U.S. patent number RE32,401 [Application Number 06/238,872] was granted by the patent office on 1987-04-14 for quaternary fet read only memory.
This patent grant is currently assigned to International Business Machines Corporation. Invention is credited to Kenneth E. Beilstein, Jr., Harish N. Kotecha.
United States Patent |
RE32,401 |
Beilstein, Jr. , et
al. |
April 14, 1987 |
Quaternary FET read only memory
Abstract
A quaternary FET read only memory is disclosed wherein each FET
storage element in the array has its threshold adjusted by
ion-implantation to one of four values. Each FET element in the
array has its drain connected to a drain potential V.sub.DD. A
binary input signal from a conventional binary, true/complement
generator will then enable the gate of a selected FET storage cell
and the output potential at the source of that selected storage
cell will be V.sub.DD minus the customized threshold voltage of
that storage cell, which is output at an output node. The signal on
the output node is a quaternary signal which may be amplified by a
quaternary sense amplifier circuit and then converted from
quaternary to binary signal by means of a converter. The quaternary
read only memory is capable of storing twice as much information
per unit area as is a conventional FET binary read only memory. The
concept may be expanded to N levels of information storage, using
FET array devices with N different threshold voltages.
Inventors: |
Beilstein, Jr.; Kenneth E.
(Essex Junction, VT), Kotecha; Harish N. (Essex Junction,
VT) |
Assignee: |
International Business Machines
Corporation (Armonk, NY)
|
Family
ID: |
26932049 |
Appl.
No.: |
06/238,872 |
Filed: |
February 27, 1981 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
Issue Date |
|
Reissue of: |
915338 |
Jun 13, 1978 |
04202044 |
May 6, 1980 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
365/182; 257/391;
365/168; 365/178; 365/184; 365/45 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G11C
11/56 (20130101); H03K 19/09425 (20130101); G11C
17/12 (20130101); G11C 11/5692 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
G11C
11/56 (20060101); G11C 11/34 (20060101); G11C
17/12 (20060101); G11C 17/08 (20060101); H03K
19/094 (20060101); G11C 011/40 () |
Field of
Search: |
;357/23.4,23.5,23.12
;365/184,103,104,178,182,184,45,168,279 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Other References
IBM TDB, Oct. 1974, p. 1356, "Multiple Threshold IGFET Ternary
Circuits by A. H. Dansky, vol. 17, No. 5..
|
Primary Examiner: Fears; Terrell W.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Hoel; John E.
Claims
Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and
desire to secure by Letters Patent is:
1. A multilevel read only memory, comprising: a plurality of
storage FET devices arranged into rows and columns, with each
device having one predefined permanent threshold voltage out of N
possible threshold voltages, N being greater than 2, with each FET
in said row of FET devices having its drain connected to a common
drain voltage and its source connected to a common bit line output
and with each FET in said column of FET devices having its gate
connected to a common word line input;
whereby a binary input signal on one of said word lines generates a
one-out-of N-level signal on each of said bit lines.
2. A multilevel read only memory, comprising:
a plurality of storage FET devices arranged into rows and columns,
with each device having one predefined threshold voltage out of N
possible threshold voltages, with each FET in said row of FET
devices having its drain connected to a common drain voltage and
its source connected to a common bit line output and with each FET
in said column of FET devices having its gate connected to a common
word line input;
a discharge switching FET device connected between said bit line
and ground potential, having an input gate connected to a first
phase clock waveform for dissipating residual electric charge on
said bit line during a first phase;
whereby a binary input signal on one of said word lines generates a
one-out-of N-level signal on each of said bit lines.
3. The multilevel read only memory of claim 2, which further
comprises:
a gating FET transistor connected in series with said bit line on
the opposite side of said discharge FET device from said storage
FET devices, having a gate connected to a second phase clock
waveform following said first phase clock waveform for gating an
output signal on said bit line from said storage FET devices during
said second phase.
