Boosting word lines
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorSergiy ROMANOVSKYY
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In a method for boosting a word line signal, the word line signal is transitioned from a first voltage value of the word line signal to a second voltage value of the word line signal, thereby turning on a first transistor. The first transistor and a second transistor turn on a third transistor. The third transistor causes the word line signal at a first terminal of the third transistor to reach a voltage value at a second terminal of the third transistor, thereby causing the word line signal to reach the voltage value faster than without the third transistor. The first transistor and the second transistor are coupled in series.
Claims20
A method for boosting a word line signal, comprising:
- transitioning the word line signal from a first voltage value of the word line signal to a second voltage value of the word line signal, thereby turning on a first transistor;
- the first transistor and a second transistor turning on a third transistor;
- and
- the third transistor causing the word line signal at a first terminal of the third transistor to reach a voltage value at a second terminal of the third transistor, thereby causing the word line signal to reach the voltage value at the second terminal of the third transistor faster than without the third transistor,
- wherein
- the first transistor and the second transistor are coupled in series.
A word line booster circuit comprising:
- a first transistor;
- a second transistor;
- a third transistor;
- a fourth transistor;
- a fifth transistor;
- and
- a word line,
- wherein
- the first transistor is coupled in series with the second transistor;
- the second transistor is coupled in series with the fourth transistor;
- the fourth transistor is coupled in parallel with the fifth transistor;
- the word line is coupled to a first terminal of the third transistor and a third terminal of the first transistor;
- a second terminal of the third transistor is coupled to a second terminal of the fourth transistor and a second terminal of the fifth transistor;
- and
- a third terminal of the third transistor is coupled to the second transistor, the fourth transistor, and the fifth transistor.
A word line circuit comprising:
- a word line driver circuit;
- a word line booster circuit;
- a word line coupled to an output of the word line driver circuit, to a plurality of memory cells, and to an input of the word line booster circuit,
- wherein
- the word line drive circuit is configured to generate a word line signal on the word line at the output of the word line driver circuit, the word line signal transitioning from a first voltage value to a second voltage value different from the first voltage value;
- and
- the word line booster circuit is configured to cause the word line signal at the input of the word line booster circuit to reach a predetermined voltage value when the word line signal at the input of the word line booster circuit reaches a third voltage value in between the first voltage value and the second voltage value.
A method for boosting a word line signal, comprising:
- causing a first signal to reach a first voltage value of the first signal;
- causing a second signal to reach a first voltage value of the second signal, thereby turning on a first transistor;
- transitioning the word line signal towards a first voltage value of the word line signal, a voltage level of the word line signal causes a second transistor and a third transistor to turn on, the third transistor pulling the word line signal to the first voltage value of the word line signal;
- causing the second signal to reach a second voltage value of the second signal, thereby turning off the first transistor and the third transistor;
- and
- causing the word line signal to reach a second voltage value of the word line signal, thereby turning off the second transistor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.