Mismatched on-die termination circuits and termination methods therefor

• US 20040218434A1
• Filed: 04/27/2004
• Published: 11/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. (Samsung Group)
• Inventors: Jun, Young-hyun, Hwang, Sang-joon, Jang, Seong-jin, Kang, Kyung-woo
• Application Number:
  US10/832,891
• Publication Number:
  US 20040218434A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 365/200
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2207/105 Aspects related to pads, pins or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/1048 Data bus control circuits, e.g. precharging, presetting, equalising

Abstract

Methods of terminating an external transmission line in a memory device having an on-die termination circuit include electrically coupling the termination circuit to the transmission line in response to a control signal which indicates that the memory device is in an active mode or a write mode. The termination circuit has an impedance value that is mismatched with an impedance value of the transmission line. The termination circuit can include an input/output pad, a resistor, and a transistor connected in series to a reference voltage. Also, the termination circuit may be electrically coupled to the transmission line by activating the transistor in the termination circuit to connect the transmission line to the reference voltage in response to the control signal. Related devices are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of terminating an external transmission line in a memory device having an on-die termination circuit, comprising:

electrically coupling the termination circuit to the transmission line in response to a control signal which indicates that the memory device is in an active mode or a write mode;

wherein the termination circuit has an impedance value that is mismatched with an impedance value of the transmission line.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein electrically coupling the termination circuit to the transmission line comprises:

activating a transistor in the termination circuit to connect the transmission line to a reference voltage in response to the control signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the termination circuit comprises an input/output pad, a resistor, and a transistor connected in series to a reference voltage.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the transistor is an NMOS transistor, and the reference voltage is a ground voltage.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the transistor is a PMOS transistor, and the reference voltage is a source voltage.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the input/output pad is one of a DQ pad, a DQS pad, and a DM pad.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the transistor has an on-resistance value of about 100 Ω

, the resistor has a resistance of about 200 Ω

, and the transmission line has an impedance of about 50 to 60 Ω

.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the input/output pad is connected to a pad of an external memory controller of the memory device using a point-to-point method.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the control signal is generated by a fuse option or a signal option set in a mode register.

10. An integrated circuit memory device, comprising:

a transmission line; and

a termination circuit that is electrically coupled to the transmission line responsive to a control signal which indicates that the memory device is in an active mode or a write mode;

wherein the termination circuit has an impedance value that is mismatched with an impedance value of the transmission line.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the termination circuit comprises an input/output pad, a resistor, and a transistor connected in series to a reference voltage.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the termination circuit is electrically coupled to the transmission line by activating the transistor in response to the control signal.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the transistor is an NMOS transistor, and the reference voltage is a ground voltage.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the transistor is a PMOS transistor, and the reference voltage is a source voltage.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the input/output pad is one of a DQ pad, a DQS pad, and a DM pad.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the transistor has an on-resistance value of about 100 Ω

, the resistor has a resistance of about 200 Ω

, and the transmission line has an impedance of about 50 to 60 Ω

.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the input/output pad is connected to a pad of an external memory controller of the memory device using a point-to-point method.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the control signal is generated by a fuse option or a signal option set in a mode register.

19. An on-die termination circuit in a memory device, comprising:

a pad which is connected to an external transmission line;

a resistor having two ends, one end of which is connected in series to the pad; and

an NMOS transistor connected in series between the other end of the resistor and a ground voltage, wherein the transistor has a gate connected to a termination control signal that is activated when the memory device is in an active mode or a write mode.

20. The on-die termination circuit of claim 19, wherein the pad is a data input/output (DQ) pad, a data strobe (DQS) pad, or a data input masking (DM) pad.

21. The on-die termination circuit of claim 19, wherein a mismatch occurs between a sum of a resistance value of the resistor and an on-resistance value of the NMOS transistor as compared to an impedance value of the transmission line when the termination control signal is activated.

22. The on-die termination circuit of claim 21, wherein an impedance value of the transmission line is about 50 to 60 Ω

, a resistance value of the resistor is about 200 Ω

, and an on-resistance value of the NMOS transistor is about 100 Ω

.

23. The on-die termination circuit of claim 19, wherein the termination control signal is set by a fuse option or a signal option set in a mode register.

24. The on-die termination circuit of claim 19, wherein the pad is connected with a pad of an external memory controller of the memory device using a point-to-point method.

25. An on-die termination circuit included in a memory device, comprising:

a pad which is connected to an external transmission line;

a resistor having two ends, one end of which is connected in series to the pad; and

a PMOS transistor connected in series between the other end of the resistor and a voltage source, wherein the transistor has a gate connected to a termination control signal that is activated when the memory device is in an active mode or a write mode.

