• Journal of IKEEE
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.333-339
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• 2023

The global market for wearable devices is growing, driving demand for efficient PMICs. Wearable PMICs must be highly energy-efficient despite limited hardware resources. Advancements in process technology enable low-power consumption, but traditional analog LDO regulators face challenges with reduced power supply voltage. In this paper, a novel ADC design with a 3-bit continuous-time flash ADC for the coarse loop and a 5-bit discrete-time SAR ADC for the fine loop is proposed for digital LDO, achieving a 34.78 dB SNR and 5.39 bits ENOB in a 55-nm CMOS technology.

• The Journal of Korea Institute of Information, Electronics, and Communication Technology
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.168-175
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• 2017

In this paper, a 5V small-area NMOS-diode eFuse OTP memory cell is proposed. This cell which is used in PMICs consists of a 5V NMOS transistor and an eFuse link as a memory part, based on a BCD process. Also, a regulated voltage of V2V ($=2.0V{\pm}10%$) instead of the conventional VDD is used to the pull-up loads of a VREF circuit and a BL S/A circuit to obtain a wider operational voltage range of the eFuse memory cell. When this proposed cells are used in the simulation, their sensing resistances are found to be $15.9k{\Omega}$ and $32.9k{\Omega}$, in the normal read mode and in the program-verify-read mode, respectively. Furthermore, the read current flowing through a non-blown eFuse is restricted to $97.7{\mu}A$. Thus, the eFuse link of a non-blown eFuse OTP memory cell is kept non-blown. The layout area of the designed 1kb eFuse OTP memory IP based on Dongbu HiTek's BCD process is $168.39{\mu}m{\times}479.45{\mu}m(=0.08mm^2)$.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.16 no.7
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• pp.1455-1462
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• 2012

In this paper, a BCD process based high-reliability 24-bit dual-port eFuse OTP Memory for PMICs is designed. We propose a comparison circuit at program-verify-read mode to test that the program datum is correct by using a dynamic pseudo NMOS logic circuit. The comparison result of the program datum with its read datum is outputted to PFb (pass fail bar) pin. Thus, the normal operation of the designed OTP memory can be verified easily by checking the PFb pin. Also we propose a sensing margin test circuit with a variable pull-up load out of consideration for resistance variations of programmed eFuse at program-verify-read mode. We design a 24-bit eFuse OTP memory which uses Magnachip's $0.35{\mu}m$ BCD process, and the layout size is $289.9{\mu}m{\times}163.65{\mu}m$ ($=0.0475mm^2$).

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.15 no.10
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• pp.2209-2216
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• 2011

In this paper, we design a 32-bit eFuse OTP memory for PMICs using MagnaChip's $0.18{\mu}m$ process. We solve a problem of an electrical shortage between an eFuse link and the VSS of a p-substrate in programming by placing an n-well under the eFuse link. Also, we propose a WL driver circuit which activates the RWL (read word-line) or WWL (write word-line) of a dual-port eFuse OTP memory cell selectively when a decoded WERP (WL enable for read or program) signal is inputted to the eFuse OTP memory directly. Furthermore, we reduce the layout area of the control circuit by removing a delay chain in the BL precharging circuit. We'can obtain an yield of 100% at a program voltage of 5.5V on 94 manufactured sample dies when measured with memory tester equipment.

• ETRI Journal
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.1188-1198
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• 2015

In this paper, a multi-time programmable (MTP) cell based on a $0.18{\mu}m$ bipolar-CMOS-DMOS backbone process that can be written into by using dual pumping voltages - VPP (boosted voltage) and VNN (negative voltage) - is used to design MTP memories without high voltage devices. The used MTP cell consists of a control gate (CG) capacitor, a TG_SENSE transistor, and a select transistor. To reduce the MTP cell size, the tunnel gate (TG) oxide and sense transistor are merged into a single TG_SENSE transistor; only two p-wells are used - one for the TG_SENSE and sense transistors and the other for the CG capacitor; moreover, only one deep n-well is used for the 256-bit MTP cell array. In addition, a three-stage voltage level translator, a VNN charge pump, and a VNN precharge circuit are newly proposed to secure the reliability of 5 V devices. Also, a dual memory structure, which is separated into a designer memory area of $1row{\times}64columns$ and a user memory area of $3rows{\times}64columns$, is newly proposed in this paper.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2012.05a
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• pp.722-725
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• 2012

