Internal voltage generating apparatus and method for controlling the same

• US 7,982,530 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2009
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Incorporated (SK Hynix Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Incorporated (SK Hynix Inc.)
• Inventors: Byeon, Sang Jin
• Primary Examiner(s): ZWEIZIG, JEFFERY SHAWN
• Application Number:
  US12/494,437
• Publication Number:
  US 20100237930A1
• Time in Patent Office: 749 Days
• Field of Search: 327/535, 327/536, 327/537
• US Class Current: 327/536
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 5/145 Applications of charge pumps; Boosted voltage circuits; Clamp circuits therefor G11C5/141 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 1/0022 the disturbance parameters being input voltage fluctuations
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/073 Charge pumps of the Schenkel-type
• CPC Class Codes: H02M 3/077 with parallel connected charge pump stages

Abstract

The internal voltage generating apparatus includes a first charge pumping circuit, an external voltage level detector, and a second charge pumping circuit. The first charge pumping circuit outputs an internal voltage and selectively performs first charge pumping for the internal voltage depending on a result detecting a level of the internal voltage feed-backed. The external voltage level detector detects a level of an external voltage and outputs the result detecting the level of the internal voltage and outputs a result detecting the level of the external voltage as a detection signal. The second charge pumping circuit performs second charge pumping for the internal voltage together with the first charge pumping against a case in which the level of the external voltage is lower than a predetermined level by the detection signal of the external voltage level detector.

Claims

1. An internal voltage generating apparatus, comprising:

a first charge pumping circuit configured to output an internal voltage and selectively perform first charge pumping of the internal voltage depending on a detected result of a level of the internal voltage feed-backed;

an external voltage level detector configured to detect a level of an external voltage and to output the detected result of the level of the internal voltage and a detected result of the level of the external voltage as a detection signal; and

a second charge pumping circuit configured to perform second charge pumping for the internal voltage together with the first charge pumping when the level of the external voltage is lower than a predetermined level by the detection signal of the external voltage level detector.

2. The internal voltage generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first charge pumping circuit includes:

an internal voltage level detector configured to detect the level of the internal voltage;

a ring oscillator configured to selectively perform oscillation depending on the detected result of the internal voltage level detector;

a pump control logic configured to generate a control signal in response to a pulse oscillated and outputted from the ring oscillator; and

a doubler charge pump configured to output the internal voltage by performing double charge pumping in response to the control signal provided from the pump control logic.

3. The internal voltage generating apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the internal voltage level detector includes:

a resistance section configured to output a divided portion of the internal voltage; and

an output section configured to compare an output of the resistance section with a second reference voltage and to output a detection signal corresponding to a comparison result.

4. The internal voltage generating apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the resistance section comprises a resistor string and a fuse which is connected to at least one resistor in parallel.

5. The internal voltage generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the external voltage level detector includes:

an external voltage level detector configured to detect the level of the external voltage; and

a SUM circuit configured to combine an output of the external voltage level detector with the detected result detecting of the internal voltage and enable the detection signal when the first charge pumping circuit is enabled and the external voltage is lower than the predetermined level.

6. The internal voltage generating apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the external voltage level detector includes:

a resistance section configured to output a divided portion of the external voltage; and

an output section configured to compare the output of the resistance section with a predetermined reference voltage and to output a signal corresponding to a comparison result.

7. The internal voltage generating apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the resistance section comprises resistors.

8. The internal voltage generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second charge pumping circuit includes:

a ring oscillator configured to selectively perform oscillation depending on the output of the external voltage level detector;

a pump control logic configured to generate the control signal in response to an oscillation signal outputted from the ring oscillator; and

a tripler charge pump configured to output the internal voltage by performing triple charge pumping in response to the control signal provided from the pump control logic.

9. The internal voltage generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the internal voltage is a high voltage VPP.

10. The internal voltage generating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second charge pumping circuit performs pumping by setting a higher voltage level than the first charge pumping circuit as a target value.

11. An internal voltage generating apparatus, comprising:

a double charge pumping unit configured to output an internal voltage, to compare a level of the internal voltage feed-backed with a first reference voltage, and to selectively perform double charge pumping for the internal voltage depending on a comparison result; and

a triple charge pumping unit configured to perform triple charge pumping for the internal voltage against a case in which the pumping of the double charge pumping unit is performed and an external voltage is positioned at a domain having a voltage level lower than a second reference voltage.

12. The internal voltage generating apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the double charge pumping unit comprises:

an internal voltage level detector configured to compare the level of the internal voltage with the first reference voltage and to detect the comparison result;

a ring oscillator configured to selectively perform oscillation depending on a detection result of the internal voltage level detector;

a pump control logic configured to generate a control signal by a pulse oscillated and outputted from the ring oscillator; and

a doubler charge pump configured to output the internal voltage by performing double charge pumping by the control signal provided from the pump control logic.