4. The multilevel read only memory of claim 1, which further
comprises:
said word line input selectively carrying said second phase clock
waveform for turning on said storage FET devices having gates
connected thereto;
said bit line connected to the source of the selected storage FET
device acquiring a voltage magnitude in response thereto, having a
value of said gate voltage minus said predefined threshold voltage
as said one-out-of N-level signal.
5. The multilevel read only memory of claim 4, which further
comprises:
a one-out-of N-level sense amplifier having an input connected to
said bit line for amplifying the voltage magnitude of said
one-out-of N-level signal.
6. The multilevel read only memory of claim 5, wherein said sense
amplifier further comprises:
a load device connected between said drain potential and an output
node;
first, second, third to (N-1) active FET devices having their
drains connected to said output node, the gates connected in common
to said bit line, and their sources connected to (N-1) different
source potentials;
said first active FET device having a threshold voltage less than
said second active FET device which has a threshold voltage less
than said third active FET device, which has a threshold voltage
less than said (N-1) active FET device;
the source potential for said first active FET device being greater
than the source potential for said second FET device which is
greater than the source potential for said third active FET device,
which is greater than the source potential for said (N-1) active
FET device;
said one-out-of N-level signal input to the gates of said active
FET devices undergoing an N-level inversion and amplification at
said output node.
7. The multilevel read only circuit of claim 6, which further
comprises:
a one-out-of N-level to binary signal converter circuit having an
input connected to said output node of said sense amplifier;
whereby said one-out-of N-level signal amplified by said sense
amplifier may be converted to a binary signal having the same
numerical value as said one-out-of N-level signal.
8. The multilevel read only memory circuit of claim 7, wherein said
N-level signal is a four level signal.
9. The multilevel read only circuit of claim 8, wherein said
storage FET devices having their threshold adjusted during
fabrication by ion-implantation of conductivity enhancing dopant
ions into the channel regions thereof.
10. The multilevel read only memory circuit of claim 9, wherein
said threshold voltages of said active FET devices in said sense
amplifier circuit are adjusted during their fabrication by
ion-implantation of conductivity enhancing dopant ions into their
channel regions. .Iadd.
11. In a read-only memory wherein information storage is provided
by a field-effect transistor, the improvement comprising: the
transistor channel having a conductance value selected from 2.sup.n
possible values (n>1) to provide a predetermined electrical
output which is characteristic of a particular set of n binary
digit values, and means for decoding said electrical output into
said set of n binary digit values..Iaddend. .Iadd.12. The improved
read-only memory of claim 11 wherein the electrical output is
characteristic of one of the possible arrangements of n bits of
information, n being greater than 1..Iaddend. .Iadd.13. In a
read-only memory comprising a plurality of cells wherein
information storage is provided in individual cells by a
field-effect transistor, the improvement wherein a cell represents
one set of a plurality of sets of n bits of information,
n.gtoreq.2, the one set being selected from the 2.sup.n arrangement
of bits taken n at a time, comprising:
the cross-sectional area of the transistor channel being selected
from one of 2.sup.n preselected values to provide an electrical
output corresponding to said one set of n bits;
the 2.sup.n transistor electrical outputs forming an ordered
sequence;
sensing means connected to the plurality of cells and selectively
activated in response to the transistor electrical outputs for
producing an amplified electrical output characteristic of the one
field-effect transistor output of the ordered sequence; and
logic means driven by the sensing means output for generating said
set of n
bits corresponding to the transistor output..Iaddend. .Iadd.14. The
read-only memory of claim 13 wherein the electrical output is
voltage and wherein the sensing means comprises 2.sup.n -1 sense
amplifiers, each having first and second input terminals and an
output terminal; the first input terminal of each sense amplifier
being maintained at one of a series of reference voltages
intermediate the magnitude of the transistor output voltages; and
the output voltage of the transistor being applied to the second
input terminal for activating the sense amplifier to provide an
output voltage when the second input terminal voltage exceeds the
first input terminal voltage..Iaddend. .Iadd.15. A read-only
memory, comprising:
