Dynamic pattern generator and method of toggling mirror cells of the dynamic pattern generator
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsShao-Yu Li, Tsung-Hsin Yu
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Abstract
The present disclosure provides a method for operating a dynamic pattern generator (DPG) having a mirror array. The method comprises receiving a clock signal, determining a time delay based on the period of the clock signal, determining a first clock signal for toggling a first group of mirror cells in the mirror array, determining a second clock signal, lagging behind the first clock signal by the time delay, for toggling a second group of mirror cells in the mirror array, toggling the first group of mirror cells in the mirror array in response to the first clock signal, and toggling the second group of the mirror cells in the mirror array in response to the second clock signal.
Claims20
A method for operating a dynamic pattern generator (DPG) having a mirror array, the method comprising:
- receiving a clock signal;
- determining a time delay based on the period of the clock signal;
- determining a first clock signal for toggling a first group of mirror cells in the mirror array;
- determining a second clock signal, lagging behind the first clock signal by the time delay, for toggling a second group of mirror cells in the mirror array;
- toggling the first group of mirror cells in the mirror array in response to the first clock signal;
- and
- toggling the second group of the mirror cells in the mirror array in response to the second clock signal.
A method for operating a dynamic pattern generator (DPG) having a mirror array, the method comprising:
- receiving a clock signal;
- determining the number of groups of mirror cells for toggling;
- providing a reference clock signal based on the clock signal, the frequency of the reference clock signal being a multiple of the frequency of the clock signal;
- determining a time delay based on the period of the reference clock signal;
- and
- toggling one group of mirror cells after another at regular intervals of the time delay.
A dynamic pattern generator (DPG), comprising:
- an array of mirror cells;
- a calculation unit configured to determine the number of groups of mirror cells to be toggled in a toggling operation;
- and
- a clock generation unit configured to provide toggling clock signals to the groups of mirror cells at different time points for toggling the groups of mirror cells one at a time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.