ZQ calibration circuit and a semiconductor device including a ZQ calibration circuit
View Patent ↗A ZQ calibration command is internally generated from an external command different from a ZQ calibration command so as to automatically perform an additional ZQ calibration operation. A command interval between an inputted command and a next command is effectively employed to obtain a ZQ calibration period. The external command different from the ZQ calibration command is preferably a self-refreshed command. The addition of the ZQ calibration operation shortens intervals between ZQ calibration operations. Thus, it is possible to obtain a ZQ calibration circuit capable of performing a ZQ calibration operation more accurately.
1. A ZQ calibration circuit comprising:
a ZQ calibration terminal; and
a control circuit coupled to the ZQ calibration terminal to perform a ZQ calibration operation in response to a control signal,
wherein the control signal is issued by an external ZQ calibration command and further by a different external command from the external ZQ calibration command, and each of the different external command and the ZQ calibration command is supplied without an intervention of the ZQ calibration terminal.
2. The ZQ calibration circuit as recited in claim 1 , wherein the different external command is an external command for starting a self-refresh operation.
3. The ZQ calibration circuit as recited in claim 2 , wherein the control signal is issued by the external command for starting the self-refresh operation, and the ZQ calibration operation starts at an end of the self-refresh operation.
4. The ZQ calibration circuit as recited in claim 3 , wherein the ZQ calibration operation is performed during a DLL lock period after the self-refresh operation.
5. The semiconductor device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the command different from the external ZQ calibration command is an external command for starting a self-refresh operation of the semiconductor device.
6. The semiconductor device as recited in claim 5 , wherein the control signal is issued by the external command for starting the self-refresh operation, and the ZQ calibration operation starts at an end of the self-refresh operation.
7. The semiconductor device as recited in claim 6 , wherein the ZQ calibration operation is performed during a DLL lock period after the self-refresh operation.
8. A ZQ calibration circuit comprising:
a first pull-up circuit connected to a ZQ calibration terminal;
a replica buffer having a second pull-up circuit and a pull-down circuit;
a first counter to which a first control signal and a second control signal are inputted; a second counter to which a third control signal and a fourth control signal are inputted;
a first comparator connected to said first counter and operable to compare a potential of the
ZQ calibration terminal with a reference potential; and
a second comparator connected to said second counter and operable to compare a potential of a contact between said second pull-up circuit and said pull-down circuit with the reference potential;
wherein a first ZQ calibration operation is performed in response to the first control signal and the third control signal which are generated according to a ZQ calibration command, and
wherein a second ZQ calibration operation is performed in response to the second control signal and the fourth control signal which are generated according to a self-refresh command.
9. The ZQ calibration circuit as recited in claim 8 , wherein said first pull-up circuit, said first counter, and said first comparator are configured to perform a pull-up ZQ calibration operation,
wherein said replica buffer, said second counter, and said second comparator are configured to perform a pull-down ZQ calibration operation after the pull-up ZQ calibration operation.
10. A semiconductor device comprising a ZQ calibration circuit including:
a first pull-up circuit connected to a ZQ calibration terminal;
a replica buffer having a second pull-up circuit and a pull-down circuit;
a first counter to which a first control signal and a second control signal are inputted;
a second counter to which a third control signal and a fourth control signal are inputted; a first comparator connected to said first counter and operable to compare a potential of the ZQ calibration terminal with a reference potential; and
a second comparator connected to said second counter and operable to compare a potential of a contact between said second pull-up circuit and said pull-down circuit with the reference potential;
wherein a first ZQ calibration operation is performed in response to the first control signal and the third control signal which are generated according to a ZQ calibration command, and
wherein a second ZQ calibration operation is performed in response to the second control signal and the fourth control signal which are generated according to a self-refresh command.