a matrix of memory cells, information storage being provided in
individual cells thereof by a field-effect transistor, and each
cell representing one set of a plurality of sets of n binary digit
values, n.gtoreq.2, said one set of binary digit values being
selected from 2.sup.n arrangements of bits taken n at a time; and
further comprising:
the cross-sectional area of the transistor channel being selected
from one of 2.sup.n preselected values to provide an electrical
output representing said one set of n binary digit values;
the 2.sup.n transistor electrical outputs forming an ordered
sequence;
sensing means comprising 2.sup.n -1 sense amplifiers, each sense
amplifier having first and second input terminals and an output
terminal; the first input terminal of each sense amplifier being
maintained at one of a series of reference voltages related to the
magnitude of the transistor electrical outputs; and the electrical
output of the transistor being applied to the second input terminal
for activating the sense amplifier when the second input terminal
voltage exceeds the first input terminal voltage to provide a sense
amplifier output voltage; and
logic means driven by the collective output of the sense amplifiers
for generating said set of n binary digit values corresponding to
the
transistor output..Iaddend. .Iadd.16. The read-only memory of claim
15, wherein the transistor electrical output is selected from
voltage and
current..Iaddend. .Iadd.17. A read-only memory array having a
plurality of storage locations for storing digital information,
comprising:
at least a first storage location having a first transistor, the
first transistor being capable of conducting a predetermined amount
of current; and a second storage location having a second
transistor, the second transistor being capable of conducting a
greater amount of current than the first transistor to provide at
least one storage location with capability of storing digital
information which is represented by more
than one digital bit..Iaddend. .Iadd.18. The memory array of claim
17 wherein the transistors are field effect transistors each having
a gate electrode region..Iaddend. .Iadd.19. The memory array of
claim 17 wherein the current conducting capability is controlled by
the threshold voltage of the transistors..Iaddend.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention disclosed broadly relates to memory circuits and more
particularly relates to FET memory circuits.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
FET memory technology has been devoted in the prior art to the
storage of binary electric signals, as is disclosed, for example,
in U.S. Pat. No. 3,728,696 to Polkinghorn. In the prior art binary
FET read only memory, a plurality of address input lines and
selection lines form a matrix with regions of a semiconductor
substrate. Binary information is stored at locations between
adjacent semiconductor regions by the presence or absence of field
effect transistors at that location. Alternate semiconductor
regions are selectively connected to a voltage reference and the
remaining regions in between are selectively connected to a common
output point by means of selection field effect transistors in
series with each region. Selection signals applied to the selection
transistors of an adjacent pair of regions connect one region to
the voltage reference and the other region to output to provide a
binary output signal which is a function of the data stored at a
particular addressed storage location.
The direction of evolution for the semiconductor storage device
technology has been to increase the number of storage devices per
unit area on the semiconductor chip. This increases the storage
capacity with respect to the cost of manufacture of the
semiconductor memory.
In the course of the evolution of the semiconductor industry, the
technique of ion-implantation into the channel region of an FET
device has been developed to adjust the threshold voltage for the
FET device so that the gate voltage at which the device will switch
on can be customized in accordance with the application at hand.
Techniques for accomplishing this have been disclosed in U.S. Pat.
No. 3,873,372 to Johnson. In the case of an N-channel FET device,
where the source and drain of N-type conductivity are formed in a
substrate of P-type conductivity, the threshold voltage of the FET
device may be increased by ion-implanting additional P-type
conductivity dopants into the channel region. Alternately, the
threshold voltage of the FET device may be reduced by
ion-implanting N-type conductivity dopants into the channel region.
The degree of change of the threshold voltage during
ion-implantation is in approximate proportion to the dosage of the
ion-implantation dopant in the channel region. This threshold
voltage may be adjusted by controlling the ion-implantation beam
current or the time of exposure to the ion beam, as well as by
other processing factors.
