A transistor memory device includes storage elements storing a capacitance including (1) a capacitance at a source of PFETs, (2) a capacitance at each storage element connected to a storage node and (3) a capacitance at a gate input of inverter transistors from the plurality of transistor storage elements. Each storage element configured to perform (i) a read data access (ii) a write data access, to increase static noise margin. The transistor memory device further includes a harvest node coupled to a ground and that is configured to store a harvested charge transferred from a selected bitline to increase an output voltage at the harvest node. The transistor memory device further includes a capacitor divider configured to maintain a voltage swing on a bitline. The transistor memory device further includes a harvest circuit configured to, in response to the read data access, decouple the harvest node and invert a voltage.
Circuits and methods that use harvested electrostatic energy from transient: on-chip data are described in the Application. In one aspect, a method inverter circuit use harvested electrostatic charge held at any electric potential higher than the common ground reference potential of CMOS circuits in a chip, to partially drive a 0→1 logic transition at the output of the inverter at lower energy drain from the on-chip power grid than a conventional CMOS inverter with similar performance, slew rates at inverter input and output and with similar output driving transistor geometries.
H03K 19/00 - Logic circuits, i.e. having at least two inputs acting on one outputInverting circuits
G01R 19/165 - Indicating that current or voltage is either above or below a predetermined value or within or outside a predetermined range of values
H03K 19/094 - Logic circuits, i.e. having at least two inputs acting on one outputInverting circuits using specified components using semiconductor devices using field-effect transistors
H03K 19/096 - Synchronous circuits, i.e. using clock signals
H03K 19/20 - Logic circuits, i.e. having at least two inputs acting on one outputInverting circuits characterised by logic function, e.g. AND, OR, NOR, NOT circuits
3.
CIRCUITS AND METHODS TO HARVEST ENERGY FROM TRANSIENT ON-CHIP DATA
Circuits and methods that harvest electrostatic energy from transient on-chip data are described in the Application. In one aspect, a method inverter circuit harvests electrostatic charge held at its output node at an electric potential comparable to the power supply voltage rail to a common grid/node as the output makes a 0→1 logic transition. This charge harvested at a common gride/node can be used by circuits (described in applications 63/090,169, 63/139,744) to drive 0→1 logic transition at their output nodes at lower energy drain from the on-chip power grid than a conventional CMOS inverter would with similar performance, slew rates at inverter input and output and with similar output driving transistor geometries.
H03K 19/00 - Logic circuits, i.e. having at least two inputs acting on one outputInverting circuits
G01R 19/165 - Indicating that current or voltage is either above or below a predetermined value or within or outside a predetermined range of values
H03K 19/094 - Logic circuits, i.e. having at least two inputs acting on one outputInverting circuits using specified components using semiconductor devices using field-effect transistors
H03K 19/096 - Synchronous circuits, i.e. using clock signals
H03K 19/20 - Logic circuits, i.e. having at least two inputs acting on one outputInverting circuits characterised by logic function, e.g. AND, OR, NOR, NOT circuits
4.
FAST, ENERGY EFFICIENT 6T SRAM ARRAYS USING HARVESTED DATA
A transistor memory device includes transistor storage elements storing a capacitance at each transistor storage element. Each transistor storage element includes a word line port that selects a bitcell and a bitline. Each transistor storage element performs a read data access from or a write data access to each remaining transistor storage element to increase a SNM. The device includes a harvest node configured to store a harvested charge transferred from the bitline. The transistor memory device includes a capacitor divider between the bitline and the harvest node of a first transistor storage element and configured to maintain a voltage swing on the bitline. The device further includes a harvest circuit configured to, in response to the read data access performed by the first transistor storage element, decouple the harvest node from a ground and invert a voltage equal to a potential difference between the bitline and the harvest node.
G11C 11/4096 - Input/output [I/O] data management or control circuits, e.g. reading or writing circuits, I/O drivers or bit-line switches
G11C 11/4074 - Power supply or voltage generation circuits, e.g. bias voltage generators, substrate voltage generators, back-up power, power control circuits
G11C 11/4094 - Bit-line management or control circuits
5.
CIRCUITS & METHODS TO HARVEST ENERGY FROM TRANSIENT DATA
An apparatus includes a circuit having an inverter including a power supply, an input terminal and an output terminal, and a harvest terminal electrically coupled to the output terminal. The circuit electrically couples the output terminal and the power supply, such that (1) a harvested charge is transferred from an output voltage at the output terminal to the harvest terminal in response to a high-to-low transition at the circuit and (2) a low-to-high transition at the circuit is driven using at least the harvested charge at the harvest terminal in response to the high-to-low transition.
H03K 19/00 - Logic circuits, i.e. having at least two inputs acting on one outputInverting circuits
G01R 19/165 - Indicating that current or voltage is either above or below a predetermined value or within or outside a predetermined range of values
H03K 19/20 - Logic circuits, i.e. having at least two inputs acting on one outputInverting circuits characterised by logic function, e.g. AND, OR, NOR, NOT circuits
H03K 19/096 - Synchronous circuits, i.e. using clock signals
6.
