Work Files Saved Searches
   My Account                                                  Search:   Quick/Number   Boolean   Advanced   Derwent    Help   


 The Delphion Integrated View

  Buy Now:   Buy PDF- 11pp  PDF  |   File History  |   Other choices   
  Tools:  Citation Link  |  Add to Work File:    
  View:  Expand Details   |  INPADOC   |  Jump to: 
  Go to:  Derwent  
 Email this to a friend  Email this to a friend 
       
Title: US7132835: PLL with built-in filter-capacitor leakage-tester with current pump and comparator
[ Derwent Title ]


Country: US United States of America

View Images High
Resolution

 Low
 Resolution

 
11 pages

 
Inventor: Arcus, Christopher G.; San Jose, CA, United States of America

Assignee: Pericom Semiconductor Corp., San Jose, CA, United States of America
other patents from PERICOM SEMICONDUCTOR CORP. (713978) (approx. 58)
 News, Profiles, Stocks and More about this company

Published / Filed: 2006-11-07 / 2003-02-07

Application Number: US2003000248683

IPC Code: Advanced: G01R 31/08; G01R 31/14;
Core: G01R 31/12; more...

ECLA Code: G01R31/317U; G01R31/30C; G11C29/02; H03L7/093;

U.S. Class: 324/523; 324/548; 324/509;

Field of Search: 324/523,659,678,76.53

Priority Number:
2003-02-07  US2003000248683

Abstract:     A filter capacitor within a phase-locked loop (PLL) can be tested using a built-in test circuit. The PLL's charge pump is deactivated while a test-current source is activated to supply a test current to the PLL filter capacitor. When the test current is larger than any leakage currents through the capacitor, the capacitor's voltage rises above a reference voltage. A test comparator compares the capacitor's voltage to the reference voltage and signals a good test result when the capacitor's voltage rises above the reference voltage. When leakage current is larger than the test current, the capacitor's voltage cannot rise above the reference voltage and the test comparator signal a leakage failure. The test current source can share a bias voltage with the charge pump and can drive the capacitor to a voltage higher than the charge pump does to increase leakage and stress during testing.

Attorney, Agent or Firm: g Patent L.L.C. ; Auvinen, Stuart T. ;

Primary / Asst. Examiners: Deb, Anjan;

INPADOC Legal Status: Show legal status actions

Family: None

First Claim:
Show all 13 claims
    1. A testable phase-locked loop (PLL) comprising:

a reference-clock input for receiving a reference clock from an external clock source;

a feedback clock;

a phase detector that receives the reference clock and the feedback clock;

a filter capacitor on a filter node;

a charge pump, responsive to a phase difference detected by the phase detector, for charging and discharging the filter capacitor on the filter node;

wherein the charge pump comprises:

a first source transistor having a gate receiving a mode signal that indicates when the PLL is operating;

a first bias transistor having a gate receiving a bias voltage;

wherein the first source transistor and the first bias transistor are in series between a power supply and the filter node;

a second source transistor having a gate receiving a mode signal that indicates when the PLL is operating;

a second bias transistor having a gate receiving a second bias voltage;

wherein the second source transistor and the second bias transistor are in series between a ground and the filter node;

a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) having the filter node as an input and outputting a clock having a frequency that depends on a filter voltage of the filter node;

wherein the feedback clock is output by the VCO or is derived from the clock output by the VCO;

a test current generator, activated during a leakage test mode, for driving a test current onto the filter node; and

a test comparator, receiving a reference voltage and coupled to the filter node, for comparing the filter voltage to the reference voltage to determine when the test current is able to charge the filter capacitor and to determine when the test current is unable to charge the filter capacitor beyond the reference voltage;

wherein the test comparator outputs a result signal that indicates a leaky filter capacitor when the filter voltage cannot reach the reference voltage,

whereby the filter capacitor within the testable PLL is tested for leakage by the test current generator and the test comparator.



