# US 2021/0174841 A1 · Device and method for data-writing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2021/0174841 A1 - Document ID: US20210174841A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/183,215 - Filed: 2021-02-23 - Published: 2021-06-10 - Earliest claimed: 2016-05-03 - Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd. - Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Po-Hao LEE; Yi-Chun SHIH - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210174841A1 ## CPC - G11C 5/147: {Voltage reference generators, voltage or current regulators; Internally lowered supply levels; Compensation for voltage drops (G11C5/141 takes precedence)} - G11C 7/14: Dummy cell management; Sense reference voltage generators - G11C 13/0038: {Power supply circuits} - G11C 16/30: Power supply circuits - G11C 29/56: External testing equipment for static stores, e.g. automatic test equipment [ATE]; Interfaces therefor - G11C 13/0069: {Writing or programming circuits or methods} - G11C 2029/5002: {Characteristic} - G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B) ## Abstract A device includes several first switching units and several second switching units. Each of the first switching units transmits in response to a first select signal, an auxiliary signal. Each of the second switching units is coupled to a corresponding one of the first switching units and transmits in response to a second select signal, a write voltage to a corresponding one of multiple circuit cells. The second switching units are coupled with each other in a node which receives the write voltage. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device, comprising: a plurality of first switching units each configured to transmit, in response to a first select signal, an auxiliary signal; and a plurality of second switching units each coupled to a corresponding one of the plurality of first switching units and configured to transmit, in response to a second select signal, a write voltage to a corresponding one of a plurality of circuit cells, wherein the plurality of second switching units are coupled with each other in a node which receives the write voltage. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, further comprising: a third switching unit configured to generate a current represented by the auxiliary signal, in response to a control voltage. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, further comprising: a voltage regulator configured to output the write voltage; a control signal generator configured to generate a control voltage according to a reference voltage and a reference current; and a third switching unit configured to output the auxiliary signal according to the control voltage. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The device of claim 3, wherein the control signal generator comprises: an amplifier configured to generate the control voltage according to the reference voltage and a sensing voltage; and a fourth switching unit configured to generate the sensing voltage according to the control voltage. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, further comprising: an amplifier configured to generate a control voltage according to a reference voltage and a sensing voltage; and a third switching unit and a fourth switching unit that are configured to receive the control voltage and to generate the sensing voltage and the auxiliary signal respectively. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, further comprising: a voltage regulator configured to output the write voltage at an output terminal thereof; wherein each of the plurality of first switching units is configured to transmit the auxiliary signal to the output terminal of the voltage regulator. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, further comprising: a control signal generator configured to generate a plurality of control voltages, wherein the control signal generator comprises: a comparator configured to output an adjust signal according a reference voltage and a sensing voltage at a node; a controller configured to receive the adjust signal to generate the plurality of control voltages; and a plurality of third switching units configured to generate the sensing voltage at the node, wherein one of the plurality of first switching units is configured to output the auxiliary signal in response to the plurality of control voltages. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The device of claim 7, wherein the plurality of third switching units are configured to generate a plurality of testing currents to the node, to generate the sensing voltage. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The device of claim 8, wherein the control signal generator further comprises: a current source configured to generate a reference current, wherein the current source and the comparator are configured to be turned off when a sum of the plurality of testing currents is about the same as the reference current. ### Claim 10 A method, comprising: selectively transmitting, in response to a first select signal, by a first driving branch of a plurality of driving branches a write voltage to an input of a first circuit cell; and controlling, in response to a control voltage which is generated based on a comparison of a reference voltage and a feedback signal, by the first driving branch, a voltage level of the input of the first circuit cell. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: generating a sensing voltage as the feedback signal by a switch; and generating the control voltage by an amplifier, according to the reference voltage and the sensing voltage. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: generating an adjust signal by a comparator, according to the reference voltage and the feedback signal; generating a plurality of control voltages by a controller, according to the adjust signal, wherein the plurality of control voltages comprises the control voltage; and generating the feedback signal by a plurality of switches, in response to the plurality of control voltages. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: compensating a voltage level of an input of a second circuit cell different from the first circuit cell by an auxiliary signal outputted by a second driving branch, different from the first driving branch, of the plurality of driving branches in response to the control voltage. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, wherein compensating the voltage level of the input of the second circuit cell by the auxiliary signal comprises: turning on a first switching unit in response to the first select signal, to transmit the write voltage to the second circuit cell; and turning on a second switching unit in response to a second select signal, to transmit the auxiliary signal. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein compensating the voltage level of the input of the second circuit cell by the auxiliary signal further comprises: receiving the auxiliary signal by the first switching unit; and transmitting the auxiliary signal, by the first switching unit, to the second circuit cell. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: selectively transmitting, in response to the first select signal, by a second driving branch, different from the first driving branch, of the plurality of driving branches the write voltage and an auxiliary signal to an input of a second circuit cell different from first circuit cell, wherein the auxiliary signal is generated by a switching unit in response to the control voltage. ### Claim 17 A device, comprising: a control signal generator configured to generate a control voltage; a first switching unit configured to generate an auxiliary signal in response to the control voltage; a second switching unit configured to transmit, in response to a first select signal, the auxiliary signal to a circuit cell; and a third switching unit configured to transmit, in response to a second select signal, a write voltage to the circuit cell, wherein the circuit cell is programmed according to the auxiliary signal and the write voltage. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The device of claim 17, wherein the third switching unit is further configured to receive the auxiliary signal, and to transmit both of the auxiliary signal and write voltage. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The device of claim 17, further comprising: a voltage regulator configured to generate the write voltage. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The device of claim 17, wherein the control signal generator comprises: an amplifier configured to generate the control voltage according to a reference voltage and a sensing voltage at a node; a current source coupled to the node, and configured to generate a reference current; and a fourth switching unit coupled to the current source at the node, and configured to generate the sensing voltage according to the control voltage.