Fujitsu Corporation

Fujitsu Microelectronics Limited

Yuki Ishii

Masato Matsumiya

Masato Takita

Ayako Kitamoto

Hideki Kanou

Satoshi Eto

Kuninori Kawabata

Toshikazu Nakamura

Toru Koga

Masatomo Hasegawa

Shinichi Yamada

Kaoru Mori

Akira Kikutake

Toshimi Ikeda

Yuichi Uzawa

A semiconductor device, including a word line driver for driving a word line connected to a memory cell in a memory cell array and for resetting the word line when the memory cell changes from an activated to a standby state. The reset level of the word line driver is set when resetting of the word line is performed, and may be switched between first and second potentials. A word line reset level generating circuit varies the amount of negative potential current supply in accordance with memory cell array operating conditions. The semiconductor device includes a plurality of power source circuits, each having an oscillation circuit and a capacitor, for driving the capacitor via an oscillation signal outputted by the oscillation circuit. At least some power source circuits share a common oscillation circuit, and different capacitors are driven via the common oscillation signal.

Semiconductor memory device capable of driving non-selected word lines to a variable negative potential based on a bank access operation

A semiconductor memory device having a shift redundancy function includes a switch circuit for changeably connecting a plurality of decode signal lines decoding an address signal to a plurality of selecting lines and redundancy selecting lines, and executes a switch operation for shifting at least one of a plurality of decode lines in the direction of a first redundancy selecting line positioned at one of the ends among a plurality of selecting lines or a second switch operation for shifting at least one of the decode lines in the direction of a second redundancy selecting line positioned at the other end among the selecting lines or both of the first and second operations when any fault occurs in a plurality of selecting lines. The semiconductor memory device preferably includes two or more first redundancy selecting lines positioned at one of the ends of a plurality of selecting lines, two or more second redundancy selecting lines positioned at the other end, and first and second switch units disposed in two stages. When any fault selecting line occurs, the first switch unit executes a first switch operation for shifting at least one of the decode signal lines in the direction of the first redundancy selecting line or a second switch operation for shifting the same in the direction of the second redundancy selecting line, or the second switch unit executes a third switch operation for shifting at least one decode signal line in the direction of the first redundancy selecting line or a fourth switch operation for shifting it in the direction of the second redundancy selecting line.

Semiconductor memory device and method for executing shift redundancy operation

A semiconductor device includes a word line drive circuit for resetting the word line by driving the word line connected to a memory cell and is constituted so as to switch a reset level of the word line drive circuit, which is set at the time of the reset operation of the word line, between a first potential such as a ground potential and a second potential such as a negative potential. Further, a semiconductor device including a memory cell array formed by arranging a plurality of memory cells and a word line reset level generating circuit for generating a negative potential makes it possible to vary the amount of a current supply of the word line reset level generating circuit when non-selected word lines are set to a negative potential by applying the output of the word line reset level generating circuit to the non-selected word lines, and varies the amount of the current supply of the negative potential in accordance with the operation of the memory cell array. Furthermore, in a semiconductor device including a plurality of power source circuits each having an oscillation circuit and a capacitor, for driving the capacitor by the oscillation signal outputted by the oscillation circuit, at least a part of these power source circuits shares in common the oscillation circuit, and different capacitors are driven by the oscillation signal outputted from the common oscillation circuit.

Semiconductor device

A semiconductor device includes a word line drive circuit resetting the word line by driving the word line connected to a memory cell and switching a reset level of the word line drive circuit at the time of the reset operation of the word line. Further, a semiconductor device includes a memory cell array formed by arranging a plurality of memory cells and a reset level switch circuit for selecting a first potential or a second potential and supplying the first potential or the second potential to the word line drive circuit.

Semiconductor memory device capable of driving non-selected word lines to first and second potentials

A semiconductor integrated circuit having an active mode and a standby mode includes a node at which an internal circuit is connected to a latch circuit, the latch circuit storing a data signal output from the internal circuit. A level determination unit determines a logic level of the node in response to a control signal indicating the standby mode.

