Clock supplying circuit and integrated circuit device using it

• US 6,150,866 A
• Filed: 11/24/1997
• Issued: 11/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Socionext Inc.
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Nakamura, Toshikazu, Eto, Satoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Callahan, Timothy P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, MINH T
• Application Number:
  US08/977,690
• Time in Patent Office: 1,093 Days
• Field of Search: 327/291-297, 327/144, 327/141, 327/152, 327/153, 375/356, 375/211, 713/503
• US Class Current: 327/297
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/10 Distribution of clock signals , e.g. skew
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 5/131 Digitally controlled
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 5/133 using a chain of active delay devices

Abstract

A clock supplying circuit that supplies a clock to a plurality of controlled circuits 451-454 arranged in respectively different positions. A forward and backward wiring 41, 42 and an internal clock supply wiring 43 are arranged along controlled circuits. A main clock drive circuit 40 is for outputting a first clock to the forward wiring 41 and is for outputting a second shorter phase than the first clock to the internal clock supply wiring 43. A plurality of local clock drive circuits 441-444 arranged close to the controlled circuits, are supplied with a forward clock propagated along the forward wiring and with a back clock propagated along the backward wiring, and are also supplied with the second clock, for delaying the phase of the supplied second clock so as to coincide with a phase intermediate the forward clock and the back clock, and for supplying the delayed clock of the second clock to the respectively corresponding controlled circuits as local clock.

Claims

1. A clock supplying circuit that supplies a clock to a plurality of controlled circuits arranged in respectively different positions, comprising:

a forward and backward wiring arranged along the plurality of controlled circuits;

a main clock drive circuit for outputting a first clock to the forward wiring of the forward and backward wiring; and

a plurality of local clock drive circuits, arranged in the respective vicinities of the controlled circuits and being supplied with a forward clock propagated by the first clock along the forward wiring of the forward and backward wiring and with a back clock propagated along the backward wiring of the forward and backward wiring, for generating local clocks having phase intermediate the forward clock and the back clock and supplying the local clocks to the respective corresponding controlled circuits, wherein the main clock drive circuit is supplied with a reference clock and controls the phase of the first clock such that the phase at the time when the first clock reaches the extremity of the forward wiring coincides with the phase of the reference clock.

2. The clock supplying circuit according to claim 1, wherein each of the local clock drive circuits comprises a delay circuit that delays the forward clock;

and a phase comparison circuit that compares the phases of a first delayed clock delayed by the delay circuit and the back clock;

the amount of delay of the delay circuit being controlled in response to the output of the phase comparison circuit such that the phases of the first delayed clock and the back clock coincide; and

furthermore each of the local clock drive circuits outputting as local clock a second delayed clock obtained by delaying the forward clock by a time of half the amount of delay of the delay circuit.

3. The clock supplying circuit according to claim 1, wherein the main clock drive circuit comprises a first variable-delay circuit generating the first clock by delaying the reference clock, a dummy delay circuit having a delay characteristic of one-way propagation along the forward and backward wiring, and a phase comparison circuit comparing the phase of the reference clock and a delayed clock obtained by passing the first clock through the dummy delay circuit, the delay characteristic of the first variable-delay circuit being controlled such that the phases of the reference clock and the delayed clock coincide.

4. A clock supplying circuit that supplies a clock to a plurality of controlled circuits arranged in respectively different positions, comprising:

a forward and backward wiring arranged along the plurality of controlled circuits;

an internal clock supply wiring arranged along the plurality of controlled circuits;

a main clock drive circuit for outputting a first clock to the forward wiring of the forward and backward wiring and for outputting a second clock whose cycle is shorter than the first clock to the internal clock supply wiring; and

a plurality of local clock drive circuits, arranged in the respective vicinities of the controlled circuits, being supplied with a forward clock propagated by the first clock along the forward wiring and with a back clock propagated along the backward wiring, and being also supplied with the second clock propagating along the internal clock supply wiring, for delaying the phase of the second clock with a half phase difference between the forward clock and the back clock, and for supplying the delayed clock of the second clock to the respectively corresponding controlled circuits as local clock.

