IP Library Granted Patent US 7,372,766
Granted Patent B2
US 7,372,766 · App. 11/496,401 · Granted May 13, 2008

Semiconductor memory device

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,372,766
App. No.
11/496,401
Granted
May 13, 2008
Kind
B2
Abstract

A semiconductor memory device may include a switching unit to selectively connect a bitline pair and a pair of input/output lines in response to a column selection line signal; a column selection line voltage generator to generate a column selection line voltage; and a column selection line driver to provide the column selection line signal based at least in at the column selection line voltage level.

Claims (45)

1. A semiconductor memory device comprising:

a switching unit to selectively connect a bitline pair and a pair of input/output lines in response to a column selection line signal;

a column selection line voltage generator to generate a column selection line voltage exclusively used by the column selection line signal; and

a column selection line driver to provide the column selection line signal based at least in part upon the column selection line voltage level.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the column selection line voltage is independent of an internal peripheral circuit source voltage or an internal array source voltage.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the column selection line voltage is lower than an internal peripheral circuit source voltage or an internal array source voltage.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the column selection line voltage is generated by using a peripheral circuit reference voltage or an array reference voltage.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein the column selection line voltage generator comprises:

a voltage divider circuit to divide the internal peripheral circuit reference voltage or internal array reference voltage;

a differential amplifier that differentially amplifies a first node voltage in the voltage divider circuit and a voltage of a column selection line voltage output node; and;

a current driving transistor that provides current to the column selection line voltage output node in response to an output signal of the differential amplifier.

6. The device of claim 5 , wherein the column selection line voltage generator further comprises a fuse to connect a second node and a third node in the voltage divider circuit.

7. The device of claim 5 , wherein the column selection line voltage generator further comprises a transistor connected between the second node and the third node in the voltage divider circuit, which is turned on/off in response to a mode resister set signal.

8. A semiconductor memory device comprising:

a memory cell array having a matrix of memory cells;

a plurality of bitline pairs that are arranged in correspondence to columns of the matrix, and that are connected to memory cells in the corresponding columns;

a plurality of wordline pairs that are arranged in correspondence to rows in the matrix, and that are connected to memory cells in corresponding rows;

a plurality of bitline sense amplifiers, arranged in correspondence to the plurality of bitline pairs, to sense and amplify data of the corresponding bitline pairs;

a switching unit to selectively connect the plurality of bitline pairs and the plurality of input/output line pairs in response to a column selection line signal;

a column selection line voltage generator to generate a column selection line voltage exclusively used by the column selection line signal;

a column selection unit to provide a column selection line signal based at least in part upon the column selection line voltage level for selection of an assigned column among the plurality of columns in response to a column address signal; and

a plurality of input/output sense amplifiers that are arranged in correspondence to the plurality of input/output line pairs.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the column selection line voltage is independent of an internal peripheral circuit source voltage or an internal array source voltage.

10. The device of claim 8 , wherein the column selection line voltage is lower than an internal peripheral circuit source voltage or an internal array source voltage.

11. The device of claim 8 , wherein the column selection line voltage is generated by using a peripheral circuit reference voltage or an array reference voltage.

12. The device of claim 11 , wherein the column selection line voltage generator comprises:

a voltage divider circuit to divide the internal peripheral circuit reference voltage or internal array reference voltage;

a differential amplifier that differentially amplifies a first node voltage in the voltage divider circuit and a voltage of a column selection line voltage output node; and

a current driving transistor that provides current to the column selection line voltage output node.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the column selection line voltage generator further comprises a fuse to connect a second node and a third node in the voltage divider circuit.

14. The device of claim 12 , wherein the column selection line voltage generator further comprises a transistor connected between the second node and the third node in the voltage divider circuit, which is turned on/off in response to a mode resister set signal.

15. The device of claim 8 , wherein the column selection unit comprises:

a decoder to decode and output a decoded version of the column address signal; and

a column selection line driver to generate the column selection line signal based at least in part upon an output signal from the decoder and the column selection line voltage.

16. The device of claim 15 , wherein the column selection line driver comprises:

a first inverter, powered by an internal peripheral circuit source voltage, to invert the output signal from the decoder; and

a second inverter, powered by the column selection line voltage, to invert an output signal from the first inverter and so produce the column selection line signal.

17. The device of claim 8 , wherein the input/output sense amplifiers are current sense amplifiers.

18. A semiconductor memory device comprising:

a column selection line voltage generator that generates a column selection line voltage;

a column selection line driver to provide a column selection line signal based upon the column selection line voltage level and a given one of an internal peripheral circuit source voltage and an internal array source voltage; and

a switching unit to selectively connect a bitline pair and a pair of input/output lines in response the column selection line signal.

19. The device of claim 18 , wherein the column selection line driver includes:

a first device, powered by the given one of the internal peripheral circuit source voltage and the internal array source voltage, to manipulate a column address signal and produce an intermediate signal; and

a second device, powered by the column selection line voltage level, to manipulate the intermediate signal and produce the column selection line signal.

Assignments (10)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE CONVEYING PARTIES NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 058297 FRAME: 0490. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CHANGE OF NAME. Recorded Aug 29, 2023
From: CONVERSANT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT INC.
To: MOSAID TECHNOLOGIES INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 064782/0161 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Oct 19, 2021
From: CONVERSANT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY INC.
To: MOSAID TECHNOLOGIES INCORPORATED
Reel/Frame 058297/0490 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 10, 2020
From: CPPIB CREDIT INVESTMENTS INC.
To: CONVERSANT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT INC.
Reel/Frame 054371/0157 →
RELEASE OF U.S. PATENT AGREEMENT (FOR NON-U.S. GRANTORS) Recorded Oct 12, 2018
From: ROYAL BANK OF CANADA, AS LENDER
To: CONVERSANT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT INC.
Reel/Frame 047645/0424 →
AMENDED AND RESTATED U.S. PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (FOR NON-U.S. GRANTORS) Recorded Aug 22, 2018
From: CONVERSANT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT INC.
To: CPPIB CREDIT INVESTMENTS, INC.
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U.S. PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (FOR NON-U.S. GRANTORS) Recorded Sep 9, 2014
From: CONVERSANT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT INC.
To: CPPIB CREDIT INVESTMENTS INC., AS LENDER; ROYAL BANK OF CANADA, AS LENDER
Reel/Frame 033706/0367 →
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Sep 3, 2014
From: CONVERSANT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT INC.
To: CONVERSANT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT INC.
Reel/Frame 033678/0096 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 7, 2014
From: ROYAL BANK OF CANADA
To: CONVERSANT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT INC.; CONVERSANT IP N.B. 868 INC.; CONVERSANT IP N.B. 276 INC.
Reel/Frame 033484/0344 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 13, 2014
From: MOSAID TECHNOLOGIES INCORPORATED
To: CONVERSANT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT INC.
Reel/Frame 032439/0638 →
U.S. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT (FOR NON-U.S. GRANTORS) - SHORT FORM Recorded Jan 10, 2012
From: 658276 N.B. LTD.; 658868 N.B. INC.; MOSAID TECHNOLOGIES INCORPORATED
To: ROYAL BANK OF CANADA
Reel/Frame 027512/0196 →