Background / Summary: Show background / summary

Drawing Descriptions: Show drawing descriptions

Description: Show description

Forward References: Show 2 U.S. patent(s) that reference this one

       
U.S. References: Go to Result Set: All U.S. references   |  Forward references (2)   |   Backward references (22)   |   Citation Link

Buy
PDF
Patent  Pub.Date  Inventor Assignee   Title
Buy PDF- 5pp US4267503  1981-05 Westra   Method and instrument for testing the operating characteristics of a capacitor
Buy PDF- 8pp US4562411  1985-12 O'Rourke  RCA Corporation Prepositioning circuit for phase lock loop
Buy PDF- 4pp US4697151  1987-09 Butler  Analog Devices, Inc. Method and apparatus for testing operational amplifier leakage current
Buy PDF- 8pp US5381085  1995-01 Fischer  Motorola, Inc. Phase lock loop with self test circuitry and method for using the same
Buy PDF- 23pp US5382923  1995-01 Shimada et al.  Shinko Electric Industries Co., Ltd. Charge-pump circuit for use in phase locked loop
Buy PDF- 15pp US5469393  1995-11 Thomann  Micron Semiconductor, Inc. Circuit and method for decreasing the cell margin during a test mode
Buy PDF- 8pp US5561635  1996-10 Tada et al.  Rohm Co., Ltd. PROM IC enabling a stricter memory cell margin test
Buy PDF- 13pp US5677634  1997-10 Cooke et al.  Electro Scientific Industries, Inc. Apparatus for stress testing capacitive components
Buy PDF- 13pp US5748640  1996-10 Tada  Advanced Micro Devices Technique for incorporating a built-in self-test (BIST) of a DRAM block with existing functional test vectors for a microprocessor
Buy PDF- 9pp US5973571  1999-10 Suzuki  NEC Corporation Semiconductor integrated circuit having a phase locked loop
Buy PDF- 16pp US5982687  1999-11 Beigel  Micron Technology, Inc. Method of detecting leakage within a memory cell capacitor
Buy PDF- 8pp US5999467  1999-12 Bissey  Micron Technology, Inc. Method and apparatus for stress testing a semiconductor memory
Buy PDF- 7pp US6011403  2000-01 Gillette  Credence Systems Corporation Circuit arrangement for measuring leakage current utilizing a differential integrating capacitor
Buy PDF- 7pp US6014034  2000-01 Arora et al.  Texas Instruments Incorporated Method for testing semiconductor thin gate oxide
Buy PDF- 10pp US6262634  2001-07 Flanagan et al.  LSI Logic Corporation Phase-locked loop with built-in self-test of phase margin and loop gain
Buy PDF- 8pp US6268813  2001-07 de Wit  Texas Instruments Incorporated Self-test for charge redistribution analog-to-digital converter
Buy PDF- 10pp US6339228  2002-01 Iyer et al.  International Business Machines Corporation DRAM cell buried strap leakage measurement structure and method
Buy PDF- 25pp US6396889  2002-05 Sunter et al.  LogicVision, Inc. Method and circuit for built in self test of phase locked loops
Buy PDF- 10pp US6420880  2002-07 Miller  Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. Method and arrangement for dielectric integrity testing using PLL loop capacitor
Buy PDF- 10pp US6597219  2003-07 Trivedi et al.  Sun Microsystems, Inc. Delay locked loop design with switch for loop filter capacitance leakage current control
Buy PDF- 8pp US20050280406A1  2005-12 Boerstler et al.   PLL filter leakage sensor
Buy PDF- 30pp US20060141963A1  2006-06 Maxim et al.   Method and apparatus to reduce the jitter in wideband PLL frequency synthesizers using noise attenuation
       
Foreign References: None

Inquire Regarding Licensing

Powered by Verity


Plaques from Patent Awards      Gallery of Obscure PatentsNominate this for the Gallery...

Thomson Reuters Copyright © 1997-2010 Thomson Reuters 
Subscriptions  |  Web Seminars  |  Privacy  |  Terms & Conditions  |  Site Map  |  Contact Us  |  Help