Patent ID: 7619440

Claim:
A circuit comprising: a storage circuit having an input for receiving and storing data and having a first power terminal coupled to a first conductor for receiving a first power supply voltage and having a second power terminal coupled to a second conductor; a power gate device having a first terminal coupled to the second conductor, a control terminal for receiving a bias voltage in response to a control signal, and a second terminal coupled to a terminal for receiving a second power supply voltage; a shorting device for selectively electrically short circuiting the first terminal of the power gate device to the control terminal of the power gate device in response to the control signal, thereby converting the power gate device from a transistor into a diode-connected device; and a logic circuit portion having an input coupled to an output of the storage circuit, the logic circuit portion having a first power terminal coupled to the first conductor and a second power terminal coupled to a third conductor, the storage circuit retaining a state of an input signal to the logic circuit portion when electrical power to the logic circuit portion is gated from at least one of the first power supply voltage and the second power supply voltage in response to the control signal.