US 2002/0000872 A1 · METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR REDUCING STANDBY LEAKAGE CURRENT USING A LEAKAGE CONTROL TRANSISTOR THAT RECEIVES BOOSTED GATE DRIVE DURING AN ACTIVE MODE

Abstract

Standby leakage reduction circuitry that uses boosted gate drive of a leakage control transistor during an active mode. A circuit block includes a first leakage control transistor coupled to receive a first supply voltage and coupled in series with an internal circuit block that performs a particular function. A gate drive circuit is included to apply a first boosted gate drive voltage to a gate of the first leakage control transistor during an active mode of the internal circuit block. The gate drive circuit furthers applies a standby gate voltage to the gate during a standby mode of the internal circuit block, the standby gate voltage to cause a gate to source voltage of the leakage control transistor to be reverse-biased.

Claims21

Dependent claims

A circuit comprising:

a leakage control transistor coupled to receive a supply voltage and to be coupled in series with an internal circuit block that performs a particular function;
and
a gate drive circuit to apply a boosted gate drive voltage to a gate of the leakage control transistor during an active mode of the internal circuit block and to apply a standby gate voltage to the gate during a standby mode of the internal circuit block.

A mobile computer system comprising:

a bus to communicate information;
a battery coupled to the bus;
an integrated circuit coupled to the bus to provide a standby signal to indicate a standby mode;
and
a processor coupled to the bus, the processor including a circuit block, the circuit block including
a first leakage control transistor coupled to receive a first supply voltage and coupled in series with an internal circuit block that performs a particular function, and
a first gate drive circuit to apply a first boosted gate drive voltage to a gate of the first leakage control transistor during an active mode, the gate drive circuit further to apply a first standby voltage to the gate during the standby mode, the first standby gate voltage causing a gate to source voltage of the first leakage control transistor to be reverse-biased.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for reducing standby leakage current using a leakage control transistor that receives boosted gate drive during an active mode

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for reducing standby leakage current using a leakage control transistor that receives boosted gate drive during an active mode

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21