Pull-up voltage circuit

• US 7,480,192 B1
• Filed: 04/06/2007
• Issued: 01/20/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xilinx, Inc. (Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Xilinx, Inc. (Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Huy Son
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAN, TRONG Q
• Application Number:
  US11/784,290
• Time in Patent Office: 655 Days
• Field of Search: 365/189.11, 365/203, 365/154, 365/156
• US Class Current: 365/189.11
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/412 using field-effect transistors only
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/413 Auxiliary circuits, e.g. for addressing, decoding, driving, writing, sensing, timing or power reduction
• 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: H03K 19/0016 by using a control or a clock signal, e.g. in order to apply power supply

Abstract

A pull-up voltage circuit and method for reducing power consumption therewith are described. A pull-up voltage circuit has an inverter powered by a first supply voltage. A first p-type transistor and an n-type transistor are commonly gated to receive output from a first output node of the inverter to a first input node. A source region of the n-type transistor is coupled to a ground. A drain region of each of the first p-type transistor and the n-type transistor are commonly coupled at a second output node. A second p-type transistor has a gate coupled to the second output node. A drain region of the second p-type transistor, a source region of the first p-type transistor, and an input of the inverter are all coupled to a line. A source region of the second p-type transistor is coupled to the first supply voltage.

Claims

1. A memory device having an array of memory cells including bitlines and wordlines, comprising:

voltage pull-up circuits for precharging the bitlines;

the voltage pull-up circuits operating with a first supply voltage level;

the array of memory cells operating with a second supply voltage level greater than the first supply voltage level;

wherein each voltage pull-up circuit is configured to;

sense voltage on the respective bitline;

precharge the respective bitline responsive to voltage on the respective bitline exceeding a trip voltage associated with the voltage pull-up circuit; and

cease precharging responsive to voltage on the respective bitline exceeding a reverse bias voltage, the reverse bias voltage being greater than the trip voltage and less than the first supply voltage level.

2. The memory device according to claim 1, wherein each memory cell includes at least one access transistor;

and

wherein responsive to application of a wordline voltage to the wordlines, the access transistors of the memory cells respectively couple the wordline voltages to precharged bitlines of the bitlines, the wordline voltages greater than the first supply voltage level.

3. The memory device according to claim 2, wherein the wordline voltages are less than or equal to the second supply voltage level.

4. The memory device according to claim 3, wherein each voltage pull-up circuit is further configured to provide additional voltage clamping responsive to voltage on the respective bitline exceeding the reverse bias voltage and continuing to rise toward the respective wordline voltage;

and

wherein the reverse bias voltage is approximately one PMOS threshold voltage less than the first supply voltage level.

5. The memory device according to claim 4, wherein the memory device is a standalone integrated circuit.

6. The memory device according to claim 4, wherein the memory device is embedded in an integrated circuit.

7. The memory device according to claim 4, wherein the memory device is block random access memory of a programmable logic device.