Synchronous semiconductor memory device operable in a plurality of data write operation modes

• US 5,892,730 A
• Filed: 12/01/1997
• Issued: 04/06/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation), Mitsubshi Electric Engineering Company Limited (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation)
• Inventors: Sato, Nobuyuki, Iwamoto, Hisashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoang, Huan
• Application Number:
  US08/980,963
• Time in Patent Office: 491 Days
• Field of Search: 365/233, 365/189.05, 365/189.01, 365/230.08, 365/230.03
• US Class Current: 365/233.16
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/1039 using pipelining techniques, i.e. using latches between functional memory parts, e.g. row/column decoders, I/O buffers, sense amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/1072 for memories with random access ports synchronised on clock signal pulse trains, e.g. synchronous memories, self timed memories

Abstract

A synchronous semiconductor memory device can achieve either of a pipelined mode and a prefetch mode with one chip. In accordance with CAS (column address strobe) latency 4 instructing signal MCL4 stored in a mode register, a sequence of generation of control signals from a control signal generating circuit is set to either the pipelined mode or the prefetch mode. A mode switching circuit merely switches reset timings of a write buffer in accordance with a CAS latency. Therefore, the internal data write mode can be easily switched in accordance with an operation environment, and the synchronous semiconductor memory device can implement multiple data write modes with one chip.

Claims

1. A synchronous semiconductor memory device operable in synchronization with an externally applied external clock signal having a predetermined width, comprising:

a memory array having a plurality of memory cells;

internal clock generating means receiving said externally applied external clock signal, for generating an internal clock signal determining a data write cycle in synchronization with said external clock signal; and

data write means for writing data into a selected memory cell in said memory array in synchronization with said internal clock signal in data writing mode of operation, said data write means being operable in a pipelined mode for writing different data into different memory cells every cycle of said internal clock signal and a prefetch mode for writing different data into a plurality of memory cells every multiple cycles of said internal clock signal;

a mode register for storing data determining an operation mode of said data write means; and

mode setting means for setting the operation mode of said data write means to either of the pipelined mode and the prefetch mode in accordance with the data stored in said mode register.

2. The synchronous semiconductor memory device according to claim 1, wherein

said mode register stores data representing the number of cycles of said external clock signal required from application of a data read instruction to external output of valid data.

3. The synchronous semiconductor memory device according to claim 1, wherein

said mode register stores operation mode setting data representing a single rate mode for performing an input or output of data in synchronization with change in one direction in said clock signal and a double rate mode for performing the input or output of data twice in one cycle of said external clock signal, and

said internal clock generating means includes means activated in accordance with said operation mode setting data to double a frequency of said external clock signal.

4. The synchronous semiconductor memory device according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for simultaneously selecting a plurality of memory cells in the memory cell array and simultaneously coupling said plurality of selected memory cells to said write means every said multiple cycles of the internal clock signal from said internal clock generating means.

5. The synchronous semiconductor memory device according to claim 4, wherein

said data write means includes a plurality of data write buffers being activated circulatively and successively during said pipelined mode, and being successively activated every said multiple cycles of said internal clock signal during said prefetch mode such that all of said plurality of data write buffers are simultaneously activated in one of said multiple cycles and are simultaneously deactivated every said multiple cycles, and said data write buffers transmit the write data to the selected memory cells when said data write buffers are active.

6. The synchronous semiconductor memory device according to claim 5, further comprising a plurality of write register means provided corresponding to said data write buffers, respectively, receiving externally applied write data, and being successively activated every clock cycle of said internal clock signal to hold the received write data.