Reference voltage generating circuit of semiconductor memory apparatus

• US 8,487,603 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2007
• Issued: 07/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Incorporated (SK Hynix Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Incorporated (SK Hynix Inc.)
• Inventors: Kang, Khil-Ohk
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhane, Adolf
• Assistant Examiner(s): Quddus, Nusrat
• Application Number:
  US11/822,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20080111533A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,205 Days
• Field of Search: 323/266, 323/268, 323/270, 323/273, 323/274, 323/275, 323/311, 323/312, 323/313, 323/314
• US Class Current: 323/313
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 5/147 Voltage reference generators, voltage or current regulators; Internally lowered supply levels; Compensation for voltage drops G11C5/141 takes precedence

Abstract

A voltage generating circuit of semiconductor integrated circuit includes: a voltage controller that detects the level of an external supply voltage and outputs a voltage control signal; a voltage supplier that outputs the external supply voltage or a first internal voltage in response to the voltage control signal; and a first reference voltage generator that is supplied with an output voltage of the voltage supplier and generates a first reference voltage.

Claims

1. A voltage generating circuit of a semiconductor integrated circuit, comprising:

a voltage controller adapted to receive an external supply voltage, detect the level of the external supply voltage, and output a voltage control signal, wherein the voltage controller is adapted to output the voltage control signal that is enabled when the external supply voltage is higher than a predetermined voltage and disabled when the external supply voltage is lower than the predetermined voltage;

a voltage supplier adapted to receive the voltage control signal and output one of the external supply voltage and a first internal voltage as an output voltage in response to the voltage control signal; and

a first reference voltage generator adapted to receive the output voltage of the voltage supplier as a voltage source and generate a first reference voltage.

2. The voltage generating circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

a first internal voltage generator adapted to receive the first reference voltage and generate and output the first internal voltage in response to the first reference voltage.

3. The voltage generating circuit of claim 2,

wherein the first internal voltage generator is adapted to supply the first internal voltage to the voltage supplier.

4. The voltage generating circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

a second reference voltage generator adapted to receive the output voltage of the voltage supplier and the first reference voltage and generate a second reference voltage in response to the first reference voltage.

5. The voltage generating circuit of claim 4, further comprising:

a second internal voltage generator adapted to receive the second reference voltage and generate and output a second internal voltage in response to the second reference voltage.

6. The voltage generating circuit of claim 1,

wherein the voltage controller includes:

a voltage divider adapted to receive the external supply voltage, divide the external supply voltage and output a divided voltage; and

a comparing unit adapted to receive the divided voltage and output a comparison signal in response to the divided voltage.

7. The voltage generating circuit of claim 6,

wherein the voltage controller further includes:

a signal driver adapted to receive and drive the comparison signal and output the voltage control signal.

8. The voltage generating circuit of claim 6,

wherein a signal driver is adapted to receive the comparison signal, drive the received comparison signal, and output the voltage control signal.

9. The voltage generating circuit of claim 6,

wherein the voltage divider includes a plurality of resistors connected in series between an external supply voltage terminal and a ground voltage terminal.

10. The voltage generating circuit of claim 6,

wherein the voltage divider is adapted to output the divided voltage from a node between two different resistors.

11. The voltage generating circuit of claim 6,

wherein the comparing unit includes:

a pull-up portion adapted to receive the divided voltage and pull up a voltage of a first node in response to the divided voltage, wherein the voltage of the first node is the comparison signal; and

a pull-down portion adapted to receive the divided voltage and pull down the voltage of the first node in response to the divided voltage, wherein the voltage of the first node is the comparison signal.

12. The voltage generating circuit of claim 1,

wherein the voltage supplier includes:

a first switching unit adapted receive the voltage control signal and output the external supply voltage to a first node in response to the voltage control signal; and

a second switching unit adapted to receive the voltage control signal and output the first internal voltage to the first node in response to the voltage control signal.

13. The voltage generating circuit of claim 12,

wherein the voltage supplier is adapted to receive the voltage control signal and activate only one of the first switching unit and the second switching unit in response to the voltage control signal.

14. The voltage generating circuit of claim 1,

wherein the voltage supplier is adapted to output the first internal voltage when the external supply voltage is higher than a predetermined voltage;

and

the voltage supplier is adapted to output the external supply voltage when the external supply voltage is lower than the predetermined voltage.

15. A voltage generating circuit of a semiconductor integrated circuit, comprising:

a voltage controller adapted to receive and detect a level of an external supply voltage and output a voltage control signal, wherein the voltage controller is adapted to output the voltage control signal that is enabled when the external supply voltage is higher than a predetermined voltage and disabled when the external supply voltage is lower than the predetermined voltage;

a voltage supplier adapted to receive the voltage control signal and output one of the external supply voltage and a first internal voltage as an output voltage in response to the voltage control signal;

a first reference voltage generator adapted to receive the output voltage of the voltage supplier as a voltage source and generate a first reference voltage; and

a second reference voltage generator adapted to receive the output voltage of the voltage supplier as a voltage source and generate a second reference voltage in response to the first reference voltage.

16. The voltage generating circuit of claim 15,

wherein the voltage controller includes:

a voltage divider adapted to receive and divide the external supply voltage and output a divided voltage;

a comparing unit adapted to receive the divided voltage and output a comparison signal in response to the divided voltage; and

a signal driver adapted to receive and drive the comparison signal and output the voltage control signal.

17. The voltage generating circuit of claim 15,

wherein the voltage supplier includes:

a first switching unit adapted to receive the voltage control signal and output the external supply voltage to a first node in response to the voltage control signal; and

a second switching unit adapted to receive the voltage control signal and output the first internal voltage to the first node in response to the voltage control signal.