US 2009/0021289 A1Published application

Voltage Detection Circuit in an Integrated Circuit and Method of Generating a Trigger Flag Signal

AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation

InventorsWagdi W. Abadeer, Jeffrey S. Brown, Albert M. Chu, John A. Fifield

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Abstract

An integrated circuit that includes at least one tunneling device voltage detection circuit for generating a trigger flag signal. The tunneling device voltage detection circuit includes first and second voltage dividers receiving a supply voltage and having corresponding respective first and second internal node output voltages. The first and second voltage dividers are configured so the first output voltage is linear relative to the supply voltage and so that the second output voltage is nonlinear relative to the supply voltage. As the supply voltage ramps up, the profiles of the first and second output voltage cross at a particular voltage. An operational amplifier circuit senses when the first and second output voltages become equal and, in response thereto, outputs a trigger signal that indicates that the supply voltage has reached a certain level.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An integrated circuit chip, comprising:

a power supply network for supplying a supply voltage to functional circuitry;
and
a trigger circuit that includes:
a first voltage divider stack comprising:
a first input in electrical communication with said power supply network;
and
a first internal node for providing a first divided output voltage;
wherein said first voltage divider stack is configured so that the first divided output voltage has a linear relationship to the supply voltage;
a second voltage divider stack electrically coupled to said power supply network in parallel with said first voltage divider stack, said second voltage divider stack comprising:
a second input in electrical communication with said power supply network;
and
a second internal node for providing a second divided output voltage;
wherein said second voltage divider stack is configured so that the second divided output voltage has a linear relationship to the supply voltage;
and
output circuitry in electrical communication with said first internal node and said second internal node and operatively configured to generate a digital trigger flag as a function of said first divided output voltage and said second divided output voltage.

12 more elements

An integrated circuit, comprising:

a power supply network for supplying a supply voltage to functional circuitry;
and
a trigger circuit that includes:
a first voltage divider stack comprising:
a first input in electrical communication with said power supply network;
and
a first internal node for providing a first divided output voltage;
wherein said first voltage divider stack is configured so that the first divided output voltage has a linear relationship to the supply voltage;
a second voltage divider stack electrically coupled to said power supply network in parallel with said first voltage divider stack and comprising:
a first current-tunneling device that includes a second input in electrical communication with said power supply network;
and
a second current-tunneling device electrically connected in series with said first current-tunneling device so as to define a second internal node for providing a second divided output voltage;
wherein the second divided output voltage is generated as a function of substantially only tunneling current through said first and second current-tunneling devices;
and
output circuitry in electrical communication with said first internal node and said second internal node and operatively configured to generate a digital trigger flag as a function of said first divided output voltage and said second divided output voltage.

12 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.