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US 2002/0163377 A1Published application
Forward body bias generation circuits based on diode clamps
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsDavid W. Bruneau, Siva G. Narendra, Vivek K. De
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Various embodiments of a method for providing forward body bias (FBB) are disclosed. A first diode element is forward biased to a first voltage. A voltage proportional to the first diode voltage is converted into a current. A current is mirrored through a second diode element to generate a second diode voltage. A constant FBB based upon the second diode voltage is generated and applied to each bulk terminal of field effect transistors (FETs) of an integrated circuit die.
Claims21
An electrical system comprising:
- a functional unit block (FUB) including field effect transistors (FETs), each FET having source, drain, gate and bulk terminals;
- a central bias generator having a first diode element, a current source/sink coupled in series with the first diode between a power supply line and a power return line to forward bias the first diode at a first diode voltage, an amplifier whose input is coupled to receive the first diode voltage and whose output is coupled to feed a current mirror, the current mirror is coupled to source/sink a mirrored current through a second diode element to generate a second diode voltage;
- and
- a plurality of local bias generators each being coupled to the second diode element to provide a constant forward body bias (FBB), in response to the second diode voltage, to each bulk terminal of at least some of the FETs.
1 more element
A method for providing forward body bias (FBB), comprising:
- forward biasing a first diode element to a first diode voltage;
- converting a voltage proportional to the first diode voltage into a current;
- mirroring the current through a second diode element to generate a second diode voltage;
- and
- generating a constant FBB based upon the second diode voltage and applying the constant FBB to each bulk terminal of at least some field effect transistors (FETs) of a first conductivity type in a functional unit block (FUB) of an integrated circuit die.
2 more elements
An electrical system comprising:
- means for generating a first diode voltage;
- means for converting a voltage proportional to the first diode voltage into a current;
- means for generating a second diode voltage in response to the current;
- and
- means for generating a constant FBB based upon the second diode voltage and applying the constant FBB to each bulk terminal of at least some field effect transistors (FETs) of a first conductivity type in a functional unit block (FUB) of an integrated circuit die.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.