Lg Semicon Co., Ltd.

Hynix Semiconductor Inc.

Hyundai Electronics Industries Co. Ltd.

Jong-Hoon Park

Jae-Woon Kim

Min-Young You

Sun Min Kim

Joo-sang Lee

Young-Keun Choi

Kyung-Yul Kim

A charge pump device for supplying a boosted voltage to a memory device includes a charge pump part constructed with first to nth unit charge pumps, and a multi-level detector for detecting a level of a boosted voltage to selectively drive the unit charge pumps in accordance with an amount of power consumption of the host and thereby outputting at least one level detection signal.

Charge pump device for semiconductor memory

A multi-bank semiconductor memory device includes a multi-bank memory; a voltage generator having one standby driving circuit and a plurality of active driving circuits and supplying a power source voltage required for a semiconductor device; and, an up/down counter for counting a low access signal and a low precharge signal and outputting a multi-bit driving enable signal for driving the plurality of active driving circuits differentially in performing an interleaving operation. When a plurality of banks are accessed, the number of banks being currently accessed is counted by using the low access signal and the low precharge signal. The number of the voltage driving circuits is increased and decreased according to the count value.

Apparatus and method for operation of multi-bank semiconductor memory device with an up/down counter

A semiconductor memory includes a memory cell array including a plurality of memory cells, wherein each of the plurality of memory cells outputs a first data signal through an I/O line; an I/O line driving circuit for generating a second data signal by amplifying the first data signal, wherein the I/O line driving circuit is connected to the I/O lines; a data bus driving circuit connected to the I/O line driving circuit to generate a third data signal by amplifying the second data signal; a data bus precharge circuit; and a data bus connecting the data bus driving circuit to the data bus precharge circuit, wherein the data bus precharge circuit precharges the data bus to a predetermined voltage level before the third data signal is generated and transfers a voltage of the data bus to high or low level in accordance with a logic value of the third data signal when the third data signal is generated.

Semiconductor memory device for reducing parasitic resistance of the I/O lines

A hybrid memory device according to the present invention has a RAM cell and a ROM cell that separately operate, and is capable of loading data in the ROM cell to the RAM cell. In such a hybrid memory device, to transfer the data in the ROM cell to common bit lines, transistors are respectively provided between the bit lines and the ROM cell. Accordingly, even when loading the data in the ROM cell to the RAM cell, the RAM and ROM cells can be separately operated.

Hybrid memory device

An improved voltage level detecting circuit that provides stable voltage detection. The voltage level detecting circuit senses a level of a voltage to be detected only when two clock signals are at a low level after ORing the signals. After detecting the voltage level, the circuit reduces power consumption by preventing a current path between the voltage and ground. Consistent operation of the voltage level detecting circuit is achieved despite fluctuation of the voltage level to be detected caused by noise through detecting the level of the voltage only when a specific clock signal is enabled.

Voltage level detecting circuit

A power down circuit for a memory device is provided that includes a burn-in voltage detector to generate a burn-in voltage detecting signal to control a power down signal when a burn-in voltage reaches a predetermined level. The power down circuit enhances a burn-in function by operating the memory cells and peripheral circuits for a relatively long time at a high level voltage when a burn-in is performed on the memory device with an auto power down function. Thus, the memory device reliability is also enhanced. The memory device includes a power down timer for generating a power down signal to control an input/output operation of a memory cell in response to a plurality of address transition detecting signals, a plurality of data input detecting signals, a chip select detecting signal, a write mode detecting signal and the burn-in voltage detecting signal.

Auto power down circuit for a semiconductor memory device

A write control circuit performs write control of data in a write cycle using consistent parametric control according to a control signal and a write enable signal. A first buffer outputs a buffered control signal based on the control signal, and a second buffer outputs a buffered write enable signal based on the buffered control signal from the first buffer and the write enable signal. A write controller detects an input condition of the control signal and the write enable signal and outputs a delay control signal. A write control signal generator selects a delayed signal based on the delay control signal from the write controller and generates a write control signal, and an output unit outputs input data to data lines in accordance with the generated write control signal.

Wire control circuit and method

An input buffer circuit of a semiconductor memory capable of controlling a logic threshold voltage of the circuit according to a change in an external supply voltage, which includes an external supply voltage detecting unit for dividing the external supply voltage into a plurality of regions by comparing a plurality of voltages, which have been divided by different ratios of the entire external supply voltage, with a standard voltage; and a converting unit including a pull-up circuit and a pull-down circuit, for converting input signals of TTL level into signals of CMOS level, according to the regions of the external supply voltage obtained by the external supply voltage detecting unit. The input buffer has an advantage in that margins for a logical high input range and logical low input range are improved when converting voltages of TTL level into voltages of CMOS level, by controlling the logic threshold voltage so as to lower the logic threshold voltage when the external supply voltage level is high and raise the logic threshold voltage when the external supply voltage level is low.

Input buffer circuit for a semiconductor memory

A power conserving circuit is disclosed which has a start-up circuit for initiating operation of a reference voltage generator. Included are a sensing circuit for producing a pulse signal in response to initial application of an external power source; a reference voltage generator for producing a constant reference voltage independent from an external power source voltage; and a start-up circuit for starting operation of the reference voltage generator during an interval of a pulse produced by the sensing circuit. The start-up circuit includes a switch for connecting and disconnecting the external power source to the reference voltage output port, and a voltage reducing element connected between the switch and the reference voltage output port.

Growing community of inventors

Choongcheongbuk-do, South Korea

Jong-Hoon Park