IP Library Granted Patent US 8,519,783
Granted Patent B2
US 8,519,783 · App. 13/191,801 · Granted Aug 27, 2013

Internal voltage generating circuit

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,519,783
App. No.
13/191,801
Granted
Aug 27, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

An internal voltage generating circuit includes a drive signal generating unit, a drive signal controlling unit, and a driving unit. The drive signal generating unit is configured to compare an internal voltage with first and second reference voltages and generate a first pull-up drive signal and a first pull-down drive signal. The drive signal controlling unit is configured to buffer the first pull-up drive signal and the first pull-down drive signal and generate a second pull-up drive signal and a second pull-down drive signal, wherein the second pull-up drive signal and the second pull-down drive signal are deactivated when the first pull-up drive signal and the first pull-down drive signal are activated. The driving unit is configured to drive the internal voltage in response to the second pull-up drive signal and the second pull-down drive signal.

Claims (43)

1. An internal voltage generating circuit comprising:

a drive signal generating unit configured to compare an internal voltage with first and second reference voltages and generate a first pull-up drive signal and a first pull-down drive signal;

a drive signal controlling unit configured to buffer the first pull-up drive signal and the first pull-down drive signal and generate a second pull-up drive signal and a second pull-down drive signal, wherein the second pull-up drive signal and the second pull-down drive signal are deactivated when the first pull-up drive signal and the first pull-down drive signal are activated; and

a driving unit configured to drive the internal voltage in response to the second pull-up drive signal and the second pull-down drive signal, wherein the first pull-up drive signal is activated when the internal voltage has a lower level than the first reference voltage.

2. The internal voltage generating circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first reference voltage has a lower level than the second reference voltage.

3. The internal voltage generating circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first pull-down drive signal is activated when the internal voltage has a higher level than the second reference voltage.

4. The internal voltage generating circuit of claim 2 , wherein the first pull-up drive signal and the first pull-down drive signal are activated when the first reference voltage has a higher level than the second reference voltage and the internal voltage has a level between the first reference voltage and the second reference voltage.

5. The internal voltage generating circuit of claim 1 , wherein the drive signal generating unit comprises:

a first comparator configured to compare the internal voltage with the first reference voltage and generate the first pull-up drive signal; and

a second comparator configured to compare the internal voltage with the second reference voltage and generate the first pull-down drive signal.

6. The internal voltage generating circuit of claim 1 , wherein the drive signal controlling unit comprises:

a control signal generating unit configured to receive the first pull-up drive signal and the first pull-down drive signal and generate a first control signal and a second control signal;

a first buffer unit configured to buffer the first pull-up drive signal and transmit the buffered first pull-up drive signal as the second pull-up drive signal in response to the first control signal; and

a second buffer unit configured to buffer the first pull-down drive signal and transmit the buffered first pull-down drive signal as the second pull-down drive signal in response to the second control signal.

7. The internal voltage generating circuit of claim 1 , wherein the driving unit pulls up the internal voltage when the second pull-up drive signal is activated, and pulls down the internal voltage when the second pull-down drive signal is activated.

8. An internal voltage generating circuit comprising:

a drive signal generating unit configured to compare an internal voltage with first to fourth reference voltages and generate first and second pull-up drive signals and first and second pull-down drive signals;

a first driving unit configured to drive the internal voltage in response to the first pull-up drive signal and the first pull-down drive signal;

a drive signal controlling unit configured to buffer the second pull-up drive signal and the second pull-down drive signal and generate a third pull-up drive signal and a third pull-down drive signal, wherein the third pull-up drive signal and the third pull-down drive signal are deactivated when the second pull-up drive signal and the second pull-down drive signal are activated; and

a second driving unit configured to drive the internal voltage in response to the third pull-up drive signal and the third pull-down drive signal.

