Gate Leakage Based Low Power Circuits

Abstract

A low power voltage divider facility using gate leakage characteristics to divide voltage levels of sub-threshold and near-threshold circuits. The divider comprises a gate leakage based divider facility, and, optionally, a capacitive divider facility.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is related to the following:[0002]1. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62 / 066,218, filed 20 Oct. 2014 (“Parent Provisional”);[0003]2. PCT Application No. PCT / US15 / 50239 filed 15 Sep. 2015 (“Related Application 1”);[0004]3. U.S. application Ser. No. 14 / 855,105, filed 15 Sep. 2015 (“Related Application 2”);[0005]4. U.S. application Ser. No. [Docket No. JAM012], filed simultaneously herewith (“Related Application 3”);[0006]5. U.S. application Ser. No. [Docket No. JAM014], file simultaneously herewith (“Related Application 4”); and[0007]6. U.S. application Ser. No. [Docket No. JAM015], filed simultaneously herewith (“Related Application 5”).[0008]This application claims priority to the Parent Provisional, and hereby claims benefit of the filing date thereof pursuant to 37 CFR §1.78(a)(4).[0009]The subject matter of the Parent Provisional and the Related Applications, each in its entirety, is expressly incorporated herein by re...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent describes a voltage divider that uses MOS transistors to divide a voltage. The first embodiment includes a first gate leakage-based divider and a first capacitive facility to adjust the behavior of the first divider. The second embodiment includes a second gate leakage-based divider and a second capacitive facility to adjust the behavior of the second divider. A method is also described that involves using a gate leakage-based divider to develop a divided voltage, followed by using a capacitance-based divider to apply an adjustment function to the divided voltage. Overall, this technology allows for more precise and accurate voltage division for various applications.

Problems solved by technology

Furthermore, it is of no relevance in such systems which specific voltage levels are selected to represent each of the logic states.

However, as is also known, continuous monitoring during low-power MCU operation may consume non-trivial amounts of power, due in part to large power dissipated by voltage dividers that are part of the voltage monitoring circuits.

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