Level shifter with GIDL current reduction
AssigneeNXP B.V.
InventorsChinmayee Kumari Panigrahi, Marcin Grad, Aman Chugh
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A circuit that includes a level shifter. The level shifter includes a shift path with two transistors coupled in series. The circuit also includes a GIDL detection circuit for detecting GIDL current conditions. The GIDL detection circuit generates a GIDL signal indicative of a GIDL current condition. The signal is utilized to control a voltage of a control electrode of a transistor of the shift path to increase the conductivity of the transistor when the signal is indicative of a GIDL current condition to minimize a GIDL current through at least a portion of the shift path when the second transistor is nonconductive due to the level shifter being in a low power mode.
Claims20
A circuit comprising:
- a level shifter including an input to receive a signal in a first voltage domain and an output to provide a level shifted signal of the signal in a second voltage domain, the level shifter including a shift path between a first node and a second node, the shift path including a third node for conveying a state of the signal, the shift path including a first transistor and a second transistor coupled in series in the shift path, wherein the second transistor includes a control terminal to receive a low power signal to place the second transistor in a non-conductive state during a low power mode of the level shifter;
- a GIDL detection circuit including an output to provide a GIDL signal indicative of a GIDL current condition where the GIDL signal increases the conductivity of the first transistor when the GIDL signal is indicative of the GIDL current condition to minimize a GIDL current through at least a portion of the shift path when the second transistor is nonconductive during the low power mode of the level shifter.
A circuit comprising:
- a level shifter including a first input to receive a first signal in a first voltage domain and an output to provide a level shifted signal of the first signal in a second voltage domain, the level shifter including a second input to receive a second signal in the first voltage domain that is complementary to the first signal, the level shifter including a first shift path between a first node and a second node, the first shift path including a first transistor and a second transistor coupled in series in the first shift path, the level shifter including a second shift path between the first node and the second node, the second shift path including a third transistor and a fourth transistor coupled in series in the second shift path;
- a GIDL detection circuit including an output to provide a GIDL signal indicative of a GIDL current condition where the GIDL signal increases the conductivity of the first transistor and the third transistor when the GIDL signal is indicative of the GIDL current condition to minimize a GIDL current through at least a portion of the first shift path and through at least a portion of the second shift path when the second transistor and the fourth transistor are made nonconductive during a low power mode of the level shifter.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.