Abstract:
A nonvolatile multiplexer circuit comprising an electric circuitry for selecting an output signal from a plurality of input signals based on select signals, the electric circuitry comprises at least one input terminal, at least one select terminal, and at least one output terminal; a high voltage source and low voltage source electrically coupled to a first and second source terminal, respectively of the electrical circuitry; at least one nonvolatile memory element comprising two stable logic states and electrically coupled to the output terminal at its first end and to an intermediate voltage source at its second end, wherein a logic state of the nonvolatile memory element is controlled by a bidirectional electrical current running through the memory element, and wherein an electrical potential of the intermediate voltage source is lower than that of the high voltage source but higher than that of the low voltage source.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of provisional patent application No. 61/494,936 filed on Jun. 9, 2011 by the present inventors. 
     
    
     FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH 
       [0002]    Not Applicable 
       SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM 
       [0003]    Not Applicable 
       RELEVANT PRIOR ART 
       [0000]    
       
         U.S. Pat. No. 7,768,315, Aug. 3, 20120—Cheng at al. 
         U.S. Pat. No. 6,194,950, Feb. 27, 2001—Kibar et al. 
         U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US 2012/0105105, May 3, 2012—Shukh 
         Weste N. H. E., Harris D. M., CMOS VLSI Design: A Circuits and Systems Perspective, Fourth Edition, Addison—Wesley, 2011. 
       
     
       BACKGROUND 
       [0008]    A multiplexer is a semiconductor logic device that selects between two or more input signals to be transferred to an output. The conventional multiplexer has at least two inputs, at least one output and at least one control (or selection) terminal. Each of the inputs is associated with a separate and distinct path through the multiplexer. The multiplexer chooses the output from among several inputs based on a select signal. 
         [0009]      FIG. 1  shows a block-level circuit diagram of the conventional non-inverting 2:1 multiplexer  10  having two inputs D 0  and D 1 , one output Y, and selection S (a complementary S* not shown) terminals. A logic circuit  11  of the multiplexer  10  can have a different design implementation such as transmission gates, tristate inverters, and others. One source terminal of the multiplexer circuit  11  is connected to a high voltage source V DD . Another source terminal of the circuit  11  is electrically coupled to a low voltage source V SS  or to the grounding source terminal GRD, where V DD &gt;V SS  (or GRD). 
         [0010]    The multiplexer  10  chooses D 0  signal when the select signal S=0 and the signal D 1 , when the select signal S=1. Hence, a logic function of the multiplexer  10  is: 
         [0000]        Y=S*·D 0 +S·D 1,  (1)
 
         [0000]    where S* is a negation (or a complement) of S. 
         [0011]    A truth table of the non-inverting 2-input multiplexer  10  is given in the Table 1. 
         [0012]    The conventional multiplexers are mostly built using a complimentary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology employing p-type and n-type of metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs) to perform logic functions. The CMOS-based multiplexers have a leakage power that tends to increase with a reduction of their dimensions. The conventional multiplexers are volatile. They can lose their logic states when the power is off. 
         [0000]    
       
         
               
             
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 1 
               
             
             
               
                   
               
               
                 Truth table of the 2:1 multiplexer 
               
             
          
           
               
                   
                 S/S* 
                 D1 
                 D0 
                 Y 
               
               
                   
                   
               
               
                   
                 0/1 
                 X 
                 0 
                 0 
               
               
                   
                 0/1 
                 X 
                 1 
                 1 
               
               
                   
                 1/0 
                 0 
                 X 
                 0 
               
               
                   
                 1/0 
                 1 
                 X 
                 1 
               
               
                   
