Semiconductor device generates complementary output signals
View Patent ↗A splitter circuit in a semiconductor device includes a first inverter that receives an input signal and outputs an inverted signal, a second inverter that receives the inverted signal and outputs a non-inverted signal (a first output signal), a third inverter that receives the input signal and outputs an inverted signal (a second output signal) and an auxiliary inverter that shares an output signal line with the third inverter. The third inverter and the auxiliary inverter use an inverted signal of the input signal as power supplies.
1. A semiconductor device comprising:
a first inverter circuit receiving an input signal and outputting a first inverted signal;
a second inverter circuit receiving the first inverted signal and outputting a first output signal;
a third inverter circuit receiving the input signal and outputting a second output signal to a signal line; and
an auxiliary circuit outputting the second output signal to the signal line in cooperation with the third inverter circuit,
wherein the third inverter circuit and the auxiliary circuit operate on a second inverted signal of the input signal as a power supply potential.
2. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first inverted signal and the second inverted signal are the same signal.
3. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a fourth inverter circuit receiving the input signal and outputting the second inverted signal.
4. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the auxiliary circuit includes a first transistor of a first conductivity type and a second transistor of a second conductivity type, each of the first and second transistors having a control electrode supplied with an active potential so that the first and second transistors are fixed to an ON state.
5. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a synthesizing circuit that synthesizes the first and second output signals.
6. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the synthesizing circuit synthesizes a signal obtained by inverting one of the first and second output signals an even number of times and a signal obtained by inverting the other of the first and second output signals an odd number of times.
7. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising a command decoder that decodes a command signal supplied from outside,
wherein the input signal is each of bits of the command signal, and the first and second output signals are supplied to the command decoder.
8. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
a clock generation circuit generating an internal clock signal that is phase-controlled; and
an output driver circuit outputting a data signal in synchronism with the internal clock signal,
wherein the input signal is the internal clock signal, and the first and second output signals are supplied to the output driver circuit.
9. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
an ODT control circuit generating an internal on-die termination signal that is phase-controlled; and
a data input/output circuit that causes a data input/output terminal to function as a termination resistor in synchronism with the internal on-die termination signal,
wherein the input signal is the internal on-die termination signal, and the first and second output signals are supplied to the data input/output circuit.
10. A semiconductor device comprising:
a first signal line supplying a first signal;
a second signal line supplying a second signal opposite in logic level to the first signal;
a first power supply line supplying a first potential;
a second power supply line supplying a second potential different from the first potential;
first and second transistors of a first conductivity type; and
third and fourth transistors of a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type, wherein
the first, second, third and fourth transistors are coupled in parallel between the second signal line and a third signal line,
the first and third transistors have control electrodes coupled to the first signal line, and
the second and fourth transistors have control electrodes coupled to the first and second power supply lines, respectively.
11. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 10 , further comprising:
fifth and sixth transistors of the first conductivity type coupled in series between the second power supply line and a fourth signal line; and
seventh and eighth transistors of the second conductivity type coupled in series between the first power supply line and the fourth signal line, wherein
the fifth and seventh transistors have control electrodes supplied with the second signal, and
the sixth and eighth transistors have control electrodes coupled to the first and second power supply lines, respectively.
12. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 11 , further comprising a synthesizing circuit receiving a third signal on the third signal line and a fourth signal on the fourth signal line.
13. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the synthesizing circuit includes a first circuit that synthesizes the third signal and an inverted signal of the fourth signal and a second circuit that synthesizes the fourth signal and an inverted signal of the third signal.