IP Library Granted Patent US 10,429,922
Granted Patent B2
US 10,429,922 · App. 15/911,894 · Granted Oct 1, 2019

Power domain having an implementation of an on-chip voltage regulator device

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,429,922
App. No.
15/911,894
Granted
Oct 1, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

Implementations of on-chip electrical regulation devices may include: a positive power domain electrically coupled with a negative power domain through a power mesh including two or more loads. The positive power domain, negative power domain, or both the positive power domain and negative power domain may each include a power domain rail. The power domain rail may include a resistance distributed along a length of the power domain rail. The distributed resistance may be electrically coupled with one or more transistors also distributed along the power domain rail. Each of the one or more transistors, in combination with the distributed resistance, may be configured to dissipate electrical power along the length of the power domain rail to reduce a voltage across the positive power domain, negative power domain, or both the positive power domain and the negative power domain to a desired operating voltage at the power mesh.

Claims (21)

1. An on-chip electrical regulation system comprising:

a positive power domain electrically coupled with a negative power domain through a power mesh comprising two or more loads;

wherein the positive power domain, the negative power domain, or both the positive power domain and the negative power domain comprise a power domain rail comprising a plurality of resistors distributed along a length of the power domain rail, the distributed plurality of resistors electrically coupled directly with a plurality of transistors also distributed along the length of the power domain rail;

wherein each of the plurality of transistors, in combination with the distributed plurality of resistors, are configured to dissipate an electrical power along the length of the power domain rail to reduce a voltage across the positive power domain, the negative power domain, or both the positive power domain and the negative power domain to a desired operating voltage at the power mesh;

wherein the power mesh comprises a plurality of interdigitated metal tracks electrically coupled with the two or more loads; and

wherein the plurality of transistors are comprised on the plurality of interdigitated metal tracks.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein one of the positive power domain, the negative power domain, and both the positive power domain and the negative power domain comprise a single trace.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of transistors are connected in a source follower configuration and an emitter follower configuration.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the two or more loads are transistors, digital gates, analog circuits, or any combination thereof.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein a gate voltage or a base voltage of each of the plurality of transistors is used in reducing a voltage received by each of the plurality of transistors from the power domain rail to the desired operating voltage.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of transistors, in combination with the plurality of resistors, is configured to generate, using open loop control, a substantially constant voltage drop across each of the two or more loads of the power mesh across the length of the power domain rail.

7. An on-chip electrical regulation system comprising:

a positive power domain electrically coupled with a negative power domain through a power mesh comprising two or more loads;

wherein the positive power domain, the negative power domain, or both the positive power domain and the negative power domain comprise a power domain rail comprising a plurality of resistors distributed along a length of the power domain rail, the distributed plurality of resistors electrically coupled directly with a plurality of transistors also distributed along the length of the power domain rail;

wherein each of the plurality of transistors, in combination with the distributed plurality of resistors, are configured to generate using open loop control a substantially constant voltage drop across the two or more loads of the power mesh across the length of the power domain rail;

wherein the power mesh comprises a plurality of interdigitated metal tracks electrically coupled with the two or more loads; and

wherein the plurality of transistors are comprised on the plurality of interdigitated metal tracks.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of transistors are connected in a source follower configuration or an emitter follower configuration.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the positive power domain, the negative power domain, or both the positive power domain and the negative power domain comprise a single trace.

10. The system of claim 7 , wherein a gate voltage or a base voltage of each of the plurality of transistors is used in reducing a voltage received by each transistor from the power domain rail to the desired operating voltage.

11. The system of claim 7 , wherein the two or more loads are transistors, digital gates, analog circuits, or any combination thereof.

Assignments (3)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS RECORDED AT REEL 047734, FRAME 0068 Recorded Jun 23, 2023
From: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC; FAIRCHILD SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 064160/0027 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 6, 2018
From: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
To: DEUTSCHE BANK AG NEW YORK BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 047734/0068 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 5, 2018
From: BINARD, CHRISTIAN
To: SEMICONDUCTOR COMPONENTS INDUSTRIES, LLC
Reel/Frame 045108/0083 →