Circuit and method of outputting temperature data of semiconductor memory apparatus

• US 7,643,889 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2007
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Incorporated (SK Hynix Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Incorporated (SK Hynix Inc.)
• Inventors: Lee, Kang-Seol, Jeong, Chun-Seok
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Ramesh B
• Application Number:
  US11/819,423
• Publication Number:
  US 20080091378A1
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 700/1, 700/12, 700/299, 324/224, 331/76, 365193-194, 365/189.3, 365/200, 365/212, 326/28, 326/30, 326/82
• US Class Current: 374/170
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 7/01 using semiconducting elements having PN junctions G01K7/02, G01K7/16, G01K7/30 take precedence

Abstract

A circuit for outputting temperature data of a semiconductor memory apparatus includes a temperature detecting circuit that generates a temperature voltage corresponding to a change in temperature and outputs the temperature voltage, an A/D converter that converts the temperature voltage into a first temperature code and outputs it, and a temperature data correcting unit that outputs a second temperature code obtained by correcting an error of the first temperature code using a correction code.

Claims

1. A circuit for outputting temperature data of a semiconductor memory apparatus, the circuit comprising:

a temperature detecting circuit configured to generate a temperature voltage corresponding to a change in temperature and outputs the temperature voltage;

an A/D converter configured to convert the temperature voltage into a first temperature code and outputs the first temperature code; and

a temperature data correcting unit configured to output a second temperature code obtained by correcting an error of the first temperature code using a correction code.

2. The circuit of claim 1,

wherein the temperature detecting circuit includes:

a temperature sensor that outputs the temperature voltage, which is inversely proportional to an internal temperature of the semiconductor memory apparatus, and a first reference voltage which is constant without depending on the change in temperature;

a voltage adjusting unit including a plurality of resistors that distributes the first reference voltage and that outputs second reference voltages for determining an upper limit and a lower limit of the temperature voltage; and

a fuse set that includes a plurality of fuses, and outputs a fuse code for adjusting resistance values of the plurality of resistors according to cutting states of the fuses.

3. The circuit of claim 2,

wherein the temperature sensor includes:

a temperature-proportional current generating unit that generates a current, which is proportional to the change in temperature, through a plurality of current paths;

a temperature voltage output unit that outputs the temperature voltage corresponding to the change in temperature based on a temperature coefficient characteristic voltage of the temperature-proportional current generating unit;

a temperature-inversely proportional current generating unit that generates a current, which is inversely proportional to the change in temperature, through the plurality of current paths; and

a current/voltage converter that generates the first reference voltage, which is constant without depending on the change in temperature, by using the current generated by the temperature-proportional current generating unit and the current generated by the temperature-inversely proportional current generating unit.

4. The circuit of claim 2,

wherein the voltage adjusting unit includes:

a first transistor coupled to a power supply terminal;

a first distribution resistor coupled between the first transistor and a ground terminal;

a first current controller that controls the first transistor based on a voltage distributed by the first distribution resistor and the first reference voltage;

a second transistor coupled to the power supply terminal;

a second distribution resistor that is connected between the second transistor and the ground terminal; and

a second current controller that controls the second transistor by using a voltage at a connecting node between the first transistor and the first distribution resistor and a voltage distributed by the second distribution resistor.

5. The circuit of claim 1,

wherein the A/D converter includes:

a comparator that compares the temperature voltage and an internal analog voltage so as to output a compared result;

a counter that increases or decreases the first temperature code according to the compared result and outputs the first temperature code;

a multiplexer that outputs a test code or the first temperature code according to a test mode signal;

a decoder that outputs a decoding signal obtained by decoding the output of the multiplexer; and

a D/A converter that converts the decoding signal into the internal analog voltage and outputs it.

6. The circuit of claim 5, further comprising:

a filter that blocks a high frequency component of the compared result and outputs the compared result; and

an oscillator that supplies a clock signal for performing operations of the A/D converter.

7. The circuit of claim 1,

wherein the temperature data correcting unit includes;

a code format converter that converts a format of the first temperature code into a format that is used outside the circuit for outputting temperature data to provide an output;

a fuse set that sets the correction code;

a multiplexer that selects and outputs either the correction code or a test code set in the fuse set in accordance with a predetermined control signal; and

an operating unit that outputs the second temperature code by using the output of the code format converter and the output of the multiplexer.

8. A circuit for outputting temperature data of a semiconductor memory apparatus, the circuit comprising:

a temperature detecting circuit configured to generate a temperature voltage corresponding to a change in temperature and outputs the temperature voltage, and corrects an output voltage level according to an adjustment code input from outside the circuit;

an A/D converter configured to convert the temperature voltage into a first temperature code and outputs the first temperature code, and outputs the adjustment code to the temperature detecting circuit in accordance with a predetermined control signal; and

a temperature data correcting unit configured to output a second temperature code obtained by correcting an error of the first temperature code using a correction code.

