Keeper circuits having dynamic leakage compensation
US7256621B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 25, 2005 |
| Grant date | Aug 14, 2007 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 22, 2025 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH03K19/0963
- WIPO fieldBasic communication processes
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Disclosed are keeper circuits for electronic circuits that selectively maintain the voltage level of an intermediate circuit node at a desired level. In one exemplary embodiment, a keeper transistor either provides current or drains current from the intermediate node to maintain the desired voltage level in response to a signal to do so. The keeper circuit works against a leakage current that either drains current from the node or supplies current to the node. A current-setting transistor is coupled in series with the keeper transistor to set the maximum current through the keeper circuit to a value that is related to this leakage current, preferably tracking the leakage current. With this construction, the current-setting transistor is able to track variations in the leakage current caused by variations in the manufacturing process, and thereby provide dynamic leakage compensation.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.