Near-threshold level shifter

Abstract

The invention relates to a near-threshold level shifter. The near-threshold level shifter comprises a low-voltage inverter, a Wilson current mirror, a first inverter circuit, a fifth PMOS transistor,a second inverter circuit and a seventh PMOS transistor. The first input end of the Wilson current mirror is connected with an input level; the output end of the low-voltage inverter is connected withthe second input end of the Wilson current mirror; the drain electrode of the fifth PMOS transistor is connected with the first end of the first inverter circuit; the second end of the first invertercircuit is connected with the output end of the Wilson current mirror; the third end of the first inverter circuit is connected with the input end of a second-stage output phase inverter; the drain electrode of the seventh PMOS transistor and the first end of the second inverter circuit are connected with the third end of the first inverter circuit; and the grid electrode of the seventh PMOS transistor is connected with the second end of the second inverter circuit. According to the invention, the problem of an electric leakage path caused by high-level voltage drop of a traditional Wilson current mirror is eliminated.

Description

technical field [0001] The invention relates to the field of level shifters, in particular to a near-threshold level shifter. Background technique [0002] In applications such as wearable electronics, medical electronics, and wireless sensor nodes, chips often use multi-voltage domain technology for better battery life of the system. Different modules in the chip will be divided into different voltage domains according to performance requirements, and each voltage domain will work under the most suitable power supply voltage according to the critical path and timing requirements. Generally speaking, modules with high performance requirements usually work at high voltage, while modules with low performance requirements work at low voltage, even to a near-subthreshold level. Therefore, inside the chip, it is often necessary to use a large number of level converters to meet the needs of signal interaction between different voltage domains. These level converters, on the one ...

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Problems solved by technology

[0003] In order to meet the signal conversion of ultra-wide voltage range, the current mirror structure is proposed, which can effectively realize the conversion of near-threshold signal to normal voltage signal, but there is a DC path

In response to this defect, the Wilson current mirror structure was proposed. It cut off the DC path by introducing a feedback cut-off PMOS tube, but introduced a new problem, that is, the output voltage of the Wilson current mirror structure cannot reach the ideal high level. As a result, the pull-up PMOS tube of the first-stage output inverter cannot be completely turned off, resulting in a large leakage current

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