Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Jong-Eon Lee

Jong-hyun Choi

Hyun-Seok Lee

Ki-Chul Chun

Jung-Bae Lee

Sang-Seok Kang

Young-Hyun Jun

Chul-Woo Park

Young-Sun Min

Yun-Sang Lee

Jae-Hoon Joo

Sang-Suk Kang

Hong-Goo Yoon

A sense amplifier includes a pair of sense bit lines and first and second MOS sense amplifiers. The first MOS sense amplifier has a first pair of MOS transistors of first conductivity type therein, which are electrically coupled across the pair of sense bit lines. This electrically coupling is provided so that each of the first pair of MOS transistors has a first source/drain terminal electrically connected to a corresponding one of the pair of sense bit lines and the second source/drain terminals of the first pair of MOS transistors are electrically connected together. The first pair of MOS transistors of first conductivity type is configured to have different threshold voltages or support different threshold voltage biasing. The second MOS sense amplifier has a first pair of MOS transistors of second conductivity type therein, which are electrically coupled across the pair of sense bit lines.

Sense amplifiers having MOS transistors therein with different threshold voltages and/or that support different threshold voltage biasing

A semiconductor memory device includes a sub word line driver for selectively connecting one of sub word lines with a main word line and applying a boosted voltage having a level higher than a power source voltage to a selected sub word line. The device includes a sub word line driver control signal generator. The sub word line driver control signal generator receives an isolation signal applied to electrically insulate a sense amplifier from a bit line connected to memory cells constituting a memory cell array of the device, and generates a driver control signal for determining whether the sub word line driver operates or not. Thereby, a load of sub word line driver control signal generator can be reduced and so power consumption is reduced.

Semiconductor memory device and method of controlling sub word line driver thereof

An integrated circuit device disclosed herein includes a test device and a setup and hold measuring circuit. The setup and hold measuring circuit generates a reference signal and a data signal in response to an external clock signal in a test mode of operation. The test device receives the data signal in response to a reference signal, and outputs the inputted data signal as a setup and hold determining circuit. One of the reference signal and the data signal is a multiphase signal synchronized with the external clock signal. The setup and hold measuring circuit detects whether the output of the test device indicates a valid value of the data signal, and generates the detected result to the external as a setup/hold timing margin through at least one pad.

Integrated circuit device with on-chip setup/hold measuring circuit

A sense amplifier includes a pair of sense bit lines and first and second MOS sense amplifiers. The first MOS sense amplifier has a first pair of MOS transistors of first conductivity type therein, which are electrically coupled across the pair of sense bit lines. This electrically coupling is provided so that each of the first pair of MOS transistors has a first source/drain terminal electrically connected to a corresponding one of the pair of sense bit lines and the second source/drain terminals of the first pair of MOS transistors are electrically connected together. The first pair of MOS transistors of first conductivity type are configured to have different threshold voltages or support different threshold voltage biasing. The second MOS sense amplifier has a first pair of MOS transistors of second conductivity type therein, which are electrically coupled across the pair of sense bit lines.

A semiconductor memory device may include a memory cell array, a bit line sense amplifier, a sub word line driver, and an electrode. The memory cell array may include a sub memory cell array connected between sub word lines and bit line pairs and having memory cells which are selected in response to a signal transmitted to the sub word lines and column selecting signal lines. The bit line sense amplifier may be configures to sense and amplify data of the bit line pairs. The sub word line driver may be configured to combine signals transmitted from word selecting signal lines and signals transmitted from main word lines to select the sub word lines. Moreover, the memory cell array may be configured to transmit data between the bit line pairs and local data line pairs and to transmit data between the local data line pairs and global data line pairs. The electrode may be configured to cover the whole memory cell array and to apply a voltage needed for the memory cells. The local data line pairs may be arranged on a first layer above the electrode in the same direction as the sub word line. The column selecting signal lines and the global data line pairs may be arranged on a second layer above the electrode in the same direction as the bit line. The word selecting signal lines and the main word lines may be arranged on a third layer above the electrode in the same direction as the sub word line. Related methods of signal line arrangement are also discussed.

Semiconductor memory devices and signal line arrangements and related methods

A layout of a bit line sensing control circuit for a semiconductor memory device includes two bit line pairs extending in a first direction. A power contact is arranged between the two bit line pairs. A power gate is arranged around the power contact. A plurality of sense transistors respectively have a plurality of sense transistor gates. The plurality of sense transistor gates are arranged around the power gate. A pair of control line contacts is arranged in a second direction at an adjacent location outside the two bit line pairs. A control line extends in the second direction and is connected to the power gate through the pair of control line contacts. A power line extends in the second direction adjacent to the control line and is connected to an active area surrounded by the power gate through the power contact.

Bit line sensing control circuit for a semiconductor memory device and layout of the same

Disclosed is a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) device having word line low voltage supply lines for driving word lines in a mesh structure. The DRAM device includes a plurality of cell arrays each of which is formed of memory cells coupled to word lines and bit lines in a matrix. The memory device further includes regions of sense amplifiers disposed between the cell arrays arranged along the row direction, regions of word line drivers disposed between the cell arrays arranged along the column direction, conjunction regions disposed at positions adjacent to the regions of the sense amplifiers and word line drivers, and a plurality of word line low voltage supply lines disposed on the conjunction regions. The word line low voltage supply lines are electrically interconnected for each other at least on the conjunction regions. According to the layout arrangement, loadings of the word line low voltage supply lines are almost equally distributed, and thereby word line low noise are decreased.

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Gyeonggi-do, South Korea

Jong-Eon Lee