IP Library Granted Patent US 9,818,482
Granted Patent B2
US 9,818,482 · App. 15/183,395 · Granted Nov 14, 2017

Volatile memory, memory module including the same, and method for operating the memory module

Inventor: Choung-Ki Song (Gyeonggi-do, KR)
Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.
G11C14/0018G11C5/141G11C11/005G11C11/4072G11C11/40615G11C14/0009
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,818,482
App. No.
15/183,395
Granted
Nov 14, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A memory module includes an emergency power supplier, a plurality of ranks each including one or more volatile memories, a non-volatile memory, and a controller suitable for backing up data of the ranks into the non-volatile memory by using the emergency power supplier during a power failure, wherein the ranks are sequentially backed up, and while one rank is backed up among the ranks, the other ranks are controlled in a self-refresh mode.

Claims (20)

1. A memory module, comprising:

an emergency power supplier;

a plurality of ranks each including one or more volatile memories;

a non-volatile memory; and

a controller suitable for backing up data of the ranks into the non-volatile memory by using the emergency power supplier during a power failure,

wherein the ranks are sequentially backed up, and while one rank is backed up among the ranks, the other ranks are controlled in a self-refresh mode, and

wherein each of the volatile memories comprises:

a clock enable reception unit suitable for receiving a clock enable signal;

a mode setup unit suitable for setting up a self-refresh prevention mode for preventing a corresponding volatile memory from entering a self-refresh mode even if a self-refresh command is applied to each of the volatile memories; and

a self-refresh control unit suitable for generating a self-refresh mode signal in response to the clock enable signal and an internal refresh command, while maintaining the self-refresh mode signal in a disabled state in the self-refresh prevention mode.

2. The memory module of claim 1 , wherein the power failure is a power failure of a host of the memory module.

3. The memory module of claim 2 , further comprising:

a power failure detector suitable for detecting the power failure of the host.

4. The memory module of claim 1 , wherein the emergency power supplier includes at least one capacitor.

5. The memory module of claim 1 , wherein each of the volatile memories further comprising:

a command reception unit suitable for receiving a command;

an address reception unit suitable for receiving an address; and

a command decoding unit suitable for generating an internal mode register set command and the internal refresh command by decoding the command,

wherein the mode setup unit sets up the self-refresh prevention mode based on the internal mode register set command and the address.

6. The memory module of claim 5 , wherein the self-refresh command is applied to each of the volatile memories by applying a refresh command to the command reception unit when the clock enable signal transits from high to low level.

Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2014-0041192 · Apr 7, 2014 · national
Continuity (2)
Division 14488976 · Sep 17, 2014
Related Publication 20160300611A1 · Oct 13, 2016