System and method to synchronize signals in individual integrated circuit components
View Patent ↗A synchronous output signal generated by an integrated circuit (IC) component is synchronized to an applied clock signal for each individual IC component. A variable feedback delay in the IC component is incrementally altered to alter the phase skew between the clock signal and the output signal. The relative phase order of the clock and output signals is monitored in the IC component. In response to detecting a swap in the relative phase order of the clock and output signals, the variable feedback delay ceases to be altered. In some embodiments, the IC component may be a SDRAM component.
1. A method of synchronizing an output signal generated by an integrated circuit (IC) component to a clock signal applied to the component, comprising:
incrementally altering a variable feedback delay in the IC component to alter the phase skew between the clock signal and the output signal;
monitoring in the IC component the relative phase order of the clock and output signals; and
ceasing to alter the variable feedback delay in response to detecting a swap in the relative phase order of the clock and output signals.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein incrementally altering the variable feedback delay comprises blowing one or more fuses in the IC component associated with delay elements in the variable feedback delay.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein incrementally altering the variable feedback delay comprises sequentially applying different control values to the variable feedback delay.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein incrementally applying different control values to the variable feedback delay comprises incrementing or decrementing a counter.
5. The method of claim 3 further comprising
outputting the variable feedback delay control value corresponding to the swap in the relative phase order of the clock and output signals to a tester; and
subsequently blowing one or more fuses associated with delay elements in the variable feedback delay based on the saved variable feedback delay control value.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein incrementally monitoring in the IC component the relative phase order of the clock and output signals comprises monitoring in the IC component the relative phase order of the clock and output signals after the Delay Locked Loop locks to the clock signal.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the IC component is a SDRAM component.
8. An integrated circuit (IC) component, comprising:
a Delay Locked Loop (DLL) circuit operative to synchronize internal clock signals to an applied external clock input;
a signal generation circuit connected to the DLL circuit and operative to generate an output signal synchronous with the external clock input;
a monitoring circuit operative to detect the relative phase order between the output signal and the clock input; and
a control circuit operative to alter a variable feedback delay of the DLL circuit until the monitoring circuit indicates a swap in the relative phase order between the output signal and the clock input.
9. The IC component of claim 8 wherein the control circuit alters the variable feedback delay by directing a tester to blow one or more fuses associated with delay elements in DLL.
10. The IC component of claim 8 wherein the control circuit alters the variable feedback delay by incrementing or decrementing a counter outputting a control value to the variable delay.
11. The IC component of claim 10 wherein the control circuit saves the value of the counter associated with the swap in the relative phase order between the output signal and the clock signal.
12. The IC component of claim 10 wherein the IC component is a SDRAM component.
13. An integrated circuit (IC) component, comprising:
an input buffer to receive an applied clock signal;
an output buffer to drive a synchronous output signal;
a signal generation circuit operative to generate the synchronous output signal;
a Delay Locked Loop including a variable feedback delay, the delay of which alters the phase skew between the clock and output signals;
a phase detector receiving the clock signal prior to the input buffer and receiving the output signal after the output buffer, and outputting a signal indicative of the relative phase order of the clock and output signals; and
synchronization logic operative to incrementally alter the variable feedback delay, and to synchronize the clock and output signals by ceasing to alter the variable feedback delay when the phase detector output indicates a swap in the relative phase order of the clock and output signals.
14. The IC component of claim 13 wherein the synchronization logic incrementally alters the variable feedback delay by signaling a tester to blow one or more fuses associated with delay elements in the variable feedback delay.
15. The IC component of claim 13 wherein the value of the variable feedback delay varies according to an applied control value, and wherein the synchronization logic incrementally alters the variable feedback delay by successively outputting different control values to the variable feedback delay.
16. The IC component of claim 15 wherein the synchronization logic saves to a tester the control value corresponding to the swap in the relative phase order of the clock and output signals.
17. The IC component of claim 16 wherein the tester subsequently blows fuses in the variable feedback delay based on the saved variable feedback delay control value.
18. The IC component of claim 13 wherein the IC component is a SDRAM component.
19. A method of manufacturing integrated circuit (IC) components, comprising:
for each individual IC component on a wafer, synchronizing an output signal to an applied clock input signal by determining a value for a variable feedback delay in a Delay Locked Loop in the IC component that substantially phase aligns the clock and output signals; and
blowing one or more fuses on the IC component to set the variable feedback delay to the determined value.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the steps of determining a variable feedback delay value and blowing one or more fuses are performed during separate test procedures.
21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising storing the determined variable feedback delay value for each IC component and associating the value with the respective IC component.
22. The method of claim 19 , wherein the steps of determining a feedback delay value and blowing one or more fuses are performed during the same test procedure.
23. The method of claim 19 wherein the IC component is a SDRAM component.
24. An integrated circuit (IC) component, comprising:
input buffering means for receiving an applied clock signal;
output buffering means for driving a synchronous output signal;
a Delay Locked Loop including a variable feedback delay, the delay of which alters the phase skew between the clock and output signals;
phase detecting means receiving the clock signal prior to the input buffer and receiving the output signal after the output buffer, for determining the relative phase order of the clock and output signals; and
synchronizing means for incrementally altering the variable feedback delay, and for synchronizing the clock and output signals by ceasing to alter the variable feedback delay when the phase detecting means detects a swap in the relative phase order of the clock and output signals.
25. The IC component of claim 24 wherein the synchronizing means incrementally alters the variable feedback delay by directing test equipment to blow one or more fuses associated with delay elements in the feedback delay.
26. The IC component of claim 24 wherein the synchronizing means incrementally alters the variable feedback delay by outputting successive control values to the variable feedback delay.
27. The IC component of claim 24 wherein the IC component is a SDRAM component.