9. The circuit of claim 8,

wherein the temperature detecting circuit includes:

a temperature sensor that outputs the temperature voltage which is inversely proportional to an internal temperature of the semiconductor memory apparatus and a first reference voltage which is constant without depending on the change in temperature; and

a voltage adjusting unit including a plurality of resistors that distributes the first reference voltage by using and that outputs second reference voltages for determining an upper limit and a lower limit of the temperature voltage, and adjusts voltage levels of the second reference voltages according to the adjustment code.

10. The circuit of claim 9,

wherein the temperature sensor includes:

a temperature-proportional current generating unit that generates a current, which is proportional to the change in temperature, through a plurality of current paths;

a temperature voltage output unit that outputs the temperature voltage corresponding to the change in temperature based on a temperature coefficient characteristic voltage of the temperature-proportional current generating unit;

a temperature-inversely proportional current generating unit that generates a current, which is inversely proportional to the change in temperature, through the plurality of current paths; and

a current/voltage converter that generates the first reference voltage, which is constant without depending on the change in temperature, by using the current generated by the temperature-proportional current generating unit and the current generated by the temperature-inversely proportional current generating unit.

11. The circuit of claim 10,

wherein the temperature-proportional current generating unit includes:

a first transistor group that includes a plurality of transistors, each of which has a different size and is coupled to a power supply terminal;

a second transistor group that includes transistors that are coupled between a portion of the plurality of transistors of the first transistor group and a ground terminal and have negative temperature coefficient characteristics; and

a current controller that controls the first transistor group based on a voltage applied to the transistors of the second transistor group.

12. The circuit of claim 11,

wherein the current controller includes a differential amplifier.

13. The circuit of claim 11,

wherein the transistors of the second transistor group operate as diodes, and voltages across the diodes have negative temperature coefficient characteristics.

14. The circuit of claim 10,

wherein the temperature voltage output unit includes:

a node that outputs the temperature voltage;

a transistor coupled between the node and a power supply terminal;

distribution resistors coupled between the node and a ground terminal; and

a current controller that controls the transistor based on a voltage distributed by the distribution resistors and an internal voltage of the temperature-proportional current generating unit.

15. The circuit of claim 14,

wherein the current controller includes a differential amplifier.

16. The circuit of claim 10,

wherein the temperature-inversely proportional current generating unit includes:

a plurality of transistors each having a different size and coupled to a power supply terminal; and

a current controller that controls the plurality of transistors by using a voltage according to a current flowing through one of the plurality of transistors and an internal voltage of the temperature-proportional current generating unit.

17. The circuit of claim 10,

wherein the current/voltage converter includes a resistive element that is commonly coupled to two current paths in which a total current between a current flowing through one of the current paths of the temperature-proportional current generating unit and a current flowing through one of the current paths of the temperature-inversely proportional current generating unit is constant without depending on the change in temperature.

18. The circuit of claim 9,

wherein the voltage adjusting unit includes:

a first transistor coupled to a power supply terminal;

a first distribution resistor coupled between the first transistor and a ground terminal;

a first current controller that controls the first transistor by using a voltage distributed by the first distribution resistor and the first reference voltage;

a second transistor coupled to the power supply terminal;

a second distribution resistor coupled between the second transistor and the ground terminal; and

a second current controller that controls the second transistor based on a voltage at a node between the first transistor and the first distribution resistor and a voltage distributed by the second distribution resistor.

19. The circuit of claim 18,

wherein the first current controller and the second current controller each include a differential amplifier.

20. The circuit of claim 18,

wherein the first distribution resistor and the second distribution resistor each include at least one variable resistor whose resistance value varies according to the adjustment code.

21. The circuit of claim 11,

wherein the current controller includes a differential amplifier.

22. The circuit of claim 9, further comprising:

a fuse set that includes a plurality of fuses and outputs a fuse code for adjusting resistance values of the plurality of resistors according to cutting states of the fuses; and

a multiplexer that selects either the fuse code or the adjustment code in accordance with a control signal and outputs it to the voltage adjusting unit.

23. The circuit of claim 22,

wherein the control signal is a test mode signal.

24. The circuit of claim 8,

wherein the A/D converter includes:

a comparator that compares the temperature voltage and an internal analog voltage to output a compared result;

a counter that increases or decreases the first temperature code according to the compared result and outputs the first temperature code;

a demultiplexer that outputs the first temperature code as the adjustment code to the temperature detecting circuit or outputs the first temperature code to the A/D converter in accordance with a test mode signal;

a multiplexer that outputs a test code or the first temperature code in accordance with the test mode signal;

a decoder that outputs a decoding signal obtained by decoding the output of the multiplexer; and

a D/A converter that converts the decoding signal into the internal analog voltage and outputs the internal analog voltage.

