Circuits and methods for providing low voltage, high performance register files
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsAzeez Bhavnagarwala, Stephen Kosonocky
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Circuits and methods are provided to implement low voltage, higher performance semiconductor memory devices such as CMOS static random access memory (SRAM) or multi-port register files. For example, circuits and methods are provided for dynamically adjusting power supply and/or ground line voltages that are applied to the memory cells during different modes of memory operation to enable low voltage, high performance operation of the memory devices.
Claims26
A register file memory device, comprising:
- a power supply line;
- a storage element connected to the power supply line;
- and
- a bootstrap circuit that is responsive to a read access signal to decouple the power supply line from a power supply node and bootstrap the power supply line by the read access signal to increase a power supply line voltage during a read access of the storage element.
A register file memory device, comprising:
- a power supply line;
- a virtual ground line;
- a ground line;
- a storage element connected between the power supply line and the virtual ground line;
- a bootstrap circuit that is responsive to a read access signal to decouple the power supply line from a power supply node and bootstrap the power supply line by the read access signal to increase a power supply line voltage during a read access of the storage element;
- and
- a voltage regulating circuit, operatively connected to the virtual ground line and the ground line, to regulate a virtual ground voltage on the virtual ground line such that the virtual ground voltage varies between a first ground voltage that is equal to a ground voltage level applied on the ground line and a second ground voltage that is greater than the ground voltage level.
A method for performing a memory access operation, comprising the steps of:
- applying a wordline select signal to a wordline for accessing a memory cell;
- and
- bootstrapping a power supply voltage applied to the memory cell using the wordline select signal to boost the power supply voltage applied to the memory cell for a data access operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.