Apparatus and associated methods related to a three-dimensional integrated logic circuit that includes a columnar active region. Within the columnar active region resides an interdigitated plurality of semiconductor columns and conductive columns. A plurality of transistors is vertically arranged along each semiconductor column, which extends from a bottom surface of the columnar logic region to a top surface of the columnar logic region. The plurality of transistors are electrically interconnected so as to perform a logic function and to generate a logic output signal at a logic output port in response to a logic input signal received at a logic input port. Each of the plurality of conductive columns is adjacent to at least one of the plurality of semiconductor columns and extends along a columnar axis to one or more interconnection layers at the top and/or bottom surfaces of the columnar active layer.

Apparatus and associated methods related to a three-dimensional integrated logic circuit that includes a columnar active region. Within the columnar active region resides an interdigitated plurality of semiconductor columns and conductive columns. A plurality of transistors is vertically arranged along each semiconductor column, which extends from a bottom surface of the columnar logic region to a top surface of the columnar logic region. The plurality of transistors are electrically interconnected so as to perform a logic function and to generate a logic output signal at a logic output port in response to a logic input signal received at a logic input port. Each of the plurality of conductive columns is adjacent to at least one of the plurality of semiconductor columns and extends along a columnar axis to one or more interconnection layers at the top and/or bottom surfaces of the columnar active layer.

An integrated circuit is fabricated using a semiconductor fabrication process. One or more uncontrollable random physical processes in the semiconductor fabrication process can cause small differences between the integrated circuit and other similarly designed integrated circuit. These small differences can cause transistors of the integrated circuit to have different threshold voltages. The integrated circuit can use these different threshold voltages to quantify its physical uniqueness to differentiate itself from other integrated circuits similarly designed and fabricated by the semiconductor fabrication process.

An integrated circuit is fabricated using a semiconductor fabrication process. One or more uncontrollable random physical processes in the semiconductor fabrication process can cause small differences between the integrated circuit and other similarly designed integrated circuit. These small differences can cause transistors of the integrated circuit to have different threshold voltages. The integrated circuit can use these different threshold voltages to quantify its physical uniqueness to differentiate itself from other integrated circuits similarly designed and fabricated by the semiconductor fabrication process.

An arithmetic logic unit according to an embodiment of the present technology includes: a plurality of input lines; and a multiply-accumulate operation device. Electrical signals are input to the plurality of input lines. The multiply-accumulate operation device includes a pair of output lines, a plurality of multiplication units including a weight unit that generates, on the basis of the electrical signals input to the plurality of input lines, charges corresponding to multiplication values obtained by multiplying signal values represented by the electrical signals by weight values, a holding unit that holds a binary state, and a switch unit that outputs, on the basis of the held binary state, the charges generated by the weight unit to one of the pair of output lines, an accumulation unit that accumulates the charges output to the pair of output lines by the plurality of multiplication units, and an output unit that outputs, on the basis of the accumulated charges, a multiply-accumulate signal representing a sum of the multiplication values.

An arithmetic logic unit according to an embodiment of the present technology includes: a plurality of input lines; and a multiply-accumulate operation device. Electrical signals are input to the plurality of input lines. The multiply-accumulate operation device includes a pair of output lines, a plurality of multiplication units including a weight unit that generates, on the basis of the electrical signals input to the plurality of input lines, charges corresponding to multiplication values obtained by multiplying signal values represented by the electrical signals by weight values, a holding unit that holds a binary state, and a switch unit that outputs, on the basis of the held binary state, the charges generated by the weight unit to one of the pair of output lines, an accumulation unit that accumulates the charges output to the pair of output lines by the plurality of multiplication units, and an output unit that outputs, on the basis of the accumulated charges, a multiply-accumulate signal representing a sum of the multiplication values.

An integrated circuit (IC) including a first ring oscillator (RO) including a first set of cascaded stages, wherein each of the first set of cascaded stages comprises a first logic inverter, including: a first set of field effect transistors (FETs) coupled in parallel between a first voltage rail and a first intermediate node, wherein the first set of FETs include a set of gates coupled to an input of the first logic inverter; and a second set of FETs coupled in series between the first intermediate node and a second voltage rail, wherein the second set of FETs includes at least a first FET including a gate coupled to the input of the first logic inverter, and at least a second FET that is diode-connected in accordance with a first mode of operation.

An integrated circuit (IC) including a first ring oscillator (RO) including a first set of cascaded stages, wherein each of the first set of cascaded stages comprises a first logic inverter, including: a first set of field effect transistors (FETs) coupled in parallel between a first voltage rail and a first intermediate node, wherein the first set of FETs include a set of gates coupled to an input of the first logic inverter; and a second set of FETs coupled in series between the first intermediate node and a second voltage rail, wherein the second set of FETs includes at least a first FET including a gate coupled to the input of the first logic inverter, and at least a second FET that is diode-connected in accordance with a first mode of operation.

Circuits and methods for determining the characteristics of swappable pins in a peripheral in a 1-Wire or similar single-conductor system, thereby allowing each one of two pins to be either an I/O pin (connected to an I/O line) or a CAP pin (connected to a storage capacitor). Embodiments may utilize a hybrid buffer circuit that utilizes an effectively bi-directional PFET pull-up device coupled between the swappable pins A and B. Two open-drain NFETs pull-down devices are used, one on either side of the PFET and coupled to a respective pin (A or B), but with only one NFET being selected to be operable based on pin-determination flag signals from the pin detection circuitry. Such a hybrid buffer circuit would consume significantly less IC area than two complete conventional buffers, resulting in less leakage and less yield loss.

Circuits and methods for determining the characteristics of swappable pins in a peripheral in a 1-Wire or similar single-conductor system, thereby allowing each one of two pins to be either an I/O pin (connected to an I/O line) or a CAP pin (connected to a storage capacitor). Embodiments may utilize a hybrid buffer circuit that utilizes an effectively bi-directional PFET pull-up device coupled between the swappable pins A and B. Two open-drain NFETs pull-down devices are used, one on either side of the PFET and coupled to a respective pin (A or B), but with only one NFET being selected to be operable based on pin-determination flag signals from the pin detection circuitry. Such a hybrid buffer circuit would consume significantly less IC area than two complete conventional buffers, resulting in less leakage and less yield loss.