A level shifter with logic error correction circuit for extremely low-voltage digital CMOS LSIs

Abstract

A level shifter circuit capable of extremely low-voltage inputs is presented in this paper. The circuit has a distinctive feature in current generation scheme with logic error correction circuit by detecting input and output logic levels. The proposed circuit can convert low-voltage input digital signals into high-voltage output digital signals. The circuit achieves low-power operation because it dissipates operating current only when the input signals change. Measurement results demonstrated that the circuit can convert low-voltage input signals of 0.4 V into 3 V output signals. The power dissipation was 58 nW at 0.4-V and 10-kHz input pulse.