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US 7,408,269 B2Granted
Multi-level power supply system for a complementary metal oxide semiconductor circuit
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsRajiv V Joshi, Louis L Hsu
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Abstract
There is provided a method for managing a multi-level power supply. The method includes comparing a voltage level (Vs1) of a lower voltage supply bus to a voltage level (Vs2) of a higher voltage supply bus, and routing current from the lower voltage supply bus to the higher voltage supply bus if Vs2<Vs1. The lower and higher voltage supply busses provide power to a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) circuit. The method prevents a latch-up of the CMOS circuit. There is also provided a circuit that employs the method.
Claims6
A method comprising:
- comparing a voltage level (Vs1) of a lower voltage supply bus to a voltage level (Vs2) of a higher voltage supply bus;
- and
- routing current from said lower voltage supply bus to said higher voltage supply bus if Vs2<Vs1,
- wherein said comparing is performed by a device that is powered by said lower voltage supply bus,
- wherein said lower and higher voltage supply busses provide power to a circuit that includes a plurality of p-type metal oxide semiconductor devices in a common well, and
- wherein said common well is electrically connected to said higher voltage supply bus.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.