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US 11,961,554 B2Granted
Shared power footer circuit
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsHidehiro Fujiwara, Kao-Cheng Lin, Wei Min Chan, Yen-Huei Chen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device includes a first power rail for a first power domain and a second power rail for a second power domain. A first circuit block is connected to the first power rail and a second circuit block is connected to the second power rail. The first and second circuit blocks are both connected to a virtual VSS terminal. A footer circuit is connected between the virtual VSS terminal and a ground terminal, and the footer circuit is configured to selectively control a connection between the virtual VSS terminal and the ground terminal.
Claims20
A device, comprising:
- a first power rail for a first power domain;
- a second power rail for a second power domain, wherein the second power rail is different from the first power rail, and wherein the second power domain is different from the first power domain;
- a first circuit block connected to the first power rail;
- a second circuit block connected to the second power rail;
- a virtual VSS terminal, wherein the first and second circuit blocks are both connected to the virtual VSS terminal;
- a ground terminal;
- a footer control signal, wherein the footer control signal includes a first footer control signal in the first power domain and a second footer control signal in the second power domain;
- and
- a footer circuit connected between the virtual VSS terminal and the ground terminal, the footer circuit configured to selectively control a connection between the virtual VSS terminal and the ground terminal;
- wherein the footer circuit includes a first footer circuit configured to receive the first footer control signal and a second footer circuit configured to receive the second footer control signal.
7 more elements
A device, comprising:
- a first power rail for a first power domain;
- a second power rail for a second power domain, wherein the second power rail is different from the first power rail, and wherein the second power domain is different from the first power domain;
- a third power rail for a third power domain;
- a ground terminal;
- a first footer control signal in the first power domain;
- a second footer control signal in the second power domain;
- a first virtual VSS terminal;
- a first footer circuit connected between the first virtual VSS terminal and the ground terminal, the first footer circuit configured to selectively control a connection between the first virtual VSS terminal and the ground terminal in response to the first footer control signal;
- a first circuit block connected between the first power rail and the first virtual VSS terminal;
- a second circuit block connected between the first power rail and the first virtual VSS terminal;
- a second virtual VSS terminal;
- a second footer circuit connected between the second virtual VSS terminal and the ground terminal, the second footer circuit configured to selectively control a connection between the second virtual VSS terminal and the ground terminal in response to the second footer control signal;
- a third circuit block connected between the second power rail and the second virtual VSS terminal.
10 more elements
A method comprising, comprising:
- providing a first circuit block connected between a first virtual VSS terminal and a first power rail to operate in a first power domain;
- providing a second circuit block connected between the first virtual VSS terminal and a second power rail to operate in a second power domain, wherein the second power rail is different from the first power rail, and wherein the second power domain is different from the first power domain;
- placing the first and second circuit blocks in a predetermined power mode by controlling a connection between the first virtual VSS terminal and a ground terminal in response to a first footer control signal;
- providing a third circuit block connected between a second virtual VSS terminal and a third power rail to operate in a third power domain;
- and
- placing the third circuit block in the predetermined power mode by controlling a connection between the second virtual VSS terminal and the ground terminal in response to a second footer control signal;
- wherein the first footer control signal is driven by the first power domain, and wherein the second footer control signal is driven by the second power domain.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.