Semiconductor integrated circuit

A semiconductor integrated circuit, comprising a circuit unit having a predetermined function such as a level shifter circuit or a driver transistor circuit by a combination of a plurality of transistors, is disclosed. Among a plurality of the transistors of the circuit unit, the source potential of at least one transistor adapted to turn off during the standby period of the circuit unit is changed. Preferably, the semiconductor integrated circuit is configured to reduce the sub-threshold current flowing between the source and the drain of at least one transistor adapted to turn off during the standby period of the circuit unit by changing the source potential at a timing based on the standby period of the circuit unit in such a manner that a predetermined bias voltage is applied between the gate and the source of the transistor. A method of switching the source potential of at least one transistor in the semiconductor integrated circuit having the configuration described above is also disclosed.

Semiconductor integrated circuit and method of switching source potential of transistor in semiconductor integrated circuit

To reduce current consumption, there is provided a circuit for each bank, comprising selection circuits,through,each for selecting either a normal supply voltage Vii or a higher supply voltage Vjj as a supply voltage VH,in response to a selection control signals SC,and *SC,a selection control circuit,for generating the signals SC,and *SC0 to make the selection circuits select Vii when a bank activation signal BRAS,is inactive and Vjj for a predetermined period in response to activation of BRAS,and sense amplifier driving circuits,through,for supplying the ground voltage and VH,to the sense amplifier rows in response to activation of sense amplifier control signals. To stabilize the output voltage Vii of the power supply circuit having a NMOS transistor, the drain electrode, gate and source electrodes of which are at VCC, VG and approximately Vii&equals;VG&minus;Vth, where Vth is the threshold voltage of the NMOS transistor,a leak circuit is employed. The leak circuit has a NMOS transistor connected between Vii and ground. Wasteful power consumption by the current flowing to the leak circuit is negligibly small, e.g. 1 to 10 &mgr;A, and the variation of the supply voltage Vii reduces effectively.

Semiconductor memory device with overdriven sense amplifier and stabilized power-supply circuit of source follower type

According to a semiconductor memory for one aspect of the present invention, a memory cell transistor is formed in a P-type first well region which is formed at the surface of a P-type semiconductor substrate, and a back bias voltage is applied to the P-type first well region and the P-type substrate. Further, an N-type retrograde region is formed by implanting a high energy N-type impurity, so that a deeper, N-type second well region is formed by employing the N-type retrograde region. Further, a P-type third well region is formed in the N-type second well region, and a P-type emitter region is also formed therein. Thus, together the P-type emitter region, the N-type second well region, and the P-type third well region constitute a lateral PNP transistor. In addition, the ground voltage is maintained for the P-type third well region, which serves as a collector region.

Semiconductor memory device

A semiconductor device having the function of generating an internal clock signal delayed by a predetermined phase by adjusting the phase of an external clock signal, includes a first clock phase circuit for roughly adjusting the phase of the external clock signal; and a second clock phase adjusting circuit for controlling the phase of the internal clock signal with higher accuracy than the first clock phase adjusting circuit. The semiconductor device having such a construction executes phase comparisons by the first and second clock phase adjusting circuits independently of each other, and when a phase control operation by the second clock phase adjusting circuit is made subordinate to that of the first clock phase adjusting circuit, the delay time of each of a plurality of delay elements inside the first clock phase adjusting circuit is set to a value larger than a power source jitter resulting from a noise of a power source and a jitter of the external clock signal.

A semiconductor integrated circuit producing a given output voltage includes first and second operational amplifiers, and first and second transistors. The first and second operational amplifiers detect a voltage difference between a voltage applied to an input terminal and at least one reference voltage. The first and second transistors are turned ON or turned OFF according to the levels of voltages output from the first and second operational amplifiers. The first operational amplifier receives the output voltage at the input terminal. When the level of the output voltage becomes lower than the reference voltage, the first operational amplifier allows the first transistor to operate so as to raise the output voltage. In contrast, the second operational amplifier receives the output voltage at the input terminal. When the level of the output voltage exceeds the reference voltage, the second operational amplifier allows the second transistor to operate so as to lower the output voltage.

