IP Library Granted Patent US 9,203,405
Granted Patent B2
US 9,203,405 · App. 14/277,896 · Granted Dec 1, 2015

Low-power internal clock gated cell and method

Inventors: Chi-Lin Liu (New Taipei, TW); Shang-Chih Hsieh (Yangmei, TW); Lee-Chung Lu (Taipei, TW); Meng-Hsueh Wang (Hsinchu, TW); Chang-Yu Wu (Hsinchu, TW)
Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
H03K19/0016H03K3/033H03K19/0013
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,203,405
App. No.
14/277,896
Granted
Dec 1, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

A circuit includes a clock trigger block and a logic circuit. The logic circuit is configured to output a signal to the clock trigger block based on a logic level of an enable signal received at the logic circuit. The clock trigger block is configured to output an output signal response to a clock signal received at the clock trigger block and the signal received from the logic circuit.

Claims (44)

1. A circuit, comprising:

a clock trigger block configured to receive a clock signal; and

a logic circuit configured to output a signal to the clock trigger block based on a logic level of an enable signal received at the logic circuit,

wherein the clock trigger block is configured to output an output signal in response to the clock signal and the signal received from the logic circuit, and

wherein the logic circuit includes a plurality of transistors, and when the circuit is not enabled in response to the logic level of the enable signal, at least one but fewer than one half of the plurality of transistors toggle in response to the clock signal.

2. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the clock trigger block includes a logic gate having a first input configured to receive the clock signal and a second input configured to receive the signal output from the logic circuit.

3. The circuit of claim 2 , wherein the logic block includes one of AND-OR-invert logic and OR-AND-invert logic.

4. The circuit of claim 2 , wherein the logic block includes

a first input coupled to an output of the clock trigger block,

a second input configured to receive the logic level of the enable signal,

a third input configured to receive the clock signal, and

a fourth input coupled to an output of an inverter.

5. The circuit of claim 4 , wherein the inverter has an input coupled to the output of the logic circuit.

6. The circuit of claim 1 , further comprising a phase adapt block coupled to the of the clock trigger block.

7. The circuit of claim 6 , wherein the phase adapt block includes an inverter configured to invert the output signal.

8. The circuit of claim 1 , wherein the logic level of the enable signal received at the logic circuit is received from a logic gate having at least two inputs.

9. A clock gate cell, comprising:

a clock trigger block configured to receive a first oscillating clock signal;

a conditional keeper block configured to output a signal to the clock trigger block based on a logic level of an enable signal and the first oscillating clock signal; and

a phase adapt block coupled to the output of the clock trigger block,

wherein the clock trigger block is configured to output a second oscillating clock signal to the phase adapt block in response to the first oscillating clock signal and the signal received from the logic circuit, and

wherein the conditional keeper block includes a plurality of transistors, and when the clock gate cell is not enabled in response to the logic level of the enable signal, at least one but fewer than one half of the plurality of transistors toggle in response to the first oscillating clock signal.

10. The clock gate cell of claim 9 , wherein

the clock trigger block includes a logic gate having a first input configured to receive the first oscillating clock signal and a second input configured to receive the signal output from the logic circuit, and

the phase adapt block includes an inverter configured to invert the second oscillating clock signal.

11. The clock gate cell of claim 10 , wherein the conditional keeper block includes logic circuitry including

a first input coupled to an output of the logic gate of the clock trigger block,

a second input configured to receive a signal indicative of the logic level of the enable signal,

a third input configured to receive the first oscillating clock signal, and

a fourth input coupled to an output of a second inverter.

12. The clock gate cell of claim 11 , wherein the second inverter has an input coupled to the output of the logic circuitry.

13. The clock gate cell of claim 11 , wherein the logic circuitry of the conditional keeper block is coupled to an output of a second logic gate that receives the enable signal at an input thereof.

14. The clock gate cell of claim 11 , wherein the logic circuitry includes one of AND-OR-invert circuitry and OR-AND-invert circuitry.

15. A method, comprising:

receiving a first clock signal at a clock gate cell; and

disabling the clock gate cell in response to receiving an enable signal having a first logic level,

wherein the clock gate cell includes a plurality of transistors, and

wherein, when the clock gate cell is disabled, at least one but fewer than one half of the plurality of transistors toggle in response to the receiving of the first clock signal.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the clock gate cell includes

a clock trigger block configured to receive the first clock signal; and

a conditional keeper block configured to output a signal to the clock trigger block based on a logic level of an enable signal and the first clock signal.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising enabling the clock gate cell such that the clock gate cell outputs a second clock signal.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the clock gate cell includes

a phase adapt block coupled to the output of the clock trigger block, the phase adapt block configured to receive a third clock signal from the clock trigger block and to output the second clock signal in response.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 15, 2014
From: LIU, CHI-LIN; HSIEH, SHANG-CHIH; LU, LEE-CHUNG; WANG, MENG-HSUEH; WU, CHANG-YU
To: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 032894/0497 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 61913986 · Dec 10, 2013
Related Publication 20150162910A1 · Jun 11, 2015