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
         [0013]    A CMOS inverter is one of key elements of the multiplexers.  FIG. 2  shows a nonvolatile CMOS inverter  20  according to a prior art. The inverter  20  includes a p-type MOS (pMOS) transistor  2 P 1 , an n-type MOS (nMOS) transistor  2 N 1 , and a nonvolatile magnetoresitive (MR) memory element (or magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ))  2 J 1 . Gates of the pMOS transistor  2 P 1  and the nMOS transistor  2 N 1  are connected in common to serve as an input terminal IN. Drains of the transistors  2 P 1  and  2 N 1  also connected in common serve as an output terminal OUT. Sources of the pMOS transistor  2 P 1  and the nMOS transistor  2 N 1  are connected to voltage sources V DD  and V SS , respectively. The nonvolatile memory element  2 J 1  is connected to the output terminal OUT of the inverter  20  at its first end and to a memory (or intermediate) voltage source V M  at its second end, where V DD &gt;V M &gt;V SS . The source terminal of the nMOS transistor  2 N 1  can be connected to a grounding source GRD (V DD &gt;V M &gt;GRD). Moreover, the MTJ element  2 J 1  can also be connected to the grounding source GRD when the source terminal of to nMOS transistor  2 N 1  is electrically coupled to the low voltage source V SS . In this case the following correlation between electric potentials of the voltage sources can be observed: V DD &gt;GRD&gt;V SS . 
         [0014]    The MR element  2 J 1  can comprise at least a free (or storage) layer  22  with a reversible magnetization direction (shown by a dashed arrow), a pinned (or reference) layer  24  with a fixed magnetization direction (shown by a solid arrow), and a nonmagnetic insulating tunnel barrier layer  26  sandwiched in-between. Resistance of the memory element  2 J 1  depends on a mutual orientation of the magnetization directions in the free  22  and pinned  24  layers. The resistance has a highest value when the magnetization directions are antiparallel to each other, and the lowest value when they are parallel. Hence the magnetization direction of the free layer  22  can have two stable logic states. It can be controlled by a direction of a spin-polarized current I S  running through the element  2 J 1  in a direction perpendicular to layers surface (or plane). The direction of the current I S  and hence the magnetization direction of the free layer  22  depends on the polarity of the input signal at the gates of the transistors  2 P 1  and  2 N 1 . 
         [0015]    When an input signal IN=1 (logic “1”) is applied to the common gate terminal of the transistors  2 P 1  and  2 N 1 , the pMOS transistor  2 P 1  is “Off” but the nMOS transistor  2 N 1  is “On”. The spin-polarized current I S  is running in the direction from the memory source V M  to the low voltage source V SS . The current I S  of this direction can force the magnetization direction of the free layer  22  in parallel to the magnetization direction of the pinned layer  24 , which corresponds to a logic “0”. When the input signal is changed to IN=0 (a logic “0”), the pMOS transistor  2 P 1  turns “On” but the nMOS transistor  2 N 1  is “Off”. The spin-polarizing current I S  is running in the opposite direction from the high voltage source V DD  to the memory source V M . As a result, the magnetization direction of the free layer  22  can be forced in antiparallel to the magnetization direction of the pinned layer  24 . This mutual orientation of the magnetizations corresponds to a high resistance state or to logic “1”. Hence, the logic value of the memory element  2 J 1  corresponds to a logic value at the output terminal of the conventional volatile CMOS inverter. The memory element  2 J 1  can provide a nonvolatile storage of the logic state of the inverter  20 . The data may not be lost when the power is off. 
         [0016]    The conventional multiplexers are volatile. They can lose their data when the power is off. This obstacle leads to a significant reboot time of logic devices using the volatile multiplexers, an increased chip size due to necessity to use an embedded block of a nonvolatile memory, longer interconnects, etc. Accordingly, it is desirable to have a nonvolatile multiplexer design. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0017]    Disclosed herein is a nonvolatile multiplexer circuit comprising an electric circuitry for selecting an output signal from a plurality of input signals based on select signals, the electric circuitry comprises at least one input terminal, at least one select terminal, and at least one output terminal; and at least one nonvolatile memory element comprising two stable logic states and eclectically coupled to the output terminal at its first end and to an intermediate voltage source at its second end, wherein a logic state of the nonvolatile memory element is controlled by a bidirectional current running through the memory element between the first and second ends. 
