High-speed word line decoder and level-shifter

• US 9,940,987 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2016
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Jung, Chulmin, Chen, Po-Hung, Li, David, Yoon, Sei Seung
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashar, Mohammed A
• Application Number:
  US15/070,963
• Publication Number:
  US 20160276005A1
• Time in Patent Office: 756 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 5/14 Power supply arrangements , e.g. power down, chip selection or deselection, layout of wirings or power grids, or multiple supply levels
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 8/06 Address interface arrangements, e.g. address buffers
• 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: G11C 8/10 Decoders

Abstract

A memory is provided that includes a row decoder that decodes an address into a plurality of decoded signals for selecting a word line to be asserted from a plurality of word lines. Each word line is driven through a decoder level-shifter that processes the decoded signals. Each decoder level-shifter corresponds to a unique combination of the decoded signals. The row decoder is in a logic power domain such that the decoded signals are asserted to a logic power supply voltage. When a decoder level-shifter'"'"'s unique combination of decoded signals are asserted by the row decoder, the decoder level-shifter drives the corresponding word line with a memory power supply voltage for a memory power domain.

Claims

1. A circuit, comprising:

a first logic gate configured to discharge a word line driver node responsive to an assertion of a first plurality of decoded signals to a first power supply voltage;

a word line;

an inverter powered by a second power supply voltage, wherein the inverter is configured to invert a voltage of the word line driver node into a word line voltage for the word line;

a switch coupled between a power supply input node to the first logic gate and a power supply node for the second power supply voltage; and

a second logic gate configured to switch off the switch responsive to the discharge of the word line driver node and a discharge of a complement of one of the decoded signals in the first plurality of decoded signals, wherein the second power supply voltage is greater than the first power supply voltage.

2. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the first logic gate comprises a NAND gate.

3. The circuit of claim 2, wherein the NAND gate comprises a first plurality of PMOS transistors corresponding to the first plurality of decoded signals, wherein each PMOS transistor in the first plurality of PMOS transistors includes a source coupled to the power supply input node, a drain coupled to the word line driver node, and a gate driven by the corresponding decoded signal.

4. The circuit of claim 3, wherein the NAND gate further comprises a first plurality of NMOS transistors corresponding to the first plurality of decoded signals, wherein the first plurality of NMOS transistor are arranged in series between the word line driver node and ground, and wherein each NMOS transistor in the first plurality of NMOS transistors has a gate driven by the corresponding decoded signal.

5. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the second logic gate comprises a NOR gate powered by the second power supply voltage.

6. The circuit of claim 5, wherein the switch comprises a first PMOS transistor having a source coupled to the power supply node and a drain coupled to the power supply input node, and wherein an output of the NOR gate couples to a gate of the first PMOS transistor.

7. The circuit of claim 6, wherein the NOR gate comprises a second PMOS transistor in series with a third PMOS transistor, the second PMOS transistor having a source coupled to the power supply node and a drain coupled to a source of the third PMOS transistor and a gate configured to be driven by the complement of one of the decoded signals, the third PMOS transistor having a drain coupled to the output of the NOR gate and a gate coupled to the word line driver node.

8. The circuit of claim 7, wherein the NOR gate further comprises a first NMOS transistor having a source coupled to ground and having a gate coupled to the word line driver node and having a drain coupled to the output of the NOR gate, and wherein the NOR gate further comprises a second NMOS transistor having a source coupled to ground and having a drain coupled to the output of the NOR gate and having a gate configured to be driven by the complement of one of the decoded signals.

9. The circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

a row decoder configured to decode a plurality of address signals to provide the first plurality of decoded signals.

10. The circuit of claim 9, wherein the row decoder is further configured to decode the plurality of address signals into a plurality of sets of decoded signals, and wherein the first plurality of decoded signals comprises one decoded signal from each set of decoded signals in the plurality of sets of decoded signals.

11. A method, comprising:

in a first power domain powered by a first power supply voltage, decoding an address signal to assert a plurality of decoded signals to the first power supply voltage;

in a second power domain powered by a second power supply voltage, discharging a word line driver node responsive to the assertion of the plurality of decoded signals while opening a switch to isolate the word line driver node from a power supply node supplying the second power supply voltage;

responsive to the discharge of the word line driver node, charging a voltage for a word line in the second power domain to the second power supply voltage; and

responsive to a discharge of at least one of the decoded signals in the plurality of decoded signals, closing the switch and charging the word line driver node to the second power supply voltage, wherein the second power supply voltage is greater than the first power supply voltage.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising discharging the word line responsive to the charging of the word line driver node to the second power supply voltage.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising NORing a complement of the one of the decoded signals with a voltage of the word line driver node in a NOR gate powered by the second power supply voltage to produce a NOR gate output signal, and wherein the closing of the switch is responsive to a discharge of the NOR gate output signal.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the opening of the switch is responsive to a charging of the NOR gate output signal to the second power supply voltage.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising NANDing a plurality of decoded signals in a NAND gate powered though the switch to produce a NAND gate output signal that controls a voltage of the word line driver node, wherein charging the word line driver node to the second power supply voltage comprises driving the NAND gate output signal to the second power supply voltage.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein discharging the word line driver node comprises discharging the NAND gate output signal.

17. A memory, comprising:

a row decoder configured to decode a plurality of address signals to produce a plurality of decoded signals, wherein the row decoder is in a first power domain powered by a first power supply voltage;

a NAND gate configured to NAND the plurality of decoded signals to produce a NAND gate output signal, wherein the NAND gate is in a second power domain powered by a second power supply voltage, wherein the second power supply voltage is greater than the first power supply voltage;

means for isolating the NAND gate from the second power supply voltage responsive to a reset of one of the decoded signals in the plurality of decoded signals and for coupling the NAND gate to the second power supply voltage responsive to an assertion of the one of the decoded signals;

a word line; and

a word line driver configured to assert a voltage of the word line to the second power supply voltage responsive to a discharge of the NAND gate output signal.

18. The memory of claim 17, wherein the word line driver comprises an inverter powered by the second power supply voltage.

19. The memory of claim 17, wherein the means comprises a NOR gate and a switch transistor.