Semiconductor integrated circuit having a built-in power voltage generator
AssigneeNEC Corporation
InventorKatsuji Hoshi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A semiconductor integrated circuit having a voltage generator circuit for generating an internal power voltage lower than an externally supplied power voltage, a control circuit for generating at least one control signal and a functional circuit operating with the internal power voltage and controlled by the control signal is disclosed and featured in that the control circuit includes a first circuit operating with the externally supplied power voltage and generating a first signal with a predetermined timing relationship with respect to an input control signal thereto and a second circuit operating with the internal voltage and generating a second signal in response to the first signal, as the control signal for the functional circuit.
Claims10
A semiconductor integrated circuit comprising:
- a first means for receiving an externally supplied power voltage;
- a voltage generator circuit coupled to said first means for generating an internal power voltage lower than said externally supplied power voltage;
- a second means for receiving a control signal;
- a first circuit coupled to said first means and said second means, said first circuit operating with said externally supplied power voltage to generate a first signal after a predetermined time from an activation of said control signal
- a second circuit coupled to said voltage generator circuit and said first circuit, said second circuit operating with said internal power voltage to generate a second signal in response to said first signal, said second signal having an amplitude approximately of said internal power voltage;
- and
- a functional circuit coupled to said voltage generator and said second circuit, said functional circuit operating with said internal power voltage and being controlled by said second signal thereby to perform a predetermined function.
An integrated circuit comprising:
- a power terminal receiving an externally supplied power voltage;
- a voltage generator generating an internal power voltage having a lower voltage than said externally supplied power voltage;
- a clock generator driven by said externally supplied power voltage to generate a clock having a first voltage swing of the externally supplied power voltage;
- an amplitude converter driven by said internal power voltage to convert said first voltage swing of said clock to a second voltage swing of said internal power voltage;
- a functional circuit driven by said internal power voltage to perform a functional operation in response to said converted clock.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.