In this paper, we design an 8-bit eSuse OTP (one-time programmable) memory based on a $0.35{\mu}m$ BCD process using differential paired eFuse cells which can sense BL data without a reference voltage and also have smaller sensing resistances of programmed eFuse links. The channel widths of a program transistor of the differential eFuse OTP cell are splitted into $45{\mu}m$ and $120{\mu}m$. Also, we implement a sensing margin test circuit with variable pull-up loads in consideration of variations of the programmed eFuse resistances. It is confirmed by measurement results that the designed 8-bit eFuse OTP memory IP gives a better yield when the channel width is $120{\mu}m$.

• The Journal of Korea Institute of Information, Electronics, and Communication Technology
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.419-427
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• 2016

In this paper, a 64b small-area MTP memory IP is designed. A VPPL (=VPP/3) regulator and a VNN (=VNN/3) charge pump are removed since the inhibit voltages of an MTP memory cell are all 0V instead of the conventional voltages of VPP/3 and VNN/3. Also, a VPP charge pump is removed since the VPP program voltage is supplied from an external pad. Furthermore, a VNN charge pump is designed to provide its voltage of -VPP as a one-stage negative charge pump using the VPP voltage. The layout size of the designed 64b MTP memory IP with MagnaChip's $0.18{\mu}m$ BCD process is $377.585{\mu}m{\times}328.265{\mu}m$ (=0.124mm2). Its DC-DC converter related layout size is 76.4 percent smaller than its conventional counterpart.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.405-413
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• 2013

In this paper, a high-reliability differential paired 24-bit eFuse OTP memory with program-verify-read mode for PMICs is designed. In the proposed program-verify-read mode, the eFuse OTP memory can do a sensing margin test with a variable pull-up load in consideration of programmed eFuse resistance variation and can output a comparison result through a PFb (pass fail bar) pin by comparing a programmed datum with its read one. It is verified by simulation results that the sensing resistance is lower with $4k{\Omega}$ in case of the designed differential paired eFuse OTP memory than $50k{\Omega}$ in case of its dual-port eFuse OTP memory.

• Journal of the Korea Institute of Information and Communication Engineering
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• v.16 no.8
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• pp.1734-1740
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• 2012

In this paper, we propose a FSOURCE circuit which requires such a small switching current that an eFuse OTP memory can be programmed in the post-package state of the PMIC chips using a single power supply. The proposed FSOURCE circuit removes its short-circuit current by using a non-overlapped clock and reduces its maximum current by reducing the turned-on slope of its driving transistor. Also, we propose a DOUT buffer circuit initializing the output data of the eFuse OTP memory with arbitrary data during the power-on reset mode. We design a 24-bit differential paired eFuse OTP memory which uses Magnachip's $0.35{\mu}m$ BCD process, and the layout size is $381.575{\mu}m{\times}354.375{\mu}m$($=0.135mm^2$).

• The Journal of Korea Institute of Information, Electronics, and Communication Technology
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.120-131
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• 2016

In this paper, a 512b MTP memory IP is designed by using MTP memory cells which are written by the FN (Fowler-Nordheim) tunneling method with only MV (medium voltage) devices of 5V which uses the back-gate bias, that is VNN (negative voltage). The used MTP cell consists of a CG (control gate) capacitor, a TG (tunnel gate) transistor, and a select transistor. To reduce the size of the MTP memory cell, just two PWs (P-wells) are used: one for the TG and the select transistors; and the other for the CG capacitor. In addition, just one DNW (deep N-well) is used for the entire 512b memory cell array. VPP and VNN generators supplying pumping voltages of ${\pm}8V$ which are insensitive to PVT variations since VPP and VNN level detectors are designed by a regulated voltage, V1V (=1V), provided by a BGR voltage generator.