9. The internal voltage generating circuit of claim 8 , wherein the second reference voltage has a higher level than the first reference voltage, the third reference voltage has a higher level than the second reference voltage, and the fourth reference voltage has a higher level than the third reference voltage.

10. The internal voltage generating circuit of claim 9 , wherein the first pull-up drive signal is activated when the internal voltage has a lower level than the first reference voltage.

11. The internal voltage generating circuit of claim 10 , wherein the second pull-up drive signal is activated when the internal voltage has a lower level than the second reference voltage.

12. The internal voltage generating circuit of claim 11 , wherein the first pull-down drive signal is activated when the internal voltage has a higher level than the fourth reference voltage.

13. The internal voltage generating circuit of claim 12 , wherein the second pull-down drive signal is activated when the internal voltage has a higher level than the third reference voltage.

14. The internal voltage generating circuit of claim 9 , wherein the second pull-up drive signal and the second pull-down drive signal are activated when the second reference voltage has a higher level than the third reference voltage and the internal voltage has a level between the second reference voltage and the third reference voltage.

15. The internal voltage generating circuit of claim 8 , wherein the drive signal generating unit comprises:

a pull-up drive signal generating unit configured to compare the internal voltage with the first and second reference voltages and generate the first and second pull-up drive signals; and

a pull-down drive signal generating unit configured to compare the internal voltage with the third and fourth reference voltages and generate the first and second pull-down drive signals.

16. The internal voltage generating circuit of claim 15 , wherein the pull-up drive signal generating unit comprises:

a first comparator configured to compare the internal voltage with the first reference voltage and generate the first pull-up drive signal; and

a second comparator configured to compare the internal voltage with the second reference voltage and generate the second pull-up drive signal,

wherein the first comparator is configured to deactivate the first pull-up drive signal when the second pull-up drive signal is deactivated.

17. The internal voltage generating circuit of claim 15 , wherein the pull-down drive signal generating unit comprises:

a first comparator configured to compare the internal voltage with the fourth reference voltage and generate the first pull-down drive signal; and

a second comparator configured to compare the internal voltage with the third reference voltage and generate the second pull-down drive signal,

wherein the first comparator is configured to deactivate the first pull-down drive signal when the second pull-down drive signal is deactivated.

18. The internal voltage generating circuit of claim 8 , wherein the drive signal controlling unit comprises:

a control signal generating unit configured to receive the second pull-up drive signal and the second pull-down drive signal and generate a first control signal and a second control signal;

a first buffer unit configured to buffer the second pull-up drive signal and transmit the buffered second pull-up drive signal as the third pull-up drive signal in response to the first control signal; and

a second buffer unit configured to buffer the second pull-down drive signal and transmit the buffered second pull-down drive signal as the third pull-down drive signal in response to the second control signal.

19. The internal voltage generating circuit of claim 8 , wherein the first driving unit pulls up the internal voltage when the first pull-up drive signal is activated, and pulls down the internal voltage when the first pull-down drive signal is activated.

20. The internal voltage generating circuit of claim 8 , wherein the second driving unit pulls up the internal voltage when the third pull-up drive signal is activated, and pulls down the internal voltage when the third pull-down drive signal is activated.

Assignments (4)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNEE IS HYNIX SEMICONDUCTOR INC. NOT HYNIX-SEMICONDUCTOR INC. THERE IS NO HYPHEN IN THE NAME. PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 67328 FRAME 814. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CHANGE OF NAME. Recorded May 14, 2024
From: HYNIX SEMICONDUCTOR INC.
To: SK HYNIX INC.
Reel/Frame 067412/0482 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 9, 2024
From: SK HYNIX INC.
To: MIMIRIP LLC
Reel/Frame 067369/0832 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 6, 2024
From: HYNIX-SEMICONDUCTOR INC.
To: SK HYNIX INC.
Reel/Frame 067328/0814 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 27, 2011
From: LEE, SE WON
To: HYNIX SEMICONDUCTOR INC.
Reel/Frame 026657/0629 →