Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.

Panasonic Corporation

The Warner & Swasey Company

Naoki Kuroda

Masashi Agata

Kazunari Takahashi

Masanori Shirahama

Tsutomu Fujita

Hiroyuki Sadakata

Yuji Nakai

Makoto Kojima

Toshio Yamada

Yoshinobu Yamagami

Masanobu Hirose

Naoki Yamada

Ryuji Nishihara

Kimihiro Tsuge

In a static random access memory (SRAM) device having a hierarchical bit line architecture, a local sense amplifier (SA) circuit includes P-channel transistors which precharge local bit lines connected to memory cells, P-channel transistors each having a gate connected to a corresponding one of the local bit lines and a drain connected to a corresponding one of global bit lines, and N-channel transistors each having a gate connected to a corresponding one of the global bit lines and a drain connected to a corresponding one of the local bit lines. As a result, restore operation to a non-selected memory cell during write operation can be achieved without the need of a fine timing control, the speed of read operation by a feedback function can be increased, and the area can be reduced.

Semiconductor memory device

A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array block including a plurality of memory cells each including a data holding circuit configured to store data using a first and a second circuit elements and a transistor configured to connect the data holding circuit and a bit line together, sense amplifiers connected to bit lines directly or via switches, and a dummy memory cell array including a plurality of dummy memory cells each having the same circuit configuration as that of the memory cell with respect to the element size and the layout configuration. The plurality of dummy memory cells each include at least one inverter circuit configuration, and are connected together by the inverter circuits being connected together in series. An output signal of the inverter circuit of one in the final stage of the dummy memory cells is an activation signal for the sense amplifiers.

A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell connected to a read bit line and a pair of write bit lines, and a data amplifier connected to the read bit line. A precharge potential resetting circuit uses a function of generating precharge potentials to the pair of write bit lines based on data of the memory cell amplified by the data amplifier to set the precharge potentials of the non-selected pair of write bit lines to have a potential relationship corresponding to the data stored by the memory cell. As a result, data destruction of the non-selected memory cell during write operation is reduced or prevented, and the speed of operation is increased and the area is reduced.

A semiconductor memory device includes a first inverter and a second inverter each having an input and an output, the output of each of the first and second inverters being connected to the input of the other so that data is stored, a CMOS switch configured to connect the input of the first inverter and a write bit line, a read MOS transistor having a gate connected to the output of the first inverter, and a MOS switch configured to connect the read MOS transistor to a read bit line. The first and second inverters have different sizes and are connected to different source power supplies.

A semiconductor integrated circuit including on a single chip a plurality of circuit blocks and a plurality of internal power supply circuits for delivering a common supply voltage to the plurality of circuit blocks includes: a shared power supply interconnection for connecting the plurality of circuit blocks and the plurality of internal power supply circuits; and an external pad connected to the shared power supply interconnection. Whether or not each of the internal power supply circuits delivers the supply voltage is controlled by a certain power supply control signal.

Power control for a plurality of internal power supply circuits of a semiconductor integrated circuit

In a semiconductor storage device, such as a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), in which dynamic data is amplified and read on a bit line, a data line sense amplifier/write buffer connected to a data line of a memory array and a data line sense amplifier control signal generating logic circuit connected to a dummy data line of a dummy memory array are provided. A sense amplifier is activated in accordance with an output signal of the logic circuit.

Semiconductor storage device

The semiconductor integrated circuit includes: a plurality of macro cells; and a serial-parallel conversion circuit for converting a serial signal inputted from outside to generate parallel selection control signals during testing, or an A/D conversion circuit for converting an analog signal inputted from outside to generate digital selection control signals during testing. One or more among, the plurality of macro cells are selected based on the selection control signals and brought to a test operation state.

Semiconductor integrated circuit

A semiconductor memory device is provided comprising precharge circuits corresponding to global data line pairs, but not a precharge circuit corresponding to a local data line pair. In a command waiting state, data line selection switches are controlled to be in a connected state, so that the local data line pair and the global data line pairs are precharged all together while being connected to each other. In a command executing state, one of the data line selection switches, the one being not required for command execution, is in an open state. Similarly, a semiconductor memory device comprising only a precharge circuit corresponding to a local data line pair can be provided.

Semiconductor memory device having hierarchically structured data lines and precharging means

In a memory cell array, source lines are provided so that each of the source lines is connected to ones of memory cells which belong to adjacent two rows and a plurality of source bias control circuits for supplying a source bias potential which is higher than a ground potential and lower than a power supply potential are provided so as to correspond to the source lines, respectively. In an active period, the source bias control circuits perform potential control so that one or more of the source lines selected by row predecoders which are not connected to one of the memory cells which is to be read out are controlled to be in a state where the source bias potential is supplied.

In a memory cell array, source lines are provided so that each of the source line is connected to ones of memory cells which belong to adjacent two rows and a plurality of source bias control circuits for supplying a source bias potential which is higher than a ground potential and lower than a power supply potential are provided so as to correspond to the source lines, respectively. During a stand-by period, each of the source lines is controlled to be in a state where the source bias potential is supplied and, during an active period, one or more of the source lines which are not connected to one of the memory cells which is to be read out are controlled to be in a state where the source bias potential is supplied.

A logic circuit block and a memory circuit block are provided on a semiconductor chip. A timing adjustment circuit block for adjusting the propagation timing of signals is provided on a line between the circuit blocks. A timing adjustment circuit unit includes: a delay element block including a plurality of delay elements for adding different delay amounts to the inter-block signals; a counter circuit block for receiving a timing adjustment control signal from the timing adjustment circuit block; and a fuse circuit block in which a fuse is melted down based on a fuse information signal held by the counter circuit block after a timing verification and which replaces the function of the counter circuit block.

Semiconductor device including a plurality of circuit blocks provided on a chip and having different functions

A semiconductor integrated circuit device including a plurality of internal power supply generating circuits arranged on a single chip and a common monitor pad is provided. The internal power supply generating circuits are connected via respective switches to the common monitor pad, and the internal power supply generating circuits and the monitor pad are selectively connectable using the switches.

Semiconductor integrated circuit device

Logic circuits access a memory block by way of an access circuit. The memory block, which is formed of a mixed configuration of DRAMs and an SRAM, realizes the desired memory space. A data output register is provided at the output side of the SRAM so as to synchronize data output timing from the DRAMs with data output timing from the SRAM.

A port A of the path including a first transistor of a memory cell to be accessed, a first bit line pair, a first column selection switch and a data line pair interleaves with a port B of the path including a second transistor of the memory cell to be accessed, a second bit line pair, a second column selection switch and the data line pair in two cycles of a clock. A read amplifier amplifies data transferred from a bit line pair to the data line pair and outputs the resultant data to an input/output buffer in one cycle of the clock. The input/output buffer outputs the data received from the read amplifier to the outside in one cycle of the clock.

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Kyoto, Japan

Naoki Kuroda