13. The internal voltage generating apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the internal voltage level detector comprises:

a resistance section configured to output a divided portion of the internal voltage; and

an output section configured to compare an output of the resistance section with the first reference voltage and to output a detection signal corresponding to a comparison result.

14. The internal voltage generating apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the resistance section comprises a resistor string and a fuse which is connected to at least one resistor in parallel.

15. The internal voltage generating apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the triple charge pumping unit comprises:

a control circuit configured to output an enable signal when the charge pumping of the double charge pumping unit is performed and the external voltage is positioned at the domain having the voltage level lower than the second reference voltage;

a ring oscillator configured to selectively perform oscillation in response to the enable signal of the control circuit;

a pump control logic configured to generate the control signal in response to an oscillation signal outputted from the ring oscillator; and

a tripler charge pump configured to output the internal voltage by performing triple charge pumping in response to the control signal provided from the pump control logic.

16. The internal voltage generating apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the control circuit includes:

an external voltage level detector configured to detect the level of the external voltage; and

a SUM circuit configured to combine an output of the external voltage level detector with the result detecting the level of the internal voltage and to output the detection signal at an enable state against an enable state of the double charge pumping unit when the external voltage is lower than the predetermined level.

17. The internal voltage generating apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the external voltage level detector comprises:

a resistance section comprising a resistor string that outputs and divides a portion of the internal voltage; and

a comparator configured to compare an output of the resistance section with the second reference voltage and to output a detection signal corresponding to a comparison result.

18. The internal voltage generating apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the SUM circuit includes:

a NAND gate configured to logically sum a signal for pumping of the double charge pumping unit and an output of the comparator; and

an inverter configured to invert an output of the NAND gate.

19. The internal voltage generating apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the internal voltage is a high voltage VPP.

20. The internal voltage generating apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the triple charge pumping unit performs pumping by setting a higher voltage level than the double charge pumping unit as a target value.

21. An internal voltage generating apparatus, comprising:

an external voltage level detector configured to compare an external voltage with a first reference voltage and to output a comparison result as a first detection signal;

an internal voltage level detector configured to compare an internal voltage feed-backed with a second reference voltage and to output a comparison result as a second detection signal;

a control circuit configured to combine outputs of the internal voltage level detector and the external voltage level detector and to output an enable signal when both the internal voltage and the external voltage are within a charge pumping range;

a double charge pumping unit configured to selectively perform double charge pumping for the internal voltage by the second detection signal of the internal voltage level detector; and

a triple charge pumping unit configured to selectively perform triple charge pumping for the internal voltage by the enable signal of the control circuit.

22. The internal voltage generating apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the external voltage level detector comprises:

a resistance section configured to output a divided portion of is the external voltage; and

an output section configured to compare an output of the resistance section with the first reference voltage and to output the first detection signal corresponding to a comparison result.

23. The internal voltage generating apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the resistance section comprises a string of resistors.

24. The internal voltage generating apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the internal voltage level detector comprises:

a resistance section configured to output a divided portion of the internal voltage; and

a comparator configured to compare an output of the resistance section with the second reference voltage and to output the second detection signal corresponding to a comparison result.

25. The internal voltage generating apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the resistance section comprises a resistor string and a fuse connected to at least one resistor in parallel.

26. The internal voltage generating apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the control circuit includes:

a NAND gate configured to NAND-combine outputs of the internal voltage level detector and the external voltage level detector; and

an inverter configured to invert an output of the NAND gate.

27. The internal voltage generating apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the double charge pumping unit includes:

a ring oscillator configured to selectively perform oscillation depending on the second detection signal of the internal voltage level detector;

a pump control logic configured to generate a control signal in response to a pulse oscillated and outputted from the ring oscillator; and

a doubler charge pump configured to output the internal voltage by performing double charge pumping in response to the control signal provided from the pump control logic.

28. The internal voltage generating apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the triple charge pumping unit includes:

a ring oscillator configured to selectively perform the oscillation depending on the enable signal of the control circuit;

a pump control logic configured to generate the control signal in lo response to the pulse oscillated and outputted from the ring oscillator; and

a tripler charge pump configured to output the internal voltage by performing triple charge pumping in response to the control signal provided from the pump control logic.

29. The internal voltage generating apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the internal voltage is a high voltage VPP.

30. The internal voltage generating apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the triple charge pumping unit performs pumping by setting a higher voltage level than the double charge pumping unit as a target value.

31. A method for controlling an internal voltage generating apparatus, comprising:

comparing an external voltage with a first reference voltage and outputting a comparison result as a first detection signal;

feed-backing an internal voltage, comparing the internal voltage with a second reference voltage, and outputting a comparison result as a second detection signal;

generating an enable signal when the levels of the internal voltage and the external voltage detected by the first and second detection signals are within a charge pumping range;

selectively performing double charge pumping for the internal voltage by the second detection signal; and

selectively performing triple charge pumping for the internal voltage by the enable signal.