In the prior art, support circuitry for a binary FET read only
memory (ROM) has employed basic FET inverter circuits such as is
described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,406,298 to Axelrod. Other types of
prior art inverter circuits which can be employed in the support
circuitry for the prior art binary read only memories is discussed
in U.S. Pat. No. 4,072,868 by H. N. Kotecha, et al.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the invention to increase the storage
capacity per unit area for a semiconductor storage device.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide an increase in
the storage density without a corresponding increase in the number
of storage devices in a semiconductor memory.
It is still a further object of the invention to provide an
improved read only memory system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention
are accomplished by the quaternary read only memory disclosed
herein.
The quaternary FET read only memory has each FET storage element in
its array formed with a customized threshold voltage having one of
four values. The threshold voltage for the FET devices in the array
is adjusted at the time of manufacture by the ion-implantation
technique. Each FET element in the array has its drain connected to
a drain potential V.sub.DD. A binary input address signal from a
conventional binary true/complement generator then enables the gate
of a selected FET storage cell in the array and the output
potential at the source of that FET storage cell becomes the
V.sub.DD voltage minus the customized threshold voltage for that
cell. This resultant output voltage is a quaternary signal, that
is, it can assume one of four voltage magnitudes. This quaternary
output signal may be amplified by a quaternary sense amplifier
circuit disclosed herein, and then converted from the quaternary
signal to a binary signal by means of a quaternary-to-binary
converter, also disclosed herein. The resultant quaternary FET read
only memory is capable of storing twice as much information per
unit area as is a conventional binary read only memory having the
same number of storage devices per unit area on the semiconductor
chip. The concept may be expanded to N levels of information
storage, using FET array devices with N different threshold
voltages.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention
can be more fully appreciated with reference to the accompanying
figures.
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of the quaternary read only
memory system showing how the quaternary read only memory array is
connected to the sense amplifier and quaternary-to-binary converter
circuits.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a portion of the
quaternary read only memory array 8 showing the binary input on the
word lines and the quaternary output on the bit lines.
FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the prior art enhance deplete
inverter circuit.
FIG. 4 is a diagram of the voltage output characteristic for the
inverter circuit shown in FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the quaternary sense amplifier
circuit 12.
FIG. 6 is a diagram of the voltage output characteristics for the
quaternary sense amplifier 12 in FIG. 5.
FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the sense amplifier circuit 12 of
FIG. 5 showing the current flow for the condition where devices T1
and T2 are on.
FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of the sense amplifier circuit 12 of
FIG. 5 under the circumstance that all three active devices T1, T2
and T3 are gated on, showing the current distribution therein.
FIGS. 9a, 9b, 9c and 9d constitute the quaternary-to-binary
converter 16.
DISCUSSION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The quaternary read only memory system shown in FIG. 1 has binary
address signal input on line 2 to a conventional binary
true/complement generator. The binary output signals from the
true/complement generator 4 are output over the lines 6 labeled
"W1-W4" and will be called the word lines. The word lines 6 enable
the gate electrodes of the FET storage elements Q11-Q44 of FIG.
2.
FIG. 2 is a schematic electric circuit diagram of a portion of the
array 8 of FIG. 1 for the quaternary read only memory. Horizontal
rows of FET read only storage elements are arranged on the memory
chip with their drains connected to a drain potential V.sub.DD and
their sources commonly connected to an output bit line 10. The
plurality of rows of array devices are arranged on the memory chip
so that array devices which are juxtaposed in columns have their
gates commonly connected to a binary input word line 6. Each bit
line 10 has a discharge load device 20 connected between it and
ground potential, with all of the load devices 20 having their
gates commonly connected to a first clock phase signal .phi..sub.1.
Each of the bit lines 10 also has an output gating device 22
connected in series between the corresponding discharge load device
20 and the output node.
For purposes of illustration, the array shown in FIG. 2 is
organized into four words W1-W4, each of which contains four bits.