26. The on-die termination circuit of claim 25, wherein the pad is a data input/output (DQ) pad, a data strobe (DQS) pad, or a data input masking (DM) pad.

27. The on-die termination circuit of claim 25, wherein a mismatch occurs between a sum of a resistance value of the resistor and an on-resistance value of the PMOS transistor as compared to an impedance value of the transmission line when the termination control signal is activated.

28. The on-die termination circuit of claim 25, wherein an impedance value of the transmission line is about 50 to 60 Ω

, a resistance value of the resistor is about 200 Ω

, and an on-resistance value of the PMOS transistor is about 100 Ω

.

29. The on-die termination circuit of claim 25, wherein the termination control signal is set by a fuse option or a signal option set by a mode register.

30. The on-die termination circuit of claim 25, wherein the pad is connected with a pad of an external memory controller of the memory device using a point-to-point method.

31. An on-die termination circuit in a memory device, comprising:

a DQ pad, a DQS pad, and a DM pad, each of which is respectively connected to external transmission lines;

resistors having two ends, one ends of which are connected in series to the pads, respectively; and

NMOS transistors connected in series between the other ends of the resistors and a ground voltage, wherein the transistors have gates connected to termination control signals that are activated when the memory device is in an active mode or a write mode,

wherein a sum of a resistance value of each resistor and an on-resistance value of each NMOS transistor is mismatched with an impedance value of each transmission line.

32. The on-die termination circuit of claim 31, wherein an impedance value of each transmission line is about 50 to 60 Ω

, a resistance value of each resistor is about 200 Ω

, and an on-resistance value of each NMOS transistor is about 100 Ω

.

33. The on-die termination circuit of claim 31, wherein the termination control signals are set by a fuse option or a signal option set in a mode register.

34. An on-die termination circuit in a memory device, comprising:

a DQ pad, a DQS pad, and a DM pad, each of which is connected to transmission lines provided from the external;

resistors having two ends, one ends of which are connected in series to the pads, respectively; and

PMOS transistors connected in series between the other ends of the resistors and a source voltage, wherein the transistors have gates connected to termination control signals that are activated when the memory device is in an active mode or write mode,

wherein a sum of a resistance value of each resistor and an on-resistance value of each PMOS transistor is mismatched with an impedance value of each transmission line.

35. The on-die termination circuit of claim 34, wherein an impedance value of each transmission line is about 50 to 60 Ω

, a resistance value of each resistor is about 200 Ω

, and an on-resistance value of each PMOS transistor is about 100 Ω

.

36. The on-die termination circuit of claim 34, wherein the termination control signals are set by a fuse option or a signal option set in a mode register.

37. A method for terminating a transmission line connected to a pad of a memory device, the method comprising:

activating a termination control signal in response to an active mode or a write mode of the memory device;

turning on an NMOS transistor in response to the termination control signal; and

electrically coupling the pad to a ground voltage through a serially connected resistor and the NMOS transistor,

wherein a sum of a resistance value of the resistor and an on-resistance value of the NMOS transistor is mismatched with an impedance value of the transmission line.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the pad is a data input/output (DQ) pad, a data strobe (DQS) pad, or a data input masking (DM) pad.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein an impedance value of the transmission line is about 50 to 60 Ω

, a resistance value of the resistor is about 200 Ω

, and an on-resistance value of the NMOS transistor is about 100 Ω

.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein the termination control signal is set by a fuse option or a signal option set in a mode register.

41. The method of claim 37, wherein the pad is connected to a pad of an external memory controller of the memory device using a point-to-point method.

42. A method for terminating a transmission line connected to a pad of a memory device, the method comprising:

activating a termination control signal in response to an active mode or a write mode of the memory device;

turning on a PMOS transistor in response to the termination control signal; and

electrically coupling the pad to a source voltage through a serially connected resistor and the PMOS transistor,

wherein a sum of a resistance value of the resistor and an on-resistance value of the PMOS transistor is mismatched with an impedance value of the transmission line.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the pad is a data input/output (DQ) pad, a data strobe (DQS) pad, or a data input masking (DM) pad.

44. The method of claim 42, wherein an impedance value of the transmission line is about 50 to 60 Ω

, a resistance value of the resistor is about 200 Ω

, and an on-resistance value of the PMOS transistor is about 100 Ω

.

45. The method of claim 42, wherein the termination control signal is set by a fuse option or a signal option set in a mode register.

46. The method of claim 42, wherein the pad is connected to a pad of an external memory controller of the memory device using a point-to-point method.