IP Library Granted Patent US 10,171,106
Granted Patent B2
US 10,171,106 · App. 15/606,194 · Granted Jan 1, 2019

Systems and methods for multi-stage data serialization in a memory system

Inventor: Stefan Dietrich (Türkenfeld, DE)
Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
H03M9/00G06F13/1678G06F13/385H03K5/135G11C2207/107
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,171,106
App. No.
15/606,194
Granted
Jan 1, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

An integrated circuit includes first and second double data rate (DDR) shift registers. A multiplexor outputs a serialized data burst by selecting between a first output stream of the first DDR shift register and a second output stream of the second DDR shift register based upon a received selector signal. The selector signal is derived from clock doubling circuitry that provides a frequency that is twice a frequency of a first clock driving the first DDR shift register.

Claims (41)

1. A memory system, comprising:

a memory device configured to provide a set of data in parallel;

a memory controller configured to coordinate data transmission of a memory device;

multi-stage serializer circuitry configured to receive the set of data in parallel and provide, to the memory controller, the data serially as a serialized data burst;

wherein the multi-stage serializer circuit comprises a set of two or more double data rate (DDR) shift registers; and

wherein each of the two or more DDR shift registers comprises at least two single data rate (SDR) shift registers, wherein each of the at least two SDR shift registers comprises a series of data flip flops configured to load an error data control (EDC) hold pattern in parallel.

2. The memory system of claim 1 , wherein the multi-stage serializer circuit comprises a multiplexor that multiplexes output streams of the at least two DDR shift registers.

3. The memory system of claim 1 , wherein:

a first one of the set of two or more SDR shift registers is driven by a first clock; and

a second one of the set of two or more SDR shift registers is driven by a complement of the first clock.

4. The memory system of claim 1 , wherein each of the two or more DDR shift registers comprises a voltage level shifter configured to voltage shift outputs of the at least two SDR shift registers from an internal voltage domain (VPERI) to an output voltage domain (VDDQ).

5. The memory system of claim 1 , wherein the memory device comprises graphics double data rate five x synchronous random-access (GDDR5X) memory.

6. The memory system of claim 1 , wherein the memory device comprises graphics double data rate six synchronous random-access (GDDR6) memory.

7. The memory system of claim 1 , wherein each of the DDR shift registers comprises a multiplexor that multiplexes output streams of the at least two SDR shift registers.

8. The memory system of claim 7 , wherein the multiplexor is configured to receive a phase locked loop (PLL) clock signal or a complementary clock signal of the PLL clock signal as a selector signal that defines which of the output streams of the at least two SDR shift registers is selected.

9. The memory system of claim 2 , wherein:

the multi-stage serializer circuit comprises exclusive or (XOR) logic that provides an XOR output based upon inputs comprising a phase locked loop (PLL) clock signal (pllclk_ 0 ) and a one unit interval offset clock signal of the pllclk_ 0 clock signal (pllclk_ 90 ); and

the multiplexor is configured to receive the XOR output as a selector signal that defines which of the output streams of the at least two DDR shift registers is selected.

10. The memory system of claim 3 , wherein:

a first one of the set of two or more DDR shift registers is driven by the first clock and the complement of the first clock; and

a second one of the set of two or more DDR shift registers is driven by an offset clock that is a 90 degree offset of the first clock and a complement of the offset clock.

11. The memory system of claim 4 , wherein the internal voltage domain comprises 1.15V and the output voltage domain comprises 1.35V.

12. An integrated circuit, comprising:

a first double data rate (DDR) shift register;

a second double data rate (DDR) shift register;

a multiplexor configured to output a serialized data burst by selecting between a first output stream of the first DDR shift register and a second output stream of the second DDR shift register based upon a received selector signal, wherein the selector signal is derived from clock doubling circuitry that provides a frequency that is twice a frequency of a first clock driving the first DDR shift register,

wherein the integrated circuit supports an input/output (TO) data rate of greater than 10 Gbps.

13. The integrated circuit of claim 12 , wherein:

the first DDR shift register is driven by a phase locked loop (PLL) clock (pllclk_ 0 ) and a complementary clock (pllclk_ 180 ) of the PLL clock (pllclk_ 0 ); and

the second DDR shift register is driven by an offset clock (pllclk_ 90 ) that is a 90 degree offset of the phase locked loop (PLL) clock (pllclk_ 0 ) and a complementary clock (pllclk_ 240 ) of the offset clock (pllclk_ 90 ).

14. The integrated circuit of claim 13 , wherein the clock doubling circuitry comprises exclusive or (XOR) logic that compares the PLL clock (pllclk_ 0 ) and offset clock (pllclk_ 90 ) and provides an XOR output as the selector signal.

15. The integrated circuit of claim 12 , wherein:

the first DDR shift register comprises a first set of two single data rate (SDR) shift registers; and

the second DDR shift register comprises a second set of two SDR shift registers.

16. A method, comprising:

driving a first double data rate (DDR) shift register of a multi-stage serializer based upon a first clock and a second clock that is a complement of the first clock;

driving a second DDR shift register of the multi-stage serializer based upon a third clock that is an offset of the first clock and a fourth clock that is a complement of the third clock;

multiplexing between a first output stream of the first DDR shift register and a second output stream of the second DDR shift register; and

deriving a selector signal by applying exclusive or (XOR) logic to the first clock and the third clock.

17. The method of claim 16 , comprising:

Voltage level shifting the first output stream and the second output stream from 1.15V domain to a 1.35V domain.

Assignments (7)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 12, 2019
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.; MICRON SEMICONDUCTOR PRODUCTS, INC.
Reel/Frame 051028/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 10, 2019
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 050700/0535 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 20, 2018
From: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 046597/0393 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 13, 2018
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.; MICRON SEMICONDUCTOR PRODUCTS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 047540/0001 →
SUPPLEMENT NO. 5 TO PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 8, 2017
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 043483/0686 →
SUPPLEMENT NO. 5 TO PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 8, 2017
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 043482/0776 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2017
From: DIETRICH, STEFAN
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 042593/0096 →
Continuity (1)
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