Operation method of a supply voltage generation circuit used for a memory array

• US 8,767,485 B1
• Filed: 03/26/2014
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Marlin Semiconductor Limited (f/k/a Sandyford Semiconductor Limited) (Vector Capital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: United Microelectronics Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Shi-Wen, Lu, Hsin-Pang, Tsai, Chung-Cheng, Mou, Ya-Nan
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Ly D
• Application Number:
  US14/225,432
• Publication Number:
  US 20140204686A1
• Time in Patent Office: 97 Days
• Field of Search: 365/189.07, 365/189.09, 365/230.06
• US Class Current: 365/189.09
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/4074 Power supply or voltage generation circuits, e.g. bias voltage generators, substrate voltage generators, back-up power, power control circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/30 Power supply circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/021 in voltage or current generators
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/00 Arrangements for writing information into, or reading information out from, a digital store G11C5/00 takes precedence; auxiliary circuits for stores using semiconductor devices G11C11/4063, G11C11/413
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/08 Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/10 Input/output [I/O] data interface arrangements, e.g. I/O data control circuits, I/O data buffers
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 8/08 Word line control circuits, e.g. drivers, boosters, pull-up circuits, pull-down circuits, precharging circuits, for word lines

Abstract

A supply voltage generation circuit includes a comparison unit, a voltage level control unit and a voltage regulator circuit. Comparison unit is configured to compare input data and output data of a memory array to each other and thereby generating a comparison result, wherein output data are storage data stored in a plurality of memory units of memory array processed by a program operation according to input data, and the comparison result indicates the number of different bits existing between the output data and the input data. Voltage level control unit is configured to generate a control signal according to the comparison result. Voltage regulator circuit is configured to provide a supply voltage for the memory array and adjust the value of the supply voltage according to the control signal. A memory and an operation method of a supply generation circuit used for a memory array are also provided.

Claims

1. An operation method of a supply voltage generation circuit used for a memory array, the memory array comprising a plurality of memory units and being electrically coupled to a decoder, the decoder comprising an input terminal and a plurality of output terminals, and each output terminal of the decoder being electrically coupled to a respective group of the memory units, the operation method comprising:

providing, according to input data of the memory array, a supply voltage to the input terminal of the decoder;

generating a comparison result by comparing the input data to output data of the memory array, wherein the output data are storage data stored in a plurality of memory units of the memory array processed by a program operation according to the input data, and the comparison result indicates the number of different bits existing between the output data and the input