1. A thin-film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) driver circuit comprising:
a gate driver adaptable to manipulate the TFT;
a generator capable of providing grayscale voltage for display points;
a timing circuit configured to provide timing signals;
a bias circuit configured to provide bias voltage signals; and
a source driver operable to charge the display points according to the grayscale voltage, wherein the source driver includes:
a source drive latch configured to store data for the display points, the stored data capable of being decoded and converted by a digital to analog converter (DAC) to provide the grayscale voltage that need to be generated and provided to each display point; and
a source drive buffer having an operational power amplifier (OPA), the OPA having first and second differential amplifiers, the differential amplifiers capable of alternating operation according to the timing and bias voltage signals, wherein each differential amplifier, by voltage follower mechanism, is capable of inputting and outputting voltage signals from the DAC for charging the display points.
2. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the source drive buffer further includes a CMOS transmission gate in parallel with the OPA, wherein under control of the timing signals and while the OPA is inactive, the CMOS transmission gate is capable of adjusting the voltage output of the OPA using output signals from the DAC.
3. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the first differential amplifier includes:
a first differential circuit having two N-channel metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS), wherein the gate of the first NMOS is coupled to the output of the DAC and the gate of the second NMOS is coupled to the output of the OPA;
a first current mirror being a loader of the first differential circuit;
an end of current source;
an output level which includes a NMOS and a PMOS, the gate of the NMOS and the end of current source controlled by the bias voltage signals, the gate of the PMOS coupled to the output of the first current mirror; and
a power down PMOS operable to turning on and off the OPA by timing signals.
4. The circuit of claim 1, wherein the second differential amplifier includes:
a second differential circuit having two P-channel metal oxide semiconductor (PMOS), wherein the gate of the first PMOS is coupled to the output of the DAC while the gate of the second PMOS is coupled to the output of the OPA;
a second current mirror being a loader of the second differential circuit;
an end of current source;
an output level which includes a PMOS and a NMOS, the gate of the PMOS and the end of current source controlled by the bias voltage signals, the gate of the NMOS coupled to the output of the second current mirror; and
a power down NMOS which is applied for turning on and off OPA by timing signals.
5. The circuit of claim 1, wherein during sub-threshold zone the threshold voltage of the OPA is higher than the bias voltage generated by the bias voltage signals.
6. A liquid crystal display (LCD) device comprising:
a thin-film transistor (TFT) panel;
a TFT-LCD driver circuit comprising:
a gate driver adaptable to manipulate the TFT;
a generator capable of providing grayscale voltage for display points;
a timing circuit configured to provide timing signals;
a bias circuit configured to provide bias voltage signals; and
a source driver operable to charge the display points according to the grayscale voltage, wherein the source driver includes:
a source drive latch configured to store data for the display points, the stored data capable of being decoded and converted by a digital to analog converter (DAC) to provide the grayscale voltage that need to be generated and provided to each display point; and
a source drive buffer having an operational power amplifier (OPA), the OPA having first and second differential amplifiers, the differential amplifiers capable of alternating operation according to the timing and bias voltage signals, wherein each differential amplifier, by voltage follower mechanism, is capable of inputting and outputting voltage signals from the DAC for charging the display points.
7. The device of claim 6, wherein the source drive buffer further includes a CMOS transmission gate in parallel with the OPA, wherein under control of the timing signals and while the OPA is inactive, the CMOS transmission gate is capable of adjusting the voltage output of the OPA using output signals from the DAC.
8. The device of claim 6, wherein the first differential amplifier includes:
a first differential circuit having two N-channel metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS), wherein the gate of the first NMOS is coupled to the output of the DAC and the gate of the second NMOS is coupled to the output of the OPA;
a first current mirror being a loader of the first differential circuit;
an end of current source;
an output level which includes a NMOS and a PMOS, the gate of the NMOS and the end of current source controlled by the bias voltage signals, the gate of the PMOS coupled to the output of the first current mirror; and
a power down PMOS operable to turning on and off the OPA by timing signals.
