Monolithically integrated digital semiconductor circuit

• US 4,316,104 A
• Filed: 04/28/1980
• Issued: 02/16/1982
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/1979
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Bigall, Klaus-Dieter, Rosler, Helmut, Irmer, Heimbert U.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dixon, Harold A.
• Application Number:
  US06/144,035
• Time in Patent Office: 659 Days
• Field of Search: 307/308, 307/303, 307/311
• US Class Current: 307/116
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/9645 Resistive touch switches

Abstract

Monolithically integrated digital semiconductor circuit formed on a semiconductor body and having MIS field-effect transistors and an electric terminal as signal input in the semiconductor body, including respective devices for applying two operating potentials to the digital semiconductor circuit, a manually actuatable sensor switch connecting the respective devices to the electric terminal for applying one of the operating potentials thereto, one of the MIS field-effect transistors having a source drain path and a control gate, the transistor being rendered conductive by an electric pulse applied to the gate thereof and the electric terminal being connected in the semiconductor body to the means for applying the other of the operating potentials thereto through the source-drain path of the transistor, an additional circuit component forming part of the digital semiconductor circuit and representing an AND function, the additional circuit component having at least one terminal connected to the electric terminal and being actuatable by an electric pulse applied thereto, and a pulse generating system connected to the gate of the transistor and to the additional circuit component for generating a respective pulse for activating the transistor and the additional circuit component, respectively.

Claims

1. Monolithically integrated digital semiconductor circuit formed on a semiconductor body and having MIS field-effect transistors and an electric terminal as signal input in the semiconductor body, comprising respective means for applying two operating potentials to the digital semiconductor circuit, a manually actuatable sensor switch connecting said respective means to the electric terminal for applying one of said operating potentials thereto, one of the MIS field-effect transistors having a source drain path and a control gate, the transistor being rendered conductive by an electric pulse applied to said gate thereof and said electric terminal being connected in the semiconductor body to said means for applying the other of said operating potentials thereto through the source-drain path of the transistor, an additional circuit component forming part of the digital semiconductor circuit and representing an AND function, said additional circuit component having at least one terminal connected to said electric terminal and being activatable by an electric pulse applied thereto, and a pulse generating system connected to said gate of said transistor and to said additional circuit component for generating a respective pulse for activating said transistor and said additional circuit component, respectively.

2. Device according to claim 1 wherein said additional circuit component comprises a second MIS field effect transistor having a source terminal thereof connected to the terminal of the semiconductor body and having the gate thereof controllable by the pulses from said pulse generating system, and the drain thereof connected to a circuit component forming part of the digital semiconductor circuit per se.

3. Device according to claim 2 wherein said second MIS field effect transistor forms an input transfer transistor of a quasistatic shift register cell having an output for controlling other components of the digital semiconductor circuit.

4. Device according to claim 3 wherein said output of said quasistatic shift register cell is connected to a first flip-flop cell for controlling the same, said flip-flop cell having means for controlling other circuit components of the integrated digital semiconductor circuit.

5. Device according to claim 1 wherein said additional circuit component comprises an AND gate having a signal input thereof connected to the terminal of the semiconductor body and having a second terminal controllable by the pulses from said pulse generating system, said AND gate having an output for controlling a circuit component of the digital semiconductor circuit per se.

6. Device according to claim 5 wherein said AND gate forms the input of a flip-flop shift register cell having outputs for controlling other components of the digital semiconductor circuit.

7. Device according to claim 6 including a circuit component responsive to the effect upon the semiconductor circuit of a signal applied via said sensor switch to the terminal of the semiconductor body, and replying with a secondary signal.

8. Device according to claim 7 wherein said circuit component replying with said secondary signal comprises at least one flip-flop cell.

9. Device according to claim 6 wherein said outputs of said flip-flop shift register cell serves to control a first flip-flop having an output for controlling an MIS field effect transistor for generating a reply signal, and a current-carrying terminal connected to the terminal of the semiconductor body.

10. Device according to claim 8 including a quasistatic shift register cell connected to a first flip-flop cell for controlling the same, said first flip-flop cell having means for controlling other circuit components of the integrated digital semiconductor circuit.

11. Device according to claim 10 wherein said flip-flop shift register cell has outputs serving to control a first flip-flop having an output for controlling an MIS field effect transistor for generating a reply signal, and a current-carrying terminal connected to the terminal of the semiconductor body.

12. Device according to claim 9 or claim 11 wherein said flip-flop shift register cell is a two-memory flip-flop.

13. Device according to claim 5 wherein said AND gate connected to the terminal of the semiconductor body forms an input of a flip-flop shift register having signal outputs for further controlling the digital semiconductor circuit.

14. Device according to claim 8 wherein said flip-flop cell, controllable by a shift register inserted between said electric terminal and the further digital semiconductor circuit, has means for controlling an MIS field effect transistor for generating a secondary signal and is connected to the terminal of the semiconductor body through one of said current-carrying terminals thereof.

15. Device according to claim 14 wherein said MIS transistor controllable by said first flip-flop cell and the current path crossing said transistor are additionally capable of being keyed by a further pulse sequence.

16. Device according to claim 14 wherein the gate of the transistor controllable by said first flip-flop cell is activatable by a pulse sequence generated by the binary counter with the aid of said decoder.

17. Device according to claim 16 including a light-emitting diode activatable via an amplifier forming an external component of the circuit, said light-emitting diode being activatable by the secondary signal conducted via the terminal of the semiconductor body.

18. Device according to claim 1 wherein said pulse generating system comprises a clock generator having a first signal output for delivering periodic first pulses and at least one second signal output for delivering second pulses which, though of the same frequency as said first pulses, are phase-shifted relative thereto, said second signal output furnishing a pulse sequence for controlling a shift register forming a path between said electric terminal and the digital circuit per se, said first signal output furnishing a pulse sequence applicable to the counting input of a binary counter.

19. Device according to claim 18 wherein said binary counter has outputs for transmitting a count, said binary counter outputs being connected to a decoder having outputs for furnishing pulse sequences serving to control said first MIS field effect transistor and said additional circuit component.

20. Device according to claim 8 or claim 19, wherein the terminal of the semiconductor body is connected to the one of said operating potentials other than reference potential via said MIS field effect transistors connected in series with respect to the source-drain paths thereof, one of the outputs of said first flip-flop controlled by the sensor signal via the terminal of the semiconductor body and a shift register cell being applied to the gate of one of said MIS field effect transistors, the gate of the other of said MIS field effect transistors being controlled via a second flip-flop cell, said second flip-flop cell, in turn, being settable by said binary counter via said decoder.