Method for reducing overdrive need in MOS switching and logic circuit

A switching or logic circuit comprising one or more stages configured to providing a signal range below supply range in order to optimize amplitude swing in regard of power consumption, wherein each stage comprises one or more transistors configured to perform the switching or logic functions of the circuit, a circuitry configured to driving the transistors transistors configured to perform the switching or logic functions of the circuit, an input port, and an output port and wherein neighboring stages have input and output ports interconnected, comprising:

• positive and negative supply rails;
• one or two generic device networks implemented for each stage of the circuit adapted each to providing a positive and/or a negative reference voltage for each stage of the circuit while the reference voltages allow a signal range of each stage of the circuit below the supply range of the circuit, thus configured to enable different voltage swings of each stage while using a same supply voltage by implementing a varying generic device network scheme for each stage, wherein the supply range is provided by said positive and negative supply rails and wherein the reference voltages are constant and independent of currents flowing through the one or two generic device networks of each stage, wherein each generic network comprises a voltage source configured to establish a voltage drop between the circuit and an associated supply rail;
• a DC biasing network biasing active devices of the circuit comprising biasing voltage sources providing biasing voltages applied to the gates of the transistors configured to perform the switching or logic functions as required and resistors providing impedances for biasing as required, wherein negative terminals of all said biasing voltage sources are directly connected to ground and wherein said biasing voltage sources are set separately of the one or two generic device networks;
• and
• an AC coupling network of capacitive means to couple AC signals of a stage to a neighboring stage;
• wherein the AC coupling network and the DC biasing network allow signal swings lower than threshold voltages of active devices of the circuit.