Latch Circuit Low Voltage Stability Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Latch circuits face stability issues when operating with low input voltages, as they struggle to generate the necessary high output voltage required for memory devices and other applications, leading to unstable operation.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating current control transistors between the output nodes and pull-up/pull-down transistors, which are controlled by the input voltage to adjust current flow and ensure smooth switching, even with low input voltages, and utilizing a triple-well structure for transistors to reduce current leakage and improve high voltage characteristics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the magnitude of the input voltage is reduced, then power consumption is decreased, but the latch circuit cannot operate smoothly and cannot generate the necessary high output voltage
Solution Approach 1:
The latch circuit is divided into two separate voltage domains: a first voltage domain operating at a higher first power supply voltage (VPP) and a second voltage domain operating at a lower second power supply voltage (VNN). This segmentation allows different parts of the circuit to operate at different voltages, enabling the circuit to maintain stable operation in the high voltage domain while consuming less power in the low voltage domain.
Solution Approach 2:
Different transistors within the latch circuit are assigned different operating voltages based on their specific functions. Pull-up transistors operate in the first voltage domain with higher voltage to generate strong output signals, while pull-down transistors operate in the second voltage domain with lower voltage to reduce power consumption. This local differentiation of voltage quality optimizes both performance and energy efficiency.
2Power
If the magnitude of the input voltage is reduced, then power supply voltage is decreased, but the latch circuit cannot generate a high output voltage required for memory devices
Solution Approach 1:
The circuit is segmented into pull-up transistors connected to the first power supply node (VPP) and pull-down transistors connected to the second power supply node (VNN). This segmentation enables the pull-up transistors to generate high output voltages when needed while the overall circuit operates with lower power consumption through the pull-down transistors.
Solution Approach 2:
The latch circuit is designed to operate with a dual voltage supply system, allowing it to perform multiple functions: generating high output voltages for memory device operation through the first power supply, while maintaining low power consumption through the second power supply. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction between power reduction and voltage generation capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A latch circuit including: a first inverter having a first pull-up transistor connected between a first power supply node and a first output node, and a first pull-down transistor connected between a second power supply node and the first output node; a second inverter having a second pull-up transistor connected between the first power supply node and a second output node, and a second pull-down transistor connected between the second power supply node and the second output node; a first current control transistor connected between the first pull-up transistor and the first output node; a second current control transistor connected between the second pull-up transistor and the second output node; a third current control transistor connected between the first pull-down transistor and the first output node; and a fourth current control transistor connected between the second pull-down transistor and the second output node.