Semiconductor device and method comprising a high voltage reset driver and an isolated memory array
AssigneeTexas Instruments Incorporated
InventorsJames D. Huffman, James Norman Hall
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of operating a semiconductor device, a semiconductor device and a digital micromirror system are presented. In an embodiment, the semiconductor device comprises a grounded substrate, a memory array, and a reset driver. The memory array may be isolated from the grounded substrate with a buried layer. The set of voltages of the memory array may be shifted with respect to a reset voltage. The reset driver may drive the reset voltage and the reset driver may have at least one extended drain transistor in the grounded substrate.
Claims12
A digital micromirror device (DMD) system comprising:
- a memory array disposed on a substrate;
- level shift circuitry configured to shift a set of voltages of the memory array with respect to a reset voltage;
- an array of address electrodes electrically coupled to the memory array;
- an array of micromirrors disposed over the array of address electrodes;
- and
- a reset driver configured to drive the reset voltage to reset at least one micromirror in the array of micromirrors.
A method of operating a digital micromirror device (DMD), comprising a substrate, and a static random access memory (SRAM) and at least one micromirror disposed on the substrate, the method comprising:
- generating a set of shifted voltages for the SRAM, including a row select voltage, a column data voltage, and bidirectional sense amplifier (BSA) voltages, wherein the set of shifted voltages is shifted with respect to a reset voltage;
- grounding the substrate and electrically isolating the SRAM from the substrate;
- producing an electrostatic field between the at least one micromirror and an at least one address electrode using the set of shifted voltages to tilt the at least one micromirror;
- and
- activating a reset driver disposed in and electrically coupled to the substrate, to drive the reset voltage to reset the at least one micromirror.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.