Tracking mechanisms
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsBing Wang, Kuoyuan (Peter) Hsu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A tracking circuit in a memory macro includes a data line, a first tracking cell, and a plurality of transistors. The first tracking cell is electrically coupled to the data line. The plurality of transistors is electrically coupled to the data line. The plurality of transistors is configured to cause a delay on a transition of a signal of the data line based on a delay current. The signal of the data line is configured for use in generating a signal of a control line of a memory cell of the memory macro.
Claims20
A tracking circuit in a memory macro, comprising:
- a data line;
- a first tracking cell electrically coupled to the data line;
- and
- a plurality of transistors electrically coupled to the data line,
- wherein
- the plurality of transistors is configured to cause a delay on a transition of a signal of the data line based on a delay current;
- and
- the data line is configured for use in generating a signal of a control line of a memory cell of the memory macro.
A method comprising:
- determining a delay current value of a delay current corresponding to a time delay that covers an access condition of a memory cell in a memory macro having a tracking circuit;
- and
- causing a current source to provide the delay current value,
- wherein
- the delay current affects a transition of a signal of a data line of a tracking cell of the tracking circuit;
- and
- the transition of the data line causes a transition of a signal of a control line of the memory cell.
A method comprising:
- determining a tracking current value of a tracking cell of a tracking circuit for use in a memory macro, the tracking cell affecting a signal of a data line;
- determining a first current value corresponding to an access condition of a memory cell of the memory macro;
- determining a second current value corresponding to a first condition of the signal of the data line;
- and
- based on the tracking current value, the first current value, and the second current value, determining a third current value provided to the data line for the signal of the data line to be at a second condition, wherein the signal of the data line at the second condition is delayed compared with the signal of the data line at the first condition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.