Patent · US Expired

Dynamic threshold source follower voltage driver circuit

US6271713A · kind A · utility

28Cited by
21References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMay 14, 1999
Grant dateAug 7, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 14, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH03K19/01721
  • WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

In some embodiments, the invention includes a die having a driver circuit. The driver circuit includes a driver input node and a driver output node. An nFET pull-up transistor is connected to the driver output node, and wherein the nFET pull-up transistor is at times forward body biased and the forward body bias is substantially greatest when a signal at the driver input node begins to switch high and substantially least when the switching has already essentially occurred. In some embodiments, the driver includes a first inverter to receive an input signal from the driver input node and provide an inverted input signal at a first inverter output node. The driver includes second inverter to receive the inverted input signal from the first inverter output node and provide a driver output signal at the driver output node. The driver includes an nFET pull-up transistor connected between the driver output node and a power supply node, the nFET pull-up transistor having a gate tied to the driver input node. In some embodiments, the nFET pull-up transistor is at times forward body biased. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.