In a method computer storage element operation, first and second rising (or falling) clock edges are applied to first and second power inputs of the computer storage element having a transistor array between the first and second power inputs over time T1 whereupon a logic value applied to an input of the transistor array is stored therein. Thereafter, first and second falling (or rising) clock edges are applied to the first and second power inputs over time T2, whereupon part of an electrical charge or energy associated with the logic value stored in the transistor array is provided to circuitry that generates the first and/or second clock edge(s), wherein the value(s) of time T1 and/or time T2 is/are greater than a product of RC, where R is resistance associated with the computer storage element, and C is a load capacitance associated with the computer storage element.

Circuits and methods that use harvested electrostatic energy from transient on-chip data are described in the Application. In one aspect, a method and inverter circuit use harvested electrostatic charge held at any electric potential higher than the common ground reference potential of CMOS circuits in a chip, to partially drive a 0.fwdarw.1 logic transition at the output of the inverter at lower energy drain from the on-chip power grid than a conventional CMOS inverter would with similar performance, slew rates at inverter input and output and with similar output driving transistor geometries.

Circuits and methods that harvest electrostatic energy from transient on-chip data are described in the Application. In one aspect, a method and inverter circuit harvests electrostatic charge held at its output node at an electric potential comparable to the power supply voltage rail to a common grid/node as the output makes a 1.fwdarw.0 logic transition. This charge harvested at a common grid/node can be used by circuits (described in applications 63/090,169, 63/139,744) to drive 0.fwdarw.1 logic transition at their output nodes at lower energy drain from the on-chip power grid than a conventional CMOS inverter would with similar performance, slew rates at inverter input and output and with similar output driving transistor geometries.

A capacitive logic cell with complementary control, including a variable-capacitance electromechanical device having a fixed part and a mobile part, the electromechanical device comprising first, second, third and fourth electrodes mounted on the fixed part, and a fifth electrode mounted on the mobile part, the first electrode being connected to a terminal for supplying a first input logic signal, the second electrode being connected to a terminal for supplying a second input logic signal, complementary to the first input logic signal, the third electrode being connected to a terminal for supplying a first output logic signal, and the fourth electrode being connected to a terminal for supplying a second output logic signal, complementary to the first output logic signal.

A semiconductor integrated circuit includes: a first wire through which a signal is transmitted; a second wire that is not used for signal transmission; a switch that creates or breaks an electric connection between the first wire and the second wire; and a control circuit that controls the switch according to an potential of the signal, which is transmitted through the first wire, so that part of charge stored in a first wire capacitor of the first wire moves to a second wire capacitor of the second wire and is stored in the second wire capacitor and the charge stored in the second wire capacitor are drawn to the first wire capacitor to charge the first wire capacitor.

Apparatus and associated methods relate to quasi-adiabatic logic gates in which at least one supply terminal receives sinusoidal power. The quasi-adiabatic logic gate is configured to perform a specific logic function operative upon one or more input signals. When the quasi-adiabatic logic gate switches the output from one logic state to another logic state, the transient switching portion of the output signal substantially tracks the sinusoidal supply signal. Such a sinusoidal transient switching portion of the signal has lower frequency components than have traditional CMOS logic gate transients. Some embodiments include an inductor through which the sinusoidal supply signal is provided to the quasi-adiabatic logic gate. Such an inductor can both provide charge to and recover charge from switching quasi-adiabatic logic gates, thereby further reducing power.

An apparatus includes a circuit having an inverter including a power supply, an input terminal and an output terminal, and a harvest terminal electrically coupled to the output terminal. The circuit electrically couples the output terminal and the power supply, such that (1) a harvested charge is transferred from an output voltage at the output terminal to the harvest terminal in response to a high-to-low transition at the circuit and (2) a low-to-high transition at the circuit is driven using at least the harvested charge at the harvest terminal in response to the high-to-low transition.

A capacitive logic cell with complementary control, including a variable-capacitance electromechanical device having a fixed part and a mobile part, the electromechanical device comprising first, second, third and fourth electrodes mounted on the fixed part, and a fifth electrode mounted on the mobile part, the first electrode being connected to a terminal for supplying a first input logic signal, the second electrode being connected to a terminal for supplying a second input logic signal, complementary to the first input logic signal, the third electrode being connected to a terminal for supplying a first output logic signal, and the fourth electrode being connected to a terminal for supplying a second output logic signal, complementary to the first output logic signal.

Reduced-power dynamic data circuits with wide-band energy recovery are described herein. In one embodiment, a circuit system comprises at least one sub-circuit in which at least one of the sub-circuits includes a capacitive output node that is driven between low and high states in a random manner for a time period and an inductive circuit path coupled to the capacitive output node. The inductive circuit path includes a transistor switch and an inductor connected in series to discharge and recharge the output node to a bias supply. A pulse generator circuit generates a pulse width that corresponds to a timing for driving the output node.

Reduced-power dynamic data circuits with wide-band energy recovery are described herein. In one embodiment, a circuit system comprises at least one sub-circuit in which at least one of the sub-circuits includes a capacitive output node that is driven between low and high states in a random manner for a time period and an inductive circuit path coupled to the capacitive output node. The inductive circuit path includes a transistor switch and an inductor connected in series to discharge and recharge the output node to a bias supply. A pulse generator circuit generates a pulse width that corresponds to a timing for driving the output node.