The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Dec. 25, 2001
Filed:
Sep. 29, 1997
Masaki Kumanoya, Hyogo-ken, JP;
Katsumi Dosaka, Hyogo-ken, JP;
Yasuhiro Konishi, Hyogo-ken, JP;
Akira Yamazaki, Hyogo-ken, JP;
Hisashi Iwamoto, Hyogo-ken, JP;
Kouji Hayano, Hyogo-ken, JP;
Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A semiconductor memory device receives an external control signal repeatedly generated independently of an access to the memory device. The memory device includes an internal voltage generator for generating a desired internal voltage in response to the control signal. The internal voltage generator includes a charge pump circuit responsive to the control signal. The internal voltage may provide a negative voltage such as a substrate bias voltage, or may be a positive voltage boosted over an operating power supply voltage and used as a boosted word line drive signal. This scheme eliminates an oscillator for generating a repeated clock signal to the charge pump circuit, leading to reduced current consumption and reduced chip area for the semiconductor memory device.