Method and circuit for element wearout recovery
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsGiuseppe La Rosa, Joseph M. Lukaitis, Anastasios A. Katsetos, Stewart E. Rauch, III, Ping-Chuan Wang, Stephen P. Boffoli, Fernando J. Guarin, B. B. (Bob) Lawhorn
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A recovery circuit and a method for employing the same are provided. The recovery circuit has a current driver and, preferably two pass-gates, a first pass-gate connected in series to the current driver and a second pass-gate connected to a ground. The recovery circuit also has a recovery assembly or element and one or more contacts operatively connecting the recovery circuit to a wearout sensitive circuit or circuit element.
Claims20
A recovery circuit comprising:
- at least one current driver;
- at least one first pass gate being connected in series with said current driver;
- at least one second pass gate being connected to a ground;
- and
- at least one recovery element, said at least one recovery element being operatively connected to a wearout sensitive element.
A method for recovery of a wearout sensitive circuit comprising the steps of:
- operatively implementing a recovery circuit to a specific wearout sensitive circuit and/or a specific wearout sensitive circuit element thereof;
- operating said specific wearout sensitive circuit;
- and
- activating said recovery circuit during operative use when said specific wearout sensitive circuit and/or said specific wearout sensitive circuit element is degraded a predefined amount.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.