Fast, energy efficient CMOS 2P1R1W register file array using harvested data
New CMOS harvesting circuits are proposed that improve 2-port/multiport Register File Array circuit speed and substantially lower the energy cost of moving data along local and global bitpaths when engaging harvested data to self-limit energy dissipation. The uncertainty in BL signal development due to statistical variations in cell read current is eliminated by self-disabling action in the selected cell when the electric potential of harvested data matches the BL voltage from signal development while demanding fewer peripheral circuit transistors per column than conventional sensing schemes. Proposed bit path circuits engage harvested charge to provide immunity to disturb current noise during concurrent Read and Write access along a WL-eliminating the performance, area and energy overheads of BL keeper circuits typically required in conventional Register File arrays. Proposed circuits improve the reliability of Read performance-limiting bitcell devices from voltage accelerated aging mechanisms by lowering of vertical and lateral electric fields across these cell transistors when holding harvested charge during most of active and standby periods. Register File bitcell transistor design trade-off constraints between array leakage in active mode and read current are considerably relaxed when engaging harvested charge enabling much higher read currents for any given total array leakage. Area overheads of proposed circuits are expected to be marginally lower based on device widths of replacements to conventional peripheral circuits and can be further minimized by sharing of devices and their connections between bit slices of the array peripheral circuits. Moreover, proposed circuits do not require any changes to the CMOS platform, to the bitcell or to the array architecture with much of the flow for design, verification and test of 2-Port/multiport RF Memory arrays expected to remain unchanged—minimizing risk and allowing integration of proposed circuits into existing products with minimal disruption to schedule and cost.
Circuits and methods that use harvested electrostatic energy from transient: on-chip data are described in the Application. In one aspect, a method inverter circuit use harvested electrostatic charge held at any electric potential higher than the common ground reference potential of CMOS circuits in a chip, to partially drive a 0→1 logic transition at the output of the inverter at lower energy drain from the on-chip power grid than a conventional CMOS inverter with similar performance, slew rates at inverter input and output and with similar output driving transistor geometries.
H03K 19/00 - Logic circuits, i.e. having at least two inputs acting on one outputInverting circuits
G01R 19/165 - Indicating that current or voltage is either above or below a predetermined value or within or outside a predetermined range of values
H03K 19/094 - Logic circuits, i.e. having at least two inputs acting on one outputInverting circuits using specified components using semiconductor devices using field-effect transistors
H03K 19/096 - Synchronous circuits, i.e. using clock signals
H03K 19/20 - Logic circuits, i.e. having at least two inputs acting on one outputInverting circuits characterised by logic function, e.g. AND, OR, NOR, NOT circuits
8.
Fast, energy efficient 6T SRAM arrays using harvested data
CMOS harvesting circuits are disclosed for conventional 6T SRAM bitcell arrays enabling substantial improvements to SRAM access time, pipeline performance and to SRAM active and leakage energy consumption—without scaling operating voltages while also improving Read and Write margins using assist schemes at very low area and energy overhead by reusing circuits that harvest charge.
DD and is readily tapped into during a following Write access lowering write energy consumption from the power grid by over 30%. Active or standby mode leakage is lowered by the raised voltage of the harvesting node in each column—that is discharged only before the WL selects—for all columns during a Read and for half-select columns during a Write.
G11C 7/22 - Read-write [R-W] timing or clocking circuitsRead-write [R-W] control signal generators or management
G11C 11/4074 - Power supply or voltage generation circuits, e.g. bias voltage generators, substrate voltage generators, back-up power, power control circuits
G11C 11/4094 - Bit-line management or control circuits
G11C 11/4096 - Input/output [I/O] data management or control circuits, e.g. reading or writing circuits, I/O drivers or bit-line switches
9.
Circuits and methods to harvest energy from transient on-chip data
Circuits and methods that harvest electrostatic energy from transient on-chip data are described in the Application. In one aspect, a method and inverter circuit harvests electrostatic charge held at its output node at an electric potential comparable to the power supply voltage rail to a common grid/node as the output makes a 1→0 logic transition. This charge harvested at a common grid/node can be used by circuits (described in applications 63/090,169, 63/139,744) to drive 0→1 logic transition at their output nodes at lower energy drain from the on-chip power grid than a conventional CMOS inverter would with similar performance, slew rates at inverter input and output and with similar output driving transistor geometries.
H03K 19/00 - Logic circuits, i.e. having at least two inputs acting on one outputInverting circuits
G01R 19/165 - Indicating that current or voltage is either above or below a predetermined value or within or outside a predetermined range of values
H03K 19/094 - Logic circuits, i.e. having at least two inputs acting on one outputInverting circuits using specified components using semiconductor devices using field-effect transistors
H03K 19/096 - Synchronous circuits, i.e. using clock signals
H03K 19/20 - Logic circuits, i.e. having at least two inputs acting on one outputInverting circuits characterised by logic function, e.g. AND, OR, NOR, NOT circuits
patents