         [0018]    Also disclosed is a nonvolatile multiplexer circuit comprising: an electric circuitry for selecting an output signal from a plurality of input signals based on select signals, the electric circuitry comprises a plurality of data input terminals, a plurality of select terminals, and at least one output terminal; a high voltage source electrically coupled to a first source terminal of the electrical circuitry; a low voltage source electrically coupled to a second source terminal of the electrical circuitry; at least one nonvolatile memory element comprising two stable logic states and electrically coupled to the output terminal at its first end and to an intermediate voltage source at its second end, wherein a logic state of the nonvolatile memory element is controlled by a bidirectional electrical current running through the memory element between its first and second ends, and wherein an electrical potential of the intermediate voltage source is lower than that of the high voltage source but higher than that of the low voltage source. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0019]      FIG. 1  is a block-level circuit diagram of a conventional non-inverting 2:1 multiplexer according to a prior art. 
           [0020]      FIG. 2  is a transistor-level circuit diagram of a nonvolatile CMOS inverter according to a prior art. 
           [0021]      FIG. 3  is a transistor-level circuit diagram of a nonvolatile inverting compound gate 2:1 multiplexer according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. 
           [0022]      FIG. 4  is a transistor-level circuit diagram of a nonvolatile inverting multiplexer according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. 
           [0023]      FIG. 5  is a transistor-level circuit diagram of a nonvolatile non-inverting transmission gate multiplexer according a third embodiment of the present disclosure. 
           [0024]      FIG. 6  is a gate-level circuit diagram of a nonvolatile multiplexer according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure. 
           [0025]      FIG. 7  is a block-level circuit diagram of a nonvolatile non-inverting multiplexer according to the present disclosure. 
           [0026]      FIG. 8  is a block-level circuit diagram of a nonvolatile inverting multiplexer according to the present disclosure. 
           [0027]      FIG. 9  is a block-level circuit diagram of a nonvolatile 4:1 multiplexer constructed according to a technical idea of the present disclosure. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0028]    Embodiments of the present disclosure will be explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that in the following explanation the same reference numerals denote constituent elements having almost the same functions and arrangements, and a repetitive explanation will be made only when necessary. 
         [0029]    Note also that each embodiment to be presented below merely discloses a device for embodying the technical idea of the present disclosure. A numerical order of the embodiments can be any. Therefore, the technical idea of the present disclosure does not limit the materials, shapes, structures, arrangements, and the like of constituent parts to those described below. The technical idea of the present disclosure can be variously changed within the scope of the appended claims. 
         [0030]    Refining now to the drawings,  FIG. 2  illustrates a prior art. Specifically, the figure shows a magnetoresistive (MR) element (or magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ)) having a multilayer structure with ferromagnetic free and pinned layers having a perpendicular anisotropy. The MR element  2 J 1  shown in  FIG. 2  for illustrative purpose comprises only the free  22  and pinned  24  ferromagnetic layers separated by a tunnel barrier layer  26 . Note that additional layers can also be included in the structure of the MR element  2 J 1 . The ferromagnetic layers  22  and  24  may also have an in-plane direction of the magnetization without departing from a scope of the present disclosure. The direction of the magnetization in the magnetic layers  22  and  24  are shown by dashed and solid arrows, respectively. The MR element  2 J 1  can store binary data by using steady logic states determined by a mutual orientation of the magnetizations in the free  22  and pinned  24  ferromagnetic layers separated by a tunnel barrier layer  26 . The logic state “0” or “1” of the MR element  2 J 1  can be changed by a spin-polarized current I S  running through the element in the direction perpendicular to layers surface (or substrate). 
         [0031]    The MR element herein mentioned in this specification and in the scope of claims is a general term of a tunneling magnetoresistance element using a nonmagnetic insulator or semiconductor as the tunnel barrier layer. 
         [0032]      FIG. 3  shows a transistor-level circuit diagram of a nonvolatile 2-input multiplexer  30  according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. The multiplexer  30  represents a compound gate restoring inverting design with two inputs D 0  and D 1 , an output Y, and a select signal S. The multiplexer  30  comprises two tristate inverters  32  and  33 , and a nonvolatile MR memory element  3 J 1 . The tristate inverter  32  comprises two pMOS transistors  3 P 1  and  3 P 2 , and two nMOS transistors  3 N 1  and  3 N 2  connected in series. Respectively, the tristate inverter  33  comprises connected in series pMOS transistors  3 P 3  and  3 P 4 , and nMOS transistors  3 N 3  and  3 N 4 . Gates of the transistors  3 P 1  and  3 N 2  are connected in common to serve as an input terminal for the signal D 0 . Accordingly gates of the transistors  3 P 4  and  3 N 4  connected in common form an input terminal for the signal D 1 . The selection signal S and