An array storage device is labeled with the matrix notation
Q.sub.ij where i is the number of the row and j is the number of
the column in the array, as shown in FIG. 2.
During the manufacture of the read only memory array 8 of FIG. 2,
each of the FET storage elements Q.sub.ij in the array is
selectively ion-implanted in its channel region with one of four
doses of conductivity enhancing dopant so as to achieve one of four
predetermined threshold voltages for the ion-implanted device.
Three ion-implantations may be carried out and the inherent
threshold for an unimplanted channel may serve as the fourth
customized threshold voltage. The ion-implantation may be of either
conductivity type so that, for example, where all of the FET
devices in the array 8 are N-channel devices, some of the devices
could be selectively implanted with a P-type dopant to raise the
threshold voltage for the implanted device while other devices
could be implanted with an N-type dopant to reduce the threshold
voltage of the implanted device. This selective ion-implantation of
the array 8 in FIG. 2 may be carried out, for example, by using
three ion-implantation blocking masks composed of conventional
photoresist. The first blocking mask would prevent ion-implantation
in all but a first group of selected array devices to achieve a
first threshold voltage. A second ion-implantation blocking mask
can then block all but a second group of selected FET devices to
achieve a second threshold voltage, and so on until four groups of
FET devices have been fabricated with four different threshold
voltages. The pattern of selection of the threshold voltages for
the FET storage devices in the array 8 of FIG. 2 corresponds with
the information which is to be permanently stored in the read only
memory. The concept may be expanded to N levels of information
storage, using FET array devices with N different threshold
voltages. The threshold voltage can also be adjusted by varying the
gate oxide thickness and, for the largest threshold voltages
desired, may be established by leaving the thick, field insulator
layer over the FET channel region.
In operation the array 8 has a first phase clock signal .phi..sub.1
which turns on the discharge load devices 20 for each of the bit
lines 10, discharging any residual charge on the bit lines 10. The
.phi..sub.1 signal then turns off the discharge load devices 20 and
the .phi..sub.2 clocking signal turns on the FET gating devices 22
in each of the bit lines 10 and enables one of the word lines 6
through the conventional binary true/complement generator,
corresponding to the binary input address 2. The voltage magnitude
of the .phi..sub.2 clocking pulse which is applied over the word
line 6 to the gate of the array device is as least as large as the
voltage V.sub.DD applied to the drain of the array device so that
even those array devices having the highest customized threshold
voltage will be turned on when selected. An array device Q.sub.ij
is turned on by the application of the .phi..sub.2 clocking signal
to the word lines W.sub.j and drives the voltage on the bit line 10
to which it is connected up to a magnitude approximately equal to
the gate voltage V.sub.DD minus the customized threshold voltage of
the selected FET array device. Thus, the magnitude of the output
signal on the bit line 10 will assume one of four values
corresponding to that one of the four possible values of the
customized threshold voltage with which the selected FET array
device Q.sub.ij was manufactured. Thus, it is seen that the storage
capacity of a single device Q.sub.ij in the array 8 of FIG. 2 is
twice that of a conventional binary FET storage device in a
conventional read only memory circuit. As an example, quaternary
logic levels 0, 1, 2, and 3 can correspond to signal voltage levels
of 0 volts, 3 volts, 6 volts and 9 volts, respectively. The drain
potential V.sub.DD is to be 10 volts and ground potential is to be
0 volts. The .phi..sub.1 and .phi..sub.2 clock pulses are to swing
from 0 volts to 10 volts in their transition. Let the left most
column of array devices Q11, Q21, Q31 and Q41 of FIG. 2 be
fabricated with ion-implanted threshold voltages of 1 volt, 4
volts, 7 volts and 10 volts, respectively. Then, when the word
lines W1 carries the .phi..sub.2 clock pulse signal thereon, the
output signal on the corresponding bit line 10 which is the gate
potential V.sub.DD minus the customized threshold voltage for the
array device will be 9 volts for bit line 1, 6 volts for bit line
2, 3 volts for bit line 3 and 0 volts for bit line 4, corresponding
to the quaternary logic levels 3, 2, 1 and 0, respectively. The
array FET devices Q.sub.ij could have been programmed with any
other pattern of threshold voltages than that given in the example
and any other of the word lines W.sub.j could have carried the
.phi..sub.2 clock pulse signal, thereby producing a different
pattern of quaternary signal outputs on the bit lines 10.