5. The clock supplying circuit according to claim 4, wherein the main clock drive circuit is supplied with a reference clock and generates the first clock with a phase controlled such that the phase at the time at which the first clock arrives at the extremity of the forward wiring coincides with the phase of the reference clock.

6. The clock supplying circuit according to claim 4, wherein the main clock drive circuit is supplied with a reference clock, generates the second clock having a prescribed phase difference with the reference clock, and furthermore generates the first clock.

7. The clock supplying circuit according to claim 4, wherein the main clock drive circuit is supplied with a reference clock, generates the second clock having a prescribed phase difference with the reference clock, and furthermore generates the first clock by frequency division of the reference clock.

8. The clock supplying circuit according to claim 4, wherein each of the local clock drive circuits comprises a first delay circuit delaying the forward clock;

a second delay circuit delaying the second clock with a time of half the delay amount of the first delay circuit; and

a phase comparison circuit comparing the phase of the first delayed clock delayed by the first delay circuit with the phase of the back clock;

the amount of delay of the first and second delay circuits being controlled in response to the output of the phase comparison circuit such that the phases of the first delayed clock and the back clock coincide, and furthermore each of the local clock drive circuits outputting as the local clock a second delayed clock delayed by the second delay circuit.

9. The clock supplying circuit according to claim 4, wherein each of the local clock drive circuits comprises a first delay circuit that comprises a first delay section delaying the forward clock and a second delay section delaying the forward clock that has been delayed by the first delay section by the same amount of time as the first delay section;

a second delay circuit that delays the second clock by the same amount of time as the first delay section;

a phase comparison circuit that compares the phase of the first delayed clock delayed by the first delay circuit with the phase of the back clock; and

the delay amounts of the first delay section, the second delay section and the second delay circuit being respectively controlled in the same way in response to the output of the phase comparison circuit such that the phases of the first delayed clock and the back clock coincide; and

furthermore each of the local clock drive circuits outputting as the local clock a second delayed clock delayed by the second delay circuit.

10. The clock supplying circuit according to claim 4, wherein the period of the first clock is longer than the time for propagation through the forward and backward wiring.

11. An integrated circuit device having a clock supplying circuit that supplies a clock to a plurality of controlled circuits arranged in respectively different positions wherein the clock supplying circuit comprises:

a forward and backward wiring arranged along the plurality of controlled circuits;

a main clock drive circuit for outputting a first clock to the forward wiring of the forward and backward wiring; and

a plurality of local clock drive circuits arranged in the respective vicinities of the controlled circuits and being supplied with a forward clock propagated by the first clock along the forward wiring of the forward and backward wiring and with a back clock propagated along the backward wiring of the forward and backward wiring, for generating local clocks having phase intermediate the forward clock and the back clock and supplying the local clocks to the respective corresponding controlled circuits, wherein the main clock drive circuit is supplied with a reference clock and controls the phase of the first clock such that the phase at the time when the first clock reaches the extremity of the forward wiring coincides with the phase of the reference clock.

12. An integrated circuit device having a clock supplying circuit that supplies a clock to a plurality of controlled circuits arranged in respectively different positions wherein the clock supplying circuit comprises:

a forward and backward wiring arranged along the plurality of controlled circuits;

an internal clock supply wiring arranged along the plurality of controlled circuits;

a main clock drive circuit for outputting a first clock to the forward wiring of the forward and backward wiring and for outputting a second clock whose cycle is shorter than the first clock to the internal clock supply wiring; and

a plurality of local clock drive circuits, arranged in the respective vicinities of the controlled circuits, being supplied with a forward clock propagated by the first clock along the forward wiring and with a back clock propagated along the backward wiring, and being also supplied with the second clock propagating along the internal clock supply wiring, for delaying the phase of the second clock with a half phase difference between the forward clock and the back clock, and for supplying the delayed clock of the second clock to the respectively corresponding controlled circuits as local clock.