its negation (or its complement) S* is applied to the gates of the transistors  3 P 2  and  3 N 3 , and transistors  3 N 1  and  3 P 3 , respectively. The output terminal Y is composed by drains of the transistors  3 P 2 ,  3 N 1 ,  3 P 4  and  3 N 3  connected in common. Source terminals of the pMOS transistors  3 P 1  and  3 P 3  are connected to the high voltage source V DD . Source terminals of the nMOS transistors  3 N 2  and  3 N 4  are connected to the grounding voltage source GRD. The memory element  3 J 1  is connected to the output terminal Y at its first end and to the memory voltage source V M  at its second end, where V DD &gt;V M &gt;GRD. The MR element  3 J 1  can provide a nonvolatile storage of the output signal Y according to principals described above for the nonvolatile inverter  20  ( FIG. 2 ). Note that the memory element  3 J 1  can be connected to the grounding source GRD at its second end when the source terminals of the nMOS transistors  3 N 2  and  3 N 4  are connected to the low voltage source V SS , where V DD &gt;GRD&gt;V SS . 
         [0033]    When the following combination of the signals is applied to the multiplexer  30  (D 0 =0, S=0, S*=1, and D 1 =0), the transistors  3 P 1  and  3 P 2  are “On” but the transistors  3 N 1 - 3 N 4 ,  3 P 3 , and  3 P 4  are “Off”. The voltage V DD  is applied to the output terminal Y. A spin-polarized current I S  can occur in the MR element  3 J 1  running in the direction from the V DD  through the transistors  3 P 1  and  3 P 2 , and the MR element  3 J 1  to the voltage source V M  (V DD &gt;V M ). At this direction of the spin-polarized current I S  the MR element  3 J 1  having a multilayer structure similar to the memory element  2 J 1  ( FIG. 2 ) can be switched into a high resistance state (logic “1”). 
         [0034]    Changing the input signal D 0  from “0” to “1” (D 0 =1) when other signals are remaining unchanged (S=0, S*=1, and D 1 =0) can turn the transistors  3 N 1  and  3 N 2  “On”. The spin-polarized current I S  can occur in the circuit composed by the memory source V M , MR element  3 J 1 , the transistors  3 N 1 ,  3 N 2 , and the grounding terminal GRD. The current I S  is running from the source V M  to the grounding source GRD (V M &gt;GRD). This direction of the spin-polarized current I S  can switch the MR element  3 J 1  having the multilyaer structure of the memory element  2 J 1  ( FIG. 2 ) into the low resistance state (logic “0”). 
         [0035]      FIG. 4  shows a second embodiment of a nonvolatile inverting multiplexer  40  according to the present disclosure. The multiplexer  40  comprises two tristate inverters  42  and  43  having a common output Y, and an MR memory element  4 J 1 . First tristate inverter  42  comprises two pMOS transistors  4 P 1  and  4 P 2 , and two nMOS transistors  4 N 1  and  4 N 2  connected in series. A second tristate inverter  43  comprises transistors  4 P 3 ,  4 P 4 ,  4 N 3 , and  4 N 4  also connected in series. Drains of the transistors  4 P 2  and  4 N 1  are connected in common to form an output terminal of the inverter  42 . Connected in common gates of the transistors  4 P 1  and  4 N 2  compose an input terminal of the inverter  42  to where an input signal D 0  is applied. Selection signals S and S* are applied to a gate of the transistors  4 P 2  and  4 N 1 , respectively. Source terminals of the transistors  4 P 1  and  4 N 2  are connected to a high voltage source V DD  and to a grounding source GRD, respectively. Input signal D 1  is applied to a common input terminal of the inverter  43  composed by gates of the transistors  4 P 3  and  4 N 4 . Drains of the transistors  4 P 4  and  4 N 3  connected in common serve as an output terminal of the inverter  43 . The MR memory element  4 J 1  is electrically coupled to the both output terminals of the inverters  42  and  43  at its first end and to a memory voltage source V M  at its second end, where V DD &gt;V M &gt;GRD. The source terminal of the nMOS transistors  4 N 2  and  4 N 4  can be connected to a voltage source V SS  when the memory element  4 J 1  is connected to the grounding source GRD, where V DD &gt;GRD&gt;V SS . The MR element  4 J 1  can provide a nonvolatile storage of the output signal Y. 
         [0036]      FIG. 5  shows a transistor-level circuit diagram of a nonvolatile non-inverting multiplexer  50  according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure. The multiplexer  50  comprises two transmission gates  52  and  53 , and a MR memory element  5 J 1  that can provide a nonvolatile storage of the output signal Y. The transmission gates  52  and  53  make the multiplexer  50  non-restoring. The transmission gate  52  comprises a pMOS transistor  5 P 1  and nMOS transistor  5 N 1  connected in parallel. The input terminal D 0  of the gate  52  is composed by source terminals of the transistors  5 P 1  and  5 N 1  connected in common. Respectively, the output terminal Y of the transmission gate  52  is made of the drain terminals of the transistors  5 P 1  and  5 N 1  also connected in common. Selection signals S and S* can be applied to the gate terminals of the transistors  5 P 1  and  5 N 1 , respectively. The other transmission gate  53  includes a pMOS transistor  5 P 2  and nMOS transistor  5 N 2  also connected in parallel. The transmission gate  53  comprises an input terminal D 1  and the output terminal that is connected in common with the output terminal of the transmission gate  52 . The MTJ memory element  5 J 1  is electrically coupled to the common output terminal Y of the transmission gates  52  and  53  at its first end and to a memory voltage source V M  at its second end. The select signal S and its complement S* can enable simultaneously one of the two transmission gates  52  or  53  at any given time when both the pMOS and nMOS transistors of the gate are “On”. A magnitude of the input signals D 0  and D 1  is substantially similar to value of V DD  or V SS  when logic “1” or logic “0”, respectively is applied to the input terminals, where V DD &gt;V M &gt;V SS . The non-restoring multiplexer  50  can be converted into a restoring one, for example by adding the inverter  20  ( FIG. 2 ). 