The bit lines 10 are each connected to a quaternary sense amplifier
12 of FIG. 1, which is shown in schematic diagram in FIG. 5. To
better understand the principle of the sense amplifier circuit 12
of FIG. 5 the following discussion will consider the N-channel
depletion mode load inverter circuit shown in FIG. 3 and its output
voltage characteristics shown in FIG. 4. When the input voltage
V.sub.IN is 0, the active device QA is off. Since the depletion
mode load device QL has a negative turn on voltage with its gate
and source connected in common, the output voltage magnitude
V.sub.OUT will equal the drain potential for the load device,
V.sub.DD. As V.sub.IN increases, V.sub.OUT is maintained at the
drain potential V.sub.DD until V.sub.IN exceeds the turn on voltage
or threshold voltage V.sub.T of the active device QA. Once this
happens, the active device QA turns on and starts conducting
current through the load device QL, reducing the magnitude of the
output voltage V.sub.OUT to almost 0 volts or ground potential. The
two states are defined by the output V.sub.OUT equals V.sub.DD when
V.sub.IN is less than or equal to V.sub.T and V.sub.OUT being
approximately equal to 0 volts and V.sub.IN is equal to V.sub.DD.
Note the value of the threshold voltage V.sub.T is chosen in
practice to be about one volt so that a stable level is obtained
even when processed tolerances cause about a 30% variation in its
value. Note also that V.sub.OUT is clamped at the value of V.sub.DD
until the magnitude of V.sub.IN exceeds this value of threshold
voltage V.sub.T. At the other extreme, V.sub.OUT is clamped at a
voltage having a magnitude close to 0 volts and is less than the
threshold voltage V.sub.T of the next stage active device in a
cascaded series of such inverters, even when the 30% variation in
V.sub.T and 10% variation in power supply of voltage V.sub.DD are
present.
From the foregoing it should be apparent that the first level is
obtained due to the requirement by the active device QA of a
certain voltage magnitude for V.sub.IN, that is, the threshold
voltage V.sub.T, before the active device QA turns on. Therefore,
the output level V.sub.OUT is effectively clamped at V.sub.DD as
long as the input voltage V.sub.IN is less than the threshold
voltage V.sub.T. On the other hand, the down level clamping of the
voltage magnitude of V.sub.OUT is at about the voltage at which the
source of the active device QA is biased.
These observations may now be applied to the analysis of the
operation of the quaternary sense amplifier shown in FIG. 5.
FIG. 5 illustrates the 4-state sense amplifier circuit 12 of FIG.
1. The three active devices have a common drain and gate terminal.
The threshold voltages of T1, T2 and T3 are V.sub.T1, V.sub.T2 and
V.sub.T3 respectively. In the same order, the sources of each of
the three devices are tied to V.sub.1, V.sub.2, and V.sub.3.
When V.sub.IN rises from 0 volts, V.sub.OUT =V.sub.DD since:
(V.sub.IN -V.sub.1)<V.sub.T1 or T1 is off,
(V.sub.IN -V.sub.2)<V.sub.T2 or T2 is off,
(V.sub.IN -V.sub.3)<V.sub.T3 or T3 is off,
giving a stable state, say "3". As V.sub.IN rises so that:
(V.sub.IN -V.sub.1)>V.sub.T1,
(V.sub.IN -V.sub.2)<V.sub.T2, and
(V.sub.IN -V.sub.3)<V.sub.T3,
device T1 turns on, and V.sub.OUT falls to a value of about V.sub.1
from V.sub.DD, FIG. 6.