13. A clock supplying circuit that supplies a clock to a plurality of controlled circuits arranged in respectively different positions, wherein the plurality of controlled circuits comprise a first group of controlled circuits and a second group of controlled circuits;

comprising;

a first forward and backward wiring arranged along the first group of controlled circuits;

a second forward and backward wiring arranged along the second group of controlled circuits;

a main clock drive circuit outputting a first clock to the respective forward wirings of the first and second forward and backward wirings;

a plurality of first local clock drive circuits, arranged in the respective vicinities of the first group of controlled circuits and being supplied with a first forward clock propagated by the first clock along the first forward wiring and with a first back clock propagated along the first backward wiring, for generating local clocks having phase intermediate the first forward clock, and the first back clock, and supplying the local clocks to the respective corresponding controlled circuits;

a plurality of second local clock drive circuits, arranged in the respective vicinities of the second group of controlled circuits and being supplied with a second forward clock propagated by the first clock along the second forward wiring and with a second back clock propagated along the second backward wiring, for generating local clocks having phase intermediate the second forward clock and the second back clock, and supplying the local clocks to the respective corresponding controlled circuits; and

a forward and backward wiring delay circuit provided on the second forward and backward wiring and having a delay characteristic such that the phases of the back clocks propagated along the first and second backward wirings coincide.

14. The clock supplying circuit according to claim 13, further comprising a phase comparison circuit that compares the phases of the back clocks propagated along the first and second backward wirings;

wherein the forward and backward wiring delay circuit is controlled in response to the output of the phase comparison circuit such that the amount of delay of the forward and backward wiring delay circuit makes the phases of the two back clocks coincide.

15. A clock supplying circuit that supplies a clock to a plurality of controlled circuits arranged in respectively different positions, wherein the plurality of controlled circuits comprise a first group of controlled circuits and a second group of controlled circuits;

comprising;

a first forward and backward wiring arranged along the first group of controlled circuits;

a second forward and backward wiring arranged along the second group of controlled circuits;

a first internal clock supply wiring arranged along the first group of controlled circuits;

a second internal clock supply wiring arranged along the second group of controlled circuits;

a main clock drive circuit for outputting a first clock to the first and second forward wirings and for outputting a second clock whose period is shorter than the first clock to the first and second internal clock supply wirings;

a plurality of first local clock drive circuits, arranged in the respective vicinities of the first group of controlled circuits, being supplied with a first forward clock propagated by the first clock along the first forward wiring and with a first back clock propagated along the first backward wiring, and being further supplied with the second clock propagating along the first internal clock supply wiring, for delaying the phase of the second clock so as to coincide with a phase intermediate the first forward clock and the first back clock, and for supplying the delayed clock of the second clock to each of the respective corresponding controlled circuits as local clock;

a plurality of second local clock drive circuits, arranged in the respective vicinities of the second group of controlled circuits, being supplied with a second forward clock propagated by the first clock along the second forward wiring and with a second back clock propagated along the second backward wiring, and being further supplied with the second clock propagating along the second internal clock supply wiring, for delaying the phase of the second clock so as to coincide with a phase intermediate the second forward clock and second back clock, and for supplying the delayed clock of the second clock to each of the respective corresponding controlled circuits as local clock; and

a forward and backward wiring delay circuit provided on the second forward and backward wiring and having a delay characteristic such that the phases of the back clocks propagated along the first and second backward wirings coincide.

16. The clock supplying circuit according to claim 15, further comprising a phase comparison circuit that compares the phases of the back clocks propagated along the first and second backward wirings;

wherein the forward and backward wiring delay circuit is controlled in response to the output of the phase comparison circuit such that the amount of delay of the forward and backward wiring delay circuit makes the phases of the two back clocks coincide.