Semiconductor memory module

1. A semiconductor memory module comprising:

a plurality of memory chips;

a module-internal clock, address, command and data signal bus;

at least one buffer chip that drives clock signals and command and address signals to the memory chips and also drives data signals to, and receives them from, the memory chips via the module-internal clock, address, command and data signal bus; and

an interface to an external memory main bus formed by the buffer chip;

wherein the memory chips are arranged in at least one row starting from the buffer chip, and are connected to the latter by means of the module-internal bus;

wherein the memory chips respectively have separate writing and reading clock signal inputs for receiving the clock signals;

wherein the clock signal lines are routed in at least one loop, via the memory chips, from the buffer chip to the end of each row and from there back to the buffer chip; and

wherein the memory chips are clocked, when writing data, by the clock signals, which originate from the buffer chip and are received at the writing clock signal inputs of said memory chips and are clocked, when reading data, by the clock signals, which travel back to the buffer chip and are received at the reading clock signal inputs of the memory chips.

2. The semiconductor memory module of claim 1 , wherein, starting from a buffer chip arranged centrally on the semiconductor memory module, a respective memory chip row is arranged on the right and on the left and a respective clock signal loop is routed, via each memory chip row, from the buffer chip to the right-hand and left-hand ends of the semiconductor memory module and back to the buffer chip.

3. The semiconductor memory module of claim 1 , wherein said module is a DIMM memory module and the memory chips are DDR DRAM chips.

4. The semiconductor memory module of claim 1 , wherein the clock signals are routed as differential clock signals via two clock signal lines.

5. The semiconductor memory module of claim 1 , wherein the clock signal lines are terminated at their incoming ends on the buffer chip.

6. The semiconductor memory module of claim 1 , wherein a respective clock signal amplifier is arranged in the clock signal lines at the end of each memory chip row, said amplifier amplifying the writing clock signal there, which arrives from the buffer chip, and routing it back, in amplified form, to the buffer chip as a reading clock signal.

7. The semiconductor memory module of claim 6 , wherein the clock signal amplifier is a PLL module.

8. The semiconductor memory module of claim 1 , wherein the buffer chip has separately driven clock signal outputs for each memory chip row.

9. The semiconductor memory module of claim 1 , wherein the buffer chip generates a flag signal in addition to the clock signal, said flag signal being fed to a flag signal input of the memory chips and likewise being routed in a loop from the buffer chip to the end of each memory chip row and back to the buffer chip.

10. The semiconductor memory module of claim 9 , wherein the frequency of the flag signal is a fraction of the frequency of the clock signal.

11. A semiconductor memory module comprising:

a plurality of memory chips each having separate writing and reading clock signals inputs for receiving clock signals, the memory chips arranged in at least one row;

a module-internal clock, address, command and data signal bus;

an external memory main bus; and

at least one buffer chip that drives clock signals and command and address signals to the memory chips, that drives data signals to, and receives data signals from, the memory chips via the module-internal bus, and that forms an interface to the external memory bus;

wherein the memory chips are coupled to the buffer chip via the module-internal bus;

wherein the clock signal lines are routed in at least one loop, via the memory chips, from the buffer chip to the end of the row and from there back to the buffer chip; and

wherein the memory chips are clocked, when writing data, by the clock signals, which originate from the buffer chip and are received at the writing clock signal inputs of the memory chips and are clocked, when reading data, by the clock signals, which travel back to the buffer chip and are received at the reading clock signal inputs of the memory chips.

12. The semiconductor memory module of claim 11 , wherein, starting from a buffer chip arranged centrally on the semiconductor memory module, a respective memory chip row is arranged on the right and on the left and a respective clock signal loop is routed, via each memory chip row, from the buffer chip to the right-hand and left-hand ends of the semiconductor memory module and back to the buffer chip.

13. The semiconductor memory module of claim 11 , wherein said module is a DIMM memory module and the memory chips are DDR DRAM chips.

14. The semiconductor memory module of claim 11 , wherein the clock signals are routed as differential clock signals via two clock signal lines.

15. The semiconductor memory module of claim 11 , wherein the clock signal lines are terminated at their incoming ends on the buffer chip.

16. The semiconductor memory module of claim 11 , wherein a respective clock signal amplifier is arranged in the clock signal lines at the end of each memory chip row, said amplifier amplifying the writing clock signal there, which arrives from the buffer chip, and routing it back, in amplified form, to the buffer chip as a reading clock signal.

17. The semiconductor memory module of claim 16 , wherein the clock signal amplifier is a PLL module.

18. The semiconductor memory module of claim 11 , wherein the buffer chip has separately driven clock signal outputs for each memory chip row.

19. The semiconductor memory module of claim 11 , wherein the buffer chip generates a flag signal in addition to the clock signal, said flag signal being fed to a flag signal input of the memory chips and likewise being routed in a loop from the buffer chip to the end of each memory chip row and back to the buffer chip.

20. The semiconductor memory module of claim 19 , wherein the frequency of the flag signal is a fraction of the frequency of the clock signal.