IP Library Granted Patent US 10,585,835
Granted Patent B1
US 10,585,835 · App. 16/196,545 · Granted Mar 10, 2020

Methods and apparatuses for independent tuning of on-die termination impedances and output driver impedances, and related semiconductor devices and systems

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,585,835
App. No.
16/196,545
Granted
Mar 10, 2020
Kind
B1
Abstract

An apparatus may include a control device configured to determine an operational mode of the apparatus. The apparatus may also include at least one output circuit coupled to the control device. The at least one output circuit may be configured to generate a desired output driver impedance (ODI) during an active operational mode. The least one output circuit may further be configured to independently generate a desired on-die termination (ODT) impedance during an inactive operational mode. Memory systems, memory devices, electronic systems, and related methods of operation are also described.

Claims (38)

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a control device configured to determine an operational mode of the apparatus; and

at least one output circuit coupled to the control device and configured to:

generate a desired output driver impedance (ODI) during an active operational mode; and

independently generate a desired on-die termination (ODT) impedance during an inactive operational mode.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one output circuit is further configured to generate another desired ODT impedance during a write operation.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the control device is configured to determine the operational mode of the apparatus based on at least one of a signal received from an external controller and one or more settings of the apparatus.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one output circuit is configured generate the desired ODI based on a first parameter and generate the desired ODT impedance based on a second, different parameter.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control device is configured to convey at least one control signal to the at least one output circuit to generate one of the desired ODI and the desired ODT impedance.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a calibration circuit for calibrating the at least one output circuit to generate one of the desired ODI and the desired ODT impedance.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one output circuit is configured to generate the ODI and the ODT impedance via at least one of one or more pull-up tuning devices and one or more pull-down tuning devices.

8. A memory system, comprising

a number of memory devices, each memory device configured to:

determine whether the memory device is in an active mode or an inactive mode;

tune an impedance of an output driver circuit of the memory device based on a first parameter in response to the memory device being in an active mode during a first read operation; and

tune the impedance of the output driver circuit based on a second, different parameter in response to the memory device being in an inactive mode during a second, different read operation.

9. The memory system of claim 8 , wherein each memory device is configured to tune an output driver impedance (ODI) of the output driver circuit based on the first parameter in response to the memory device being in the active mode.

10. The memory system of claim 8 , wherein each memory device is configured to tune an on-die termination (ODT) impedance of the output driver circuit based on the second, different parameter in response to the memory device being in the inactive mode.

11. The memory system of claim 8 , wherein each memory device is configured to tune the impedance of the output driver circuit based on one of the first parameter and the second, different parameter during a write operation.

12. The memory system of claim 8 , wherein the output driver circuit of each memory device includes one or more tuning devices for tuning the impedance of the output driver circuit.

13. The memory system of claim 8 , wherein each memory devices comprise a calibration circuit coupled to the output driver circuit and configured to determine at least one desired output driver impedance (ODI) and at least one on-die termination (ODT) impedance for the output driver circuit.

14. The memory system of claim 8 , wherein each memory device is configured to determine whether the memory device is in the active mode or the inactive mode based on a signal received from a controller coupled to each memory device of the number of memory devices.

15. The memory system of claim 8 , wherein each memory device is configured to determine whether the memory device is in the active mode or the inactive mode based on at least one setting of a mode register of the memory device.

16. The memory system of claim 8 , wherein each memory device is configured to tune the impedance of the output driver circuit via one or more tuning devices.

17. An electronic system, comprising:

at least one input device;

at least one output device;

at least one processor device operably coupled to the input device and the output device; and

at least one memory system operably coupled to the at least one processor device, the memory system comprising:

a controller; and

a first memory device coupled to the controller and configured to generate an output driver impedance (ODI) based on a first parameter in response to the first memory device is operating in a drive mode; and

at least one second memory device coupled to the controller and configured to generate an on-die termination (ODT) impedance based on a second, different parameter in response to the at least one second memory device operating in a termination mode.

18. A method of operating a memory system, comprising:

determining an operational mode of each memory device of a number of memory devices of the memory system;

tuning an output driver impedance (ODI) of a memory device of the number of memory devices operating in an active mode; and

independently tuning an on-die termination (ODT) of at least one other memory device of the number of memory devices operating an inactive mode.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein tuning the ODI of the memory device operating in the active mode comprises tuning the ODI of the memory device operating in the active mode based on a first parameter, and wherein independently tuning the ODT of the at least one other memory device operating in the inactive mode comprises tuning the ODT of the at least one other memory device operating in the inactive mode based on a second, different parameter.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein determining the operational mode of each memory device comprises determining, at each memory device, the operational mode of the memory device based on a signal received from a controller.

Assignments (5)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 15, 2019
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 051041/0317 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 14, 2019
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 050724/0392 →
SUPPLEMENT NO. 12 TO PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 19, 2019
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 048948/0677 →
SUPPLEMENT NO. 3 TO PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 19, 2019
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 048951/0902 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 20, 2018
From: DURAI, ELANCHEREN
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 047608/0845 →