Self Timed Level Shifter Circuit
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsWan-Yen Lin, Tsung-Hsin Yu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems and methods are provided for a level shifter. A level shifter includes a network of transistors configured to receive a signal at a first node in a first voltage domain and to generate a corresponding signal at a second node in a second voltage domain during a transition period of time. A self timing circuit is configured to receive an initiation signal based on the signal at the first node and to generate a voltage transition accelerator signal that is used to pull up the second node prior to the expiration of the transition period of time.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- receiving a signal at a first node in a first voltage domain to generate a corresponding signal at a second node in a second voltage domain;
- using a first self timing circuit to pull up the second node;
- and
- receiving a signal at a third node in the first voltage domain to generate a corresponding signal at a fourth node in the second voltage domain, wherein the fourth node is in a first level transition path between the first node and a first output node.
A method comprising:
- receiving a signal at a first node in a first voltage domain;
- generating a corresponding signal at a second node in a second voltage domain including receiving, by a gate terminal of a first transistor having a source/drain terminal connected to the second node, a minimum voltage of the second voltage domain;
- and
- using a first self timing circuit to pull up the second node.
A method comprising:
- receiving a signal at a first node in a first voltage domain;
- charging a second node through a first circuit path to a maximum voltage in a second voltage domain;
- and
- charging the second node through a second circuit path to the maximum voltage in the second voltage domain at substantially the same time as charging the second node through the first circuit path.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.