# US 2026/0100707 A1 · Level-Shifting Circuitry Devices and Methods

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- Number: US 2026/0100707 A1
- Document ID: US20260100707A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 18/905,956
- Filed: 2024-10-03
- Published: 2026-04-09
- Earliest claimed: 2024-10-03
- Assignees: Arm Limited
- Applicants: Arm Limited
- Inventors: Andy Wangkun Chen; Mohit Chanana; Rajesh .; Parveen Kumar; Yew Keong Chong
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20260100707A1

## CPC

- H03K 19/018507: {Interface arrangements}
- G11C 8/06: Address interface arrangements, e.g. address buffers
- G11C 8/08: Word line control circuits, e.g. drivers, boosters, pull-up circuits, pull-down circuits, precharging circuits, for word lines
- G11C 8/18: Address timing or clocking circuits; Address control signal generation or management, e.g. for row address strobe [RAS] or column address strobe [CAS] signals
- H03K 5/135: by the use of time reference signals, e.g. clock signals
- H03K 19/20: characterised by logic function, e.g. AND, OR, NOR, NOT circuits (H03K19/003 - H03K19/01 take precedence)
- H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M)
- G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B)

## Abstract

A circuit for level-shifting includes a pulse-shaper circuit comprising a first PMOS transistor; and a level-shifting circuit, where the first PMOS transistor is configured to precharge a node on a wordline generation path of the level-shifting circuit. Also, a method of level-shifting includes detecting, at a PMOS transistor of a pulse-shaping circuit, a falling edge of a clock signal; and generating, by the pulse-shaping circuit, a pulse to activate the PMOS transistor to precharge a node on a wordline generation path of a level-shifting circuit. Another circuit for level-shifting includes a first PMOS transistor; and a level-shifting circuitry, where the circuit is configured to generate a pulse on a second voltage domain from a clock signal on a first voltage domain.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A circuit for level-shifting comprising:
a pulse-shaper circuit comprising a first PMOS transistor; and
a level-shifting circuit, wherein: the first PMOS transistor is configured to precharge a node on a wordline generation path of the level-shifting circuit.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The circuit of claim 1, wherein:
the first PMOS transistor of the pulse-shaper circuit is coupled in parallel to PMOS transistors of the level-shifting circuit.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The circuit of claim 1, wherein:
the first PMOS transistor of the pulse-shaper circuit comprises an increased size dimension in comparison to the PMOS transistors of the level-shifting circuit.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The circuit of claim 1, wherein:
the first PMOS transistor of the pulse-shaper circuit is configured with a higher voltage-threshold (VT)-type in comparison to one or more PMOS transistors of the level-shifting circuit.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The circuit of claim 1, wherein the pulse-shaper circuit further comprises first and second level-shifters.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The circuit of claim 5, wherein:
the first level-shifter is configured by a NAND gate, and
the second level-shifter is configured by one or more reset delays, wherein the one or more reset delays comprise at least a contention-mitigation level shifter (CMLS).

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The circuit of claim 6, wherein the NAND gate is configured to receive:
a clock signal on a first input of the NAND gate, wherein the clock signal is configured with a first operating voltage; and
a delayed version of the clock signal on a second input of the NAND gate, wherein the delayed version of the clock signal is configured with a second operating voltage.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The circuit of claim 6, wherein:
the CMLS comprises a second PMOS transistor, and
the second PMOS transistor of the CMLS is configured with a decreased size dimension or a lower voltage-threshold (VT)-type in comparison to the first PMOS transistor.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The circuit of claim 8, wherein:
the second PMOS transistor is configured to boost the delayed version of the clock signal, and
the boosted delayed version of the clock signal is configured to boost an output pulse signal of the pulse-shaper circuit, and
a signal delay associated with the second PMOS transistor is configured to increase a reset window of the output pulse signal of the pulse-shaper circuit.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The circuit of claim 1, wherein:
the level-shifting circuitry is arranged as a NAND gate;
the NAND gate comprises two PMOS transistors coupled in parallel and two NMOS transistors coupled in series; and
the node is coupled between the PMOS transistors and the NMOS transistors; and
the node is configured to transmit a clock signal to a plurality of logic gates.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The circuit of claim 10, wherein:
PMOS transistors of the level-shifting circuit are configured to maintain the precharge of the node;
the PMOS transistors of the level-shifting comprise a decreased size or a lower voltage-threshold (VT)-type in comparison to the NMOS transistors; and
the PMOS transistors are configured to increase the speed of transition of the clock signal.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The circuit of claim 1, further comprising:
delay control circuitry comprising:
two buffers;
an OR gate; and
a NAND gate, wherein:
the two buffers are coupled in series to a first input of the OR gate,
a delay control input coupled to a second input of the OR gate,
a clock signal of the pulse-shaper circuitry coupled to a first input of the NAND gate,
the output of the OR gate coupled to a second input of the NAND gate,
the output of the NAND gate corresponds to a delayed control signal.

### Claim 13

A method of level-shifting comprising:
detecting, at a PMOS transistor of a pulse-shaping circuit, a falling edge of a clock signal; and
generating, by the pulse-shaping circuit, a pulse to activate the PMOS transistor to precharge a node on a wordline generation path of a level-shifting circuit.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising:
in response to a completion of the precharge of the node, disabling the PMOS transistor.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising:
providing the clock signal to a first input of a NAND gate coupled to the PMOS transistor;
providing a delayed version of the clock signal to a second input of the NAND gate coupled to the PMOS transistor, wherein: the clock signal and the delayed version of the clock signal have different operating voltages.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising:
boosting, by a second PMOS transistor, the delayed version of the clock signal, wherein:
the second PMOS transistor is configured with a decreased size dimension or a lower voltage-threshold (VT)-type in comparison to the first PMOS transistor, and
the boosted delayed version of the clock signal is configured to strengthen the pulse.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, further comprising:
providing, by a delay control circuitry of the pulse-shaping circuit, a delay of the clock signal, wherein the delay of the clock signal is configured to increase a pulse duration of the pulse.

### Claim 18 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein:
the falling edge of the clock signal is detected if an output of a first level shifter of the pulse-shaping circuit transitions from a digital high to a digital low, or wherein:
the clock signal is configured with a first operating voltage, and
the pulse is configured with a second operating voltage.

### Claim 19

A circuit for level-shifting comprising:
a first PMOS transistor; and
a level-shifting circuitry, wherein:
the circuit is configured to generate a pulse on a second voltage domain from a clock signal on a first voltage domain.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The circuit of claim 19, wherein:
the level-shifting circuitry comprising: a NAND gate and one or more reset delays,
the NAND gate comprises a first level shifter and the one or more reset delays comprise a second level shifter,
the one or more reset delays comprise a second PMOS transistor, and
the second PMOS transistor comprises a decreased size in comparison to the first PMOS transistor.