         [0037]      FIG. 6  shows a logic gate-level circuit diagram of a nonvolatile multiplexer  60  according to a fourth embodiment of the present disclosure. The multiplexer  60  comprises, an inverter  64 , two AND logic gates  65  and  66 , an OR gate  67 , and MR memory element  6 J 1 . The memory element  6 J 1  is electrically coupled to an output terminal of the OR gate  67  at its first end and to a memory voltage source V M  at its second end. The memory element  6 J 1  can provide a nonvolatile storage of an output signal Y. Number of MTJ memory elements can vary, for example additional MR elements can be connected to the output terminals of the logic gates  65  and  66 . Another placements and number of the MR elements can be used as well. 
         [0038]      FIG. 7  shows a block-level circuit diagram of a nonvolatile non-inverting multiplexer  70  according to the present disclosure. Respectively,  FIG. 8  shows a block-level circuit diagram of the nonvolatile inverting multiplexer  80 . The non-volatility of the output signal of both inverters  70  and  80  can be provided by the MR elements  7 J 1  and  8 J 1 , respectively. Each of the MR elements are connected to the output terminal of the inverter at its first end and to the memory voltage source V M  at its second end, where V DD &gt;V M &gt;V SS . 
         [0039]      FIG. 9  shows a block-level circuit diagram of 4:1 nonvolatile multiplexer  90  constructed according to the technical idea of the present disclosure. The multiplexer  90  can comprise three 2:1 multiplexers  91 - 93  and three nonvolatile memory elements  9 J 1 - 9 J 3  coupled to the output terminals of the appropriate multiplexers. The multiplexer  90  can have four input terminals D 0 -D 3  and two select signal terminals S 0  and S 1 . The select signal S 0  (and S 0 *) can be applied simultaneously to the multiplexers  91  and  92  to provide a selection between the input signals D 0  or D 1  and D 2  or D 3 . The output signals Y 1  and Y 2  can serve as input signals of the multiplexer  93 . The output signal Y 3  can be selected from the signals Y 1  and Y 2  by an application of the select signal S 1  to the multiplexer  93 . 
         [0040]    The nonvolatile storage of the logic values Y 1 , Y 2 , and Y 3  can be provided by the MR elements  9 J 1 ,  9 J 2 , and  9 J 3 , respectively. Number of the MR elements of the multiplexer  90  can vary, for example the memory elements  9 J 1  and  9 J 2  can be omitted. 
         [0041]    The multiplexer circuits shown in  FIGS. 3-9  employ the MR elements (or MTJs) as nonvolatile memory elements. Note that the MR elements can be replaced by another nonvolatile memory elements such as a phase change memory element, resistive memory element and others without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. 
         [0042]    The disclosed nonvolatile multiplexer circuits comprise the nonvolatile memory elements disposed above a CMOS logic circuitry formed on a wafer (or substrate). The embedded nonvolatile memory elements can have a marginal impact on a design and manufacturing process of the conventional volatile CMOS-based multiplexer circuits. 
         [0043]    While the specification of this disclosure contains many specifics, these should not be construed as limitations on the scope of the disclosure or of what may be claimed, but rather as descriptions of features specific to particular embodiments. Certain features that are described in this specification in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features that are described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable sub-combination. Moreover, although features may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination, and the claimed combination may be directed to a sub-combination or variation of a sub-combination. 
         [0044]    It is understood that the above embodiments are intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. Many other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description. The scope of the embodiments should be, therefore, determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. 
         [0045]    While the disclosure has been described in terms of several exemplary embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the disclosure can be practiced with modification within the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Specifically, one of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the drawings herein are meant to be illustrative, and the spirit and scope of the disclosure are not limited to the embodiments and aspects disclosed herein but may be modified.