A memory device comprising: a step-down voltage generating circuit for generating a first step-down voltage by stepping down a power-supply voltage, and a second step-down voltage lower than said first step-down voltage; a peripheral circuit to which said first step-down voltage is supplied; and a memory core to which said second step-down voltage is supplied, wherein said step-down voltage generating circuit comprises a first step-down circuit for generating said first step-down voltage from said power-supply voltage supplied thereto, and a second step-down circuit for generating said second step-down voltage from said first step-down voltage supplied thereto, and a consumed current corresponding to said second step-down voltage is a first current value in a first operating period, and a second current value lower than said first current value in a second operating period.

Memory device

A semiconductor device has a DLL circuit or the like for adjusting the phase of an external clock and producing an internal clock that lags behind by a given phase. The semiconductor device further includes a clock frequency judging unit for judging the frequency of a first clock on the basis of an indication signal indicating a delay value of the first clock in the DLL circuit or the like to output a control signal; and a clock selecting unit for selecting either one of the first clock and the second clock, in response to the control signal.

A semiconductor memory has memory cells arranged in arrays, direct-type sense amplifiers arranged in each column of the memory cells, for writing and reading data to and from a memory cell to be accessed, column selection lines for selecting sense amplifiers that are in a column that involves the memory cell to be accessed, write-only column selection lines for selecting sense amplifiers that are in a row that involves the memory cell to be accessed if the memory cell is accessed to write data thereto, and local drivers. The sense amplifiers are grouped, in each row, into sense amplifier blocks. The write-only column selection lines consist of first selection lines for selecting sense amplifier blocks that are in the row that involves the memory cell to be accessed for data write and second selection lines for selecting sense amplifiers that are contained in the selected sense amplifier blocks. The local drivers apply a selection signal to the second selection lines according to a selection signal from the first selection lines. The write-only column selection lines are controlled by signals that are used to control the sense amplifiers.

Semiconductor memory employing direct-type sense amplifiers capable of

The present invention relates to a memory device including memory cells each formed of a cell transistor connected to bit and word line and a cell capacitor. The memory device includes a pre-charging circuit for pre-charging bit line to a first voltage, a sense amplifier for detecting voltages of bit lines and driving the bit lines to a second voltage for H level or a third voltage for L level, and a word line driving circuit for driving word lines to make the writing voltage for H level of the cell capacitor to a fourth voltage lower than the second voltage. The present invention is characterized in that the first voltage is lower than an intermediate value between the second and third voltages. According to the present invention, it becomes possible to prevent the voltage V.sub.ds of the cell transistor from being zero by setting the writing voltage (fourth voltage) for H level of the cell capacitor to be lower than the voltage for H level (second voltage) of the bit line, thus reducing a time of writing or re-writing data. Additionally, a pre-charge voltage (first voltage) of the bit lines is set to be lower than the half of the amplitude of the bit line. Thereby, it also becomes possible to prevent the very small voltage of the bit line from being smaller according to the lowered H level voltage in the memory cell.

Memory device with faster write operation

To reduce current consumption, there is provided a circuit for each bank, comprising selection circuits 26 through 28 each for selecting either a normal supply voltage Vii or a higher supply voltage Vjj as a supply voltage VH0 in response to a selection control signals SC0 and *SC0, a selection control circuit 22 for generating the signals SC0 and *SC0 to make the selection circuits select Vii when a bank activation signal BRAS0 is inactive and Vjj for a predetermined period in response to activation of BRAS0, and sense amplifier driving circuits 111 through 113 for supplying the ground voltage and VH0 to the sense amplifier rows in response to activation of sense amplifier control signals. To stabilize the output voltage Vii of the power supply circuit having a NMOS transistor, the drain electrode, gate and source electrodes of which are at VCC, VG and approximately Vii=VG-Vth, where Vth is the threshold voltage of the NMOS transistor 45, a leak circuit is employed. The leak circuit has a NMOS transistor connected between Vii and ground. Wasteful power consumption by the current flowing to the leak circuit is negligibly small, e.g. 1 to 10 .mu.A, and the variation of the supply voltage Vii reduces effectively.

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Kawasaki, Japan

Yuki Ishii