Hitachi, Ltd.

Hitachi Microcomputer Engineering, Ltd.

By Junko Onishi, Administratrix

Yoshiaki Onishi, Deceased

Hiroshi Kawamoto

Kikuo Sakai

Takashi Shinoda

Masahiro Ogata

Tokumasa Yasui

A semiconductor memory includes a dummy cell for forming a reference potential, a read-only memory cell, and a differential amplifier circuit which receives the reference potential formed by the dummy cell and a signal read out from the memory cell. The differential amplifier circuit is dynamically operated so that the semiconductor memory is made smaller in power consumption and size than conventional units. Moreover, in order to reduce the power consumption, the memory cell is brought into the nonselection state when a predetermined time has passed after being selected. In addition, the semiconductor memory is provided with a compensating circuit in order to make the value of the capacitance connected to a word line for transmitting a selecting signal to the memory cell and the value of the capacitance connected to a dummy word line for transmitting a selecting signal to the dummy cell substantially equal to each other. Thus, the changes in potential of both the selecting signals are made substantially equal to each other. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce malfunctions.

Semiconductor device having head only memory with differential amplifier

The address of each defective memory cell in a memory cell array is stored within a semiconductor ROM in advance. In parallel with the operation of reading out information from a memory cell of the array, whether or not the address of the memory cell agrees with the previously stored address of a defective memory cell is distinguished. When they agree, a correcting signal is formed. Erroneous data read out from the defective memory cell is inverted on the basis of the correcting signal and thus corrected, whereupon the corrected data is delivered out of the ROM. In using this error data correcting system, a read-out access time delay caused by furnishing the correcting function corresponds to only one stage of a logic circuit which is used for the inversion to correct the erroneous data. Thus, a semiconductor ROM furnished with an error correcting function can be provided without spoiling enhancement in the speed of the read-out operation.

Semiconductor ROM

A semiconductor memory has dynamic memory cells, such as one-MOS transistor cells, a detector circuit which detects changes in applied address signals, and a timing generator circuit which receives detection outputs of the detector circuit. When the address signals are changed, various timing signals are responsively produced from the timing generator circuit. In response to the timing signals generated in succession, data lines to which the memory cells are coupled are first precharged, and one of the memory cells is selected after the precharge of the data lines. Data delivered from the selected memory cell to the data line is amplified when the operation of a sense amplifier is started. The amplified data is supplied to an external terminal through a column switch, a main amplifier, an output amplifier, etc., which are similarly operated in succession. Since the semiconductor memory of this arrangement forms a pseudo-static memory, it requires only a small number of external timing signals. In order to obtain a desirable pseudo-static memory, a data line precharge level is equalized to half of the supply voltage level, and the sense amplifier is constructed of a CMOS-FET latch circuit. As a result, the period of time from the change of the address signals until the delivery of the output data can be sufficiently shortened. It is therefore possible to form a pseudo-static memory which is, in effect, regarded as a static memory.

Semiconductor memory

Growing community of inventors

Nagoya, Japan

By Junko Onishi, Administratrix