Input signal receiving device of semiconductor memory unit
View Patent ↗A receiving device which may include a plurality of pre-amplifiers and a plurality of samplers. Each of the plurality of samplers is connected to the output ports of a corresponding pre-amplifier. Each sampler samples data signals input thereto in response to a corresponding clock signal. The receiving device of a semiconductor memory unit may reduce input capacitance seen from the outside of chip and eliminate mutual interference of signals so as to prevent errors from being generated when data is extracted in the event of over sampling using pre-amplifiers. Furthermore, the receiving device can separately control the pre-amplifier for samplers that receive clock signals for data alignment and the pre-amplifier for samplers that accept clock signals for repeated data reception.
1. An apparatus comprising a receiving device of a semiconductor memory unit which comprises:
a plurality of pre-amplifiers; and
a plurality of samplers,
wherein input ports of the samplers are connected to respective output ports of the pre-amplifiers, and the respective samplers sample data signals input into the input ports of the plurality of samplers in response to corresponding clock signals
wherein the input ports of samplers of a first group among the plurality of samplers are each connected to the output ports of a corresponding first pre-amplifier among the plurality of pre-amplifiers, wherein the input ports of samplers of a second group among the plurality of samplers are each connected to the output ports of a corresponding second pre-amplifier among the plurality of pre-amplifiers, and wherein each of the samplers of the first and second group samples data signals input into the input ports thereof in response to a corresponding clock signal, and
wherein each of the samplers of a first group and the second group sample the data signals in response to corresponding clock signals having different phases, wherein each of the clock signals input into the samplers of the first group has a phase corresponding to the edge of the data signals and is aligned with the data signals, and wherein each of the clock signals input mo the samplers of the second group has a phase corresponding to a predetermined point between edges of the data signals and is used for extracting the data signals.
2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
a reference voltage generator for generating predetermined reference voltages; and
a divider for dividing an external clock signal to generate a plurality of clock signals,
wherein the samplers compare the data signals with the reference voltages to sample them.
3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the divider generates internal clock signals respectively corresponding to the plurality of samplers, and the frequency of the internal clock signals is lower than the frequency of the data signals.
4. An apparatus comprising a receiving device of a semiconductor memory unit which comprises:
a plurality of pre-amplifiers; and
a plurality of samplers,
wherein input ports of the samplers are connected to respective output ports of the pre-amplifiers, and the respective samplers sample data signals input into the input ports of the plurality of samplers in response to corresponding clock signals,
wherein the input ports of samplers of a first group among the plurality of samplers are each connected to the output ports of a corresponding first pre-amplifier among the plurality of pre-amplifiers, wherein the input ports of samplers of a second group among the plurality of samplers are each connected to the output ports of a corresponding second pre-amplifier among the plurality of pre-amplifiers, wherein the input ports of samplers of a third group among the plurality of samplers are each connected to the output ports of a corresponding third pre-amplifier among the plurality of pre-amplifiers, and wherein each of the samplers of the first, second, and third group samples data signals input into the input ports of the samplers in response to a corresponding clock signal, and
wherein each of the samplers of the first, second, and third groups samples the data signals in response to corresponding clock signals having different phases, wherein each of the clock signals input into the samplers of the first group has a phase corresponding to the edge of the data signals and is aligned with the data signals, wherein each of the clock signals input into the samplers of the second group has a phase corresponding to a predetermined point between edges of the data signals and is used for extracting the data signals, and wherein each of the clock signals input into the samplers of the third group has a phase corresponding to a predetermined point between edges of the data signals, which is different from the point corresponding to the phase of the clock signals of the second group samplers, and is used for extracting the data signals.
5. A method comprising receiving data in a semiconductor memory, wherein said receiving comprises:
amplifying data input from the outside; and
sampling the amplified data, synchronizing the data with an internal clock signal,
wherein said data sampling comprises generating a plurality of internal clock signals having multiple phase differences from an external clock signal, sampling the data by synchronizing the data with the plurality of internal clock signals, and sequentially outpuffing the plurality of sampled data contents in the order of the phase differences, and
wherein said data sampling further comprises repeatedly sampling the same data multiple times, and detecting the sampled data through combination of the repeatedly sampled data contents.
6. The method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the data sampling compares the data with a reference voltage to sample the data.
7. A receiving device of a semiconductor unit, comprising:
an input terminal;
a first pre-amplifier connected to the input terminal and including a first output port which outputs first data signals;
a second pre-amplifier connected to the input terminal and including a second output port which outputs second data signals;
a first group of samplers connected to the first output port of the first pre-amplifier, wherein the first group of samplers sample the first data signals in response to first clock signals;
a second group of samplers connected to the second output port of the second pre-amplifier, wherein the second group of samplers sample the second data signals in response to second clock signals;
wherein each of the first clock signals input has a phase corresponding to the edge of the first data signal and is aligned with the first data signals, and
wherein each of the second clock signals has a phase corresponding to a predetermined point between edges of the second data signals and is used for extracting the data signals.
8. The receiving device as claims in claim 7 , wherein each of the first and second groups of samplers includes eight samplers.
9. The receiving device as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the first clock signals have phase differences relative to each other of forty-five degrees, and wherein the second clock signals have phase differences relative to each other of forty-five degrees.
10. The receiving device as claimed in claim 7 , further comprising:
a third pre-amplifier connected to the input terminal and including a third output port which outputs third data signals;
a third group of samplers connected to the third output port of the third pre-amplifier, wherein the third group of samplers sample the third data signals in response to third clock signals;
wherein each of the third clock signals has a phase corresponding to another predetermined point between edges of the third data signals.
11. The receiving device as claims in claim 10 , wherein each of the first, second and third groups of samplers includes six samplers.
12. The receiving device as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the first clock signals have phase differences relative to each other of sixty degrees, wherein the second clock signals have phase differences relative to each other of sixty degrees, and wherein the third clock signals have phase differences relative to each other of sixty degrees.
13. The receiving device as claims in claim 10 , wherein each of the first, second and third groups of samplers includes four samplers.
14. The receiving device as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the first clock signals have phase differences relative to each other of ninety degrees, wherein the second clock signals have phase differences relative to each other of ninety degrees, and wherein the third clock signals have phase differences relative to each other of ninety degrees.