9. The device of claim 6, wherein the second differential amplifier includes:
a second differential circuit having two P-channel metal oxide semiconductor (PMOS), wherein the gate of the first PMOS is coupled to the output of the DAC while the gate of the second PMOS is coupled to the output of the OPA;
a second current mirror being a loader of the second differential circuit;
an end of current source;
an output level which includes a PMOS and a NMOS, the gate of the PMOS and the end of current source controlled by the bias voltage signals, the gate of the NMOS coupled to the output of the second current mirror; and
a power down NMOS which is applied for turning on and off OPA by timing signals.
10. The device of claim 6, wherein during sub-threshold zone the threshold voltage of the OPA is higher than the bias voltage generated by the bias voltage signals.
11. A thin-film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) driver circuit comprising:
a gate driver adaptable to manipulate the TFT;
a generator capable of providing grayscale voltage for display points;
a timing circuit configured to provide timing signals;
a bias circuit configured to provide bias voltage signals; and
a source driver operable to charge the display points according to the grayscale voltage, wherein the source driver includes:
a source drive latch configured to store data for the display points, the stored data capable of being decoded and converted by a digital to analog converter (DAC) to provide the grayscale voltage that need to be generated and provided to each display point; and
a source drive buffer having an operational power amplifier (OPA), the OPA having:
a first differential amplifier including:
a first differential circuit having two N-channel metal oxide semiconductor (NMOS), wherein the gate of the first NMOS is coupled to the output of the DAC and the gate of the second NMOS is coupled to the output of the OPA;
a first current mirror being a loader of the first differential circuit;
a first end of current source;
an output level which includes a third NMOS and a third PMOS, the gate of the third NMOS and the first end of current source controlled by the bias voltage signals, the gate of the third PMOS coupled to the output of the first current mirror;
a power down PMOS operable to turning on and off the OPA by timing signals;
a second differential amplifier including:
a second differential circuit having two P-channel metal oxide semiconductor (PMOS), wherein the gate of the first PMOS is coupled to the output of the DAC while the gate of the second PMOS is coupled to the output of the OPA;
a second current mirror being a loader of the second differential circuit;
a second end of current source;
an output level which includes a fourth PMOS and a fourth NMOS, the gate of the fourth PMOS and the end of current source controlled by the bias voltage signals, the gate of the fourth NMOS coupled to the output of the second current mirror;
a power down NMOS which is applied for turning on and off OPA by timing signals; and
wherein the two differential amplifiers are capable of alternating operation according to the timing and bias voltage signals, wherein each differential amplifier, by voltage follower mechanism, is capable of inputting and outputting voltage signals from the DAC for charging the display points.
12. The circuit of claim 11, wherein the source drive buffer further includes a CMOS transmission gate in parallel with the OPA, wherein under control of the timing signals and while the OPA is inactive, the CMOS transmission gate is capable of adjusting the voltage output of the OPA using output signals from the DAC.
13. The circuit of claim 11, wherein during sub-threshold zone the threshold voltage of the OPA is higher than the bias voltage generated by the bias voltage signals.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claims which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A method, comprising:
forming a hard mask directly on an interlayer dielectric layer wherein said hard mask has a thickness greater than 10 nanometers and less than 30 nanometers and wherein said hard mask comprises titanium;
patterning said hard mask;
etching said interlayer dielectric layer, wherein said etching forms a partial via that leaves a portion of said interlayer dielectric layer in said partial via;
forming a trench before removing said hard mask including:
further patterning said hard mask, and
etching said interlayer dielectric layer to form said trench and to completely remove said interlayer dielectric layer that remains in said partial via, wherein said trench and said via form a dual damascene structure; and, subsequently,
removing said hard mask during a post-etch clean with a wet etchant having a selectivity to etch said hard mask at a greater rate than said interlayer dielectric layer; and depositing a metal in said dual damascene structure to form an interconnect after removing said hard mask.