first source voltage applied at source terminals of NMOS field-effect transistors of a CMOS circuit;

means for determining a second source voltage applied at source terminals of PMOS field-effect transistors of the CMOS circuit;

means for determining whether a leakage current through the CMOS circuit is predominantly due to the NMOS field-effect transistors or the PMOS field-effect transistors;

means for adjusting, when a determination is made that the leakage current is predominately due to the PMOS field-effect transistors, a first voltage drop across a first load device, the first load device being connected to the source terminals of the NMOS field-effect transistor; and

means for adjusting, when a determination is made that the leakage current is predominately due to the NMOS field-effect transistors, a second voltage drop across a second load device, the second load device being connected to the source terminals of the PMOS field-effect transistor.