Method and structure for supply gated electronic components
AssigneeSun Microsystems, Inc.
InventorJames B. Burr
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and structure for supply gating low power electronic components uses low threshold gating transistors. The low power components operate at supply voltages of less than one volt and typically in the range of 150 to 400 millivolts. Using low threshold gating transistors, the leakage current of the devices, and therefore the standby power dissipation, can be minimized by using any one, or a combination of, four methods including: overdriving the low threshold gating transistors on; overdriving the low threshold gating transistors off; combining very low threshold device transistors with low threshold gating transistors; and providing the low threshold gating transistors with back bias.
Claims2
A low power supply gated network comprising:
- a first supply voltage;
- two or more devices;
- a second supply voltage coupled to at least one of said two or more devices;
- a low threshold gating transistor coupled between said first supply voltage and said two or more devices;
- wherein,
- said low threshold gating transistor has an unbiased threshold voltage with an absolute value of less than 150 millivolts, further wherein;
- said low threshold gating transistor is overdriven on, such that when said low threshold gating transistor is in an on state, a voltage differential between a gate and a source of said low threshold gating transistor is greater than a voltage differential between said first and second supply voltages.
A low power supply gated network comprising:
- a first supply voltage;
- two or more devices;
- a second supply voltage coupled to at least one of said two or more devices;
- a low threshold gating transistor coupled between said first supply voltage and said two or more devices;
- wherein,
- said low threshold gating transistor has an unbiased threshold voltage with an absolute value of less than 150 millivolts, further wherein;
- said low threshold gating transistor is overdriven off.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.