Boosting voltage generating circuit, negative voltage generating circuit, step-down voltage generating circuit, and semiconductor device

• US 20100142293A1
• Filed: 12/03/2009
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Elpida Memory Incorporated (Micron Technology, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Elpida Memory Incorporated (Micron Technology, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hayashi, Koichiro
• Application Number:
  US12/591,879
• Publication Number:
  US 20100142293A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 365/191
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/4074 Power supply or voltage generation circuits, e.g. bias voltage generators, substrate voltage generators, back-up power, power control circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/4076 Timing circuits for regeneration management G11C11/406
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 5/145 Applications of charge pumps; Boosted voltage circuits; Clamp circuits therefor G11C5/141 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/22 Read-write [R-W] timing or clocking circuits; Read-write [R-W] control signal generators or management

Abstract

In a boosting voltage generating circuit, a boosting circuit unit generates boosting voltage according to a value of boosting voltage output by the boosting voltage generating circuit and an auxiliary boosting circuit unit supplies, immediately before electric current is consumed by a load supplied with the boosting voltage, voltage higher than the boosting voltage corresponding to the amount of current consumed by the load, to the load. The auxiliary boosting circuit unit raises the voltage supplied to the load to an optimum amount before the boosting voltage drops.

Claims

1. A semiconductor device that generates boosting voltage higher than power supply voltage supplied from outside, the boosting voltage generating circuit comprising:

a boosting voltage detecting circuit that detects whether the boosting voltage is lower than a predetermined voltage value and outputs a result of the detection;

an oscillator that performs an oscillating operation according to the detection result of the boosting voltage detecting circuit;

a boosting circuit unit that generates the boosting voltage using an oscillation signal from the oscillator;

a control circuit that outputs, when a boosting control signal for notifying that electric current is consumed by a load supplied with the boosting voltage is input, a pulse signal at the timing of the notification; and

a first auxiliary boosting circuit unit that supplies, using the pulse signal output from the control circuit, voltage higher than the boosting voltage corresponding to a current amount consumed by the load, to the load.

2. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein

the control circuit outputs, when the boosting control signal is input, plural pulse signals corresponding to a timing when electric current is consumed by the load, and

the boosting voltage generating circuit further includes a second auxiliary boosting circuit unit that supplies, using the pulse signals output from the control circuit, voltage different from the voltage supplied by the first auxiliary boosting circuit unit corresponding to the current amount consumed by the load, to the load.

3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein

the control circuit outputs, when the boosting voltage control signal is input, plural pulse signals corresponding to a timing when electric current is consumed by the load, and

the first auxiliary boosting circuit unit includes plural third auxiliary boosting circuit units that supply, using the pulse signals output from the control circuit, a voltage higher than the boosting voltage corresponding to the current amount consumed by the load, to the load.

4. A semiconductor device that generates step-down voltage lower than power supply voltage supplied from outside, the step-down voltage generating circuit comprising:

a differential amplifier that brings the step-down voltage close to a predetermined voltage value;

a control circuit that outputs, when a step-down control signal for notifying that electric current is consumed by a load supplied with the step-down voltage is input, a pulse signal at the timing of the notification; and

a first transistor that switches, using the pulse signal output from the control circuit, a supply of voltage corresponding to a current amount consumed by the load, to the load.

5. The semiconductor device according to claim 4, wherein

the control circuit outputs, when the step-down control signal is input, plural pulse signals corresponding to a timing when electric current is consumed by the load, and

the step-down voltage generating circuit further includes a second transistor that switches, using the pulse signals output from the control circuit, a supply of voltage different from the voltage supplied by the switching of the first transistor corresponding to the current amount consumed by the load, to the load.

6. A semiconductor device that receives command signals of plural patterns from outside and executes operations corresponding to the respective command signals, the semiconductor device comprising an internal voltage generating circuit that generates internal voltage for executing the operations corresponding to the command signals, wherein

the internal voltage generating circuit generates, on the basis of at least a first command signal among the command signals of the plural patterns, voltage of an amount corresponding to execution of operation that corresponds to the first command signal.

7. The semiconductor device according to claim 6, wherein the internal voltage generating circuit generates, on the basis of a second command signal among the command signals of the plural patterns different from the first command, voltage of an amount corresponding to execution of operation corresponding to the second command signal different from the voltage of the amount corresponding to the execution of the operation that corresponds to the first command.

8. The semiconductor device according to claim 6, further comprising a memory array that stores data, wherein

the first command signal is a pulse signal output at a timing when a RAS signal for designating a row address of a memory cell to be accessed changes from a low level to a high level.

9. The semiconductor device according to claim 7, further comprising a memory array that stores data, wherein

the first command signal is a pulse signal output at a timing when a RAS signal for designating a row address of a memory cell to be accessed changes from a low level to a high level, and

the second command signal is a pulse signal output at a timing when the RAS signal for designating a row address of a memory cell to be accessed changes from the high level to the low level.

10. A semiconductor device comprising:

a line supplied with a boosting voltage;

a load circuit connected to the line, the load circuit being activated in response to a control signal and operating on the boosting voltage to perform a circuit function; and

an energizing circuit responding to the control signal to enlarge a voltage level on the line.

11. The semiconductor device according to claim 10, wherein

the control signal includes a leading edge and a trailing edge,

the energizing circuit includes a control circuit which receives the control signal to output a first signal corresponding to one of the leading and trailing edges and a first circuit which enlarges the voltage level on the line in response to the first signal.

12. The semiconductor device according to claim 11, wherein

the control circuit which receives the control signal to further output a second signal corresponding to the other of the leading and trailing edges,

the energizing circuit further includes a second circuit which enlarges the voltage level on the line in response to the second signal.

13. The semiconductor device according to claim 12, wherein

the first and second circuits are different in enlargement capability from each other.

14. The semiconductor device according to claim 10, further comprising

a boosting voltage detecting circuit that detects whether the voltage level on the line is lower than a predetermined voltage value and outputs a result of the detection,

an oscillator that performs an oscillating operation according to the detection result of the boosting voltage detecting circuit, and

a boosting circuit unit that generates the boosting voltage using an oscillation signal from the oscillator.