25. The circuit of claim 24, further comprising:

a filter that blocks a high frequency component of the compared result to obtain a filtered compared result and outputs the filtered compared result to the counter as the compared result; and

an oscillator that supplies a clock signal for performing operations of the A/D converter.

26. The circuit of claim 8,

wherein the temperature data correcting unit includes;

a code format converter that converts a format of the first temperature code into a format that is used outside the circuit for outputting temperature data to provide an output;

a fuse set that sets the correction code;

a multiplexer that selects and outputs either the correction code or a test code set in the fuse set in accordance with a predetermined control signal; and

an operating unit that outputs the second temperature code based on the output of the code format converter and the output of the multiplexer.

27. The circuit of claim 26,

wherein the code format converter includes a logic circuit that converts input data into two'"'"'s complement.

28. The circuit of claim 26,

wherein the control signal is a test mode signal.

29. The circuit of claim 26,

wherein the operating unit includes a logic circuit that subtracts two input data.

30. A method of outputting temperature data of a semiconductor memory apparatus, the semiconductor memory apparatus including a temperature detecting circuit that outputs a temperature voltage corresponding to a change in temperature and a reference voltage setting a range for converting the temperature voltage into a first temperature code and an A/D converter that converts the temperature voltage into the first temperature code by using the reference voltage, the method comprising:

creating a correction code for correcting an error of the first temperature code by using the first temperature code and a test code set in advance; and

outputting a second temperature code obtained by performing operations on the first temperature code and the correction code.

31. The method of claim 30,

wherein the test code is one of a plurality of codes that are set in advance so as to correspond to the change in temperature.

32. The method of claim 30,

wherein the creating of the correction code is performed during a test mode interval.

33. The method of claim 30,

wherein the creating of the correction code includes:

converting a format of the first temperature code into a same format as the test code; and

subtracting the test code from the first temperature code whose format has been converted so as to create the correction code.

34. The method of claim 33,

wherein the converting of the format of the first temperature code into the same format as the test code is performed by using two'"'"'s complement.

35. The method of claim 30,

wherein the outputting of the second temperature code includes:

converting a format of the first temperature code into a same format as the test code; and

outputting a temperature code, which is corrected by subtracting the correction code from the first temperature code whose format has been converted, as the second temperature code.

36. The method of claim 35,

wherein the converting of the format of the first temperature code into the same format as the test code is performed by using two'"'"'s complement.

37. A method for outputting temperature data of a semiconductor memory apparatus, the semiconductor memory apparatus including a temperature detecting circuit that outputs a temperature voltage corresponding to a change in temperature and a reference voltage setting a range for converting the temperature voltage into a first temperature code, and an A/D converter that changes a value of a digital code such that an analog voltage, which is obtained by converting the temperature voltage into the digital code and converting the digital code by using the reference voltage, is the same as the temperature voltage, and outputs the digital code as the first temperature code, the method comprising;

changing the first temperature code such that an analog voltage obtained by converting a test code is the same as the temperature voltage, and changing the reference voltage by using the changed first temperature code such that the analog voltage is changed so as to correct the first temperature code; and

creating a correction code for correcting an error of the first temperature code by using the first temperature code and the test code and correcting the first temperature code as a second temperature code by using the correction code,

wherein the second temperature code is output by selectively performing the changing of the first temperature code and the changing of the reference voltage, and the creating of the correction code and the correcting of the first temperature code as the second temperature code.

38. The method of claim 37,

wherein the changing of the first temperature code and the changing of the reference voltage, and the creating of the correction code and the correcting of the first temperature code as the second temperature code each are performed in a separate test mode.

39. The method of claim 37,

wherein the test code is one of codes that are set in advance so as to correspond to the change in temperature.

40. The method of claim 37,

wherein the creating of the correction code includes:

converting a format of the first temperature code into the same format as the test code; and

subtracting the test code from the first temperature code whose format has been converted so as to create the correction code.

41. The method of claim 40,

wherein the converting of the format of the first temperature code into the same format as the test code is performed by using two'"'"'s complement.

42. The method of claim 37,

wherein the correcting of the first temperature code as the second temperature code includes:

converting a format of the first temperature code into the same format as the test code; and

subtracting the correction code from the first temperature code whose format has been converted so as to correct the first temperature code as the second temperature code.

43. The method of claim 42,

wherein the converting of the format of the first temperature code into the same format as the test code is performed by using two'"'"'s complement.