At this point, the current flows from the load depletion device to
ground through T1. Further increase in V.sub.IN does not
significantly change the value of V.sub.OUT from V.sub.1 as long as
devices T2 and T3 are off, thus maintaining the second stable
state, state "2". Once (V.sub.IN -V.sub.2)>V.sub.T2 and
(V.sub.IN -V.sub.3)<V.sub.T3, device T2 starts turning on. The
output node V.sub.OUT is now pulled down to V.sub.2. Since V.sub.1
>V.sub.2, T1 is now biased in the opposite direction with roles
of source and drain interchanged. The load device and device T1
then effectively act as load device for T3. The current paths for
this case are illustrated in FIG. 7.
Further increases in V.sub.IN maintains V.sub.OUT at about V.sub.2
or state "1" as long as:
Once V.sub.IN increases such that (V.sub.IN -V.sub.3) exceeds
V.sub.T3, device T3 turns on pulling V.sub.OUT down to V.sub.3 or 0
volts. When this occurs, V.sub.2 >V.sub.OUT and the device T2
conducts in the opposite direction. Alternatively, the load device
T1 and T2 act as load device for T3. The current paths are
indicated in FIG. 8.
V.sub.OUT now falls to V.sub.3 or 0 volts yielding the final state
"0". Note that device T1 has to sink current from only the load
device. Device T2 on the other hand sinks in current from both load
device and T1. T3 sinks in current from all three devices. As a
result the widths for each of the devices taken in order, assuming
same lengths must satisfy.
Referring back to FIG. 6, the values of V.sub.T1, V.sub.T2,
V.sub.T3 and V.sub.1, V.sub.2 and V.sub.3 equal 0 are determined
depending on the worse case process tolerances which give the
desired stable levels.
In the standard four mask metal gate process, with an added
ion-implantation mask if depletion load devices are used, the
variable turn on voltages required for the proposed circuit are
easily obtained by adding necessary ion-implantation masks. The
type, energy and dosage of ion-implant depends on design
constraints. It should be noted that from overlay considerations,
ion-implant mask is noncritical since it normally is designed
conservatively.
The output signal V.sub.OUT on line 14 from the sense amplifier 12
is applied to the quaternary-to-binary converter 16, a detailed
electrical circuit schematic diagram of which is shown in FIGS.
9a-9d. The quaternary-to-binary converter 16 converts the
quaternary signal input on line 14 into a first binary signal
output on line 18 and a second binary signal output on line 18'
having the same numerical value as the numerical value of the input
quaternary signal on line 14.
In FIG. 5, as an example, let the logical states of 0, 1, 2 and 3
be represented by voltage levels of V.sub.3, V.sub.2, V.sub.1 and
V.sub.DD respectively such that V.sub.3 is the ground potential and
V.sub.DD equals 9 volts is the power supply of the drain of the
load devices. Further, to demonstrate the concept, FIG. 5 is a
quaternary inverter with load device TL and active devices T1, T2
and T3 have their sources tied to voltages V.sub.1 equals 6 volts,
V.sub.2 equals 3 volts and V.sub.3 equals 0 volts, respectively.
The threshold voltages of these devices taken in order are
V.sub.T1, V.sub.T2, and V.sub.T3, having a numerical value of
V.sub.T1 equals -4.5 volts, V.sub.T2 equals 1.0 volts and V.sub.T3
equals 6.5 volts.
Assume that the quaternary bit Q for the inverter of FIG. 5 is to
be converted to two equivalent binary bits A and B with binary
logical representation of either 0 or 1 and corresponding voltage
levels of V.sub.3 V.sub.DD.
The table shows the truth table with all possible logical values of
Q and the representative logical values of binary bits A and B.
______________________________________ TRUTH TABLE FOR LOGICAL
VALUES OF BINARY BITS A AND B Q A B S.sub.0 S.sub.1 S.sub.2
______________________________________ 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 2 1
0 0 1 1 3 1 1 1 1 1 ______________________________________
Three binary variables S.sub.0, S.sub.1 and S.sub.2 are generated
such that:
A=S.sub.1
B=S.sub.2 .multidot.(S.sub.0 S.sub.1 +S.sub.0 S.sub.1)
The logical values of these variables are indicated in the truth
table above. To generate these variables properties of devices with
threshold voltages corresponding to T1, T2 and T3 of FIG. 5 are
used.
Variable S.sub.0 is required to have a logical value of 1 (or
voltage level V.sub.DD) only when the quaternary bit Q is at
logical value 3 or voltage level V.sub.DD, and is produced by the
circuit of FIG. 9a. Since device T3' has a threshold voltage of
V.sub.T3 equals 6.5 volts, it is always in off condition for
logical values of Q of 0, 1 or 2. As a result, the output of
inverter I.sub.1 ', S.sub.0 is at logical level 1 while that of
I.sub.2 ', S.sub.0 is at logical level 0 for these values of Q.
However, when Q equals the value 4 (or at voltage level V.sub.DD),
T3' turns on so that S.sub.0 equals 0 and correspondingly S.sub.0
equals 1. Thus, variable S.sub.0 is generated.
Variable S.sub.1 or A is required to have a value of zero when Q
equals either 0 or 1. This is achieved by using devices T2" and
T3". FIG. 9b illustrates the circuit which achieves this. When Q
equals 0 or 1 the input voltage to inverter I.sub.1 " is either
V.sub.3 which equals 0 volts or V.sub.2 which equals 3 volts. As a
result, the output of I.sub.1 " which is input to I.sub.2 " is
V.sub.DD or greater than 6.5 volts, respectively. The latter is
obtained by choosing a suitable aspect ratio for inverter I.sub.1
". Correspondingly S.sub.1 of inverter I.sub.2 " is at ground and 0
for these values of Q. Inverter I.sub.3 " simply complements the
output of inverter I.sub.2 " yielding S.sub.1 or A at logical level
1. When Q equals 2 or 3, however, the output of inverter I.sub.1 "
is insufficient to turn T3" on such that S.sub.1 equals 1 and
S.sub.1 equals 0. In this manner the above circuit of FIG. 9b
yields variable S.sub.1 or the value of A for output 18.
Variable S.sub.2 is required to be at logical state 0 for the value
of Q equals 0 but at logical state 1 for all other values of Q.
This can be simply achieved by using the circuit of FIG. 9c. Since
the turn on voltage of T2'" or V.sub.T2 equals 1 volt, T2'" of
inverter I.sub.1 '" is off when Q equals 0 and on when Q equals 1,
2, or 3. This results in the required output of I.sub.1 '", i.e.
S.sub.2 and also that of inverter I.sub.2 '" which simply
complements S.sub.2 to S.sub.2.
Now that the three variables S.sub.0, S.sub.1 and S.sub.2 are
available the required binary bit A is equal to S.sub.1 while for
the binary bit B, the switching expression, as mentioned before,
is:
The circuit implementation of B is well-known and for the sake of
completeness an example is shown in FIG. 9d. FET devices 32, 34 and
36 are connected as a NOR with load device 30, yielding the output
38. FET devices 44, 46 and 48 are connected as a NOR with load
device 42, yielding the output 50. FET devices 40 and 52 with
inputs 38 and 50 respectively, are connected as a NOR with load
device 54, producing an output inverted by FET devices 56 and 58,
yielding the desired binary bit B at 18'. If binary logical outputs
A and B have a voltage level not compatible with subsequent FET
circuitry, the level may be adjusted with additional inverters.
The resulting quaternary read only memory system is capable of
storing twice as much information per unit area as is a
conventional binary read only memory. In addition, if the
quaternary read only memory array 8 is contained on a semiconductor
chip which is independent of the sense amplifier circuits 12, a
reduction in the number of I/O pads on the semiconductor chip is
achieved, resulting in a reduction in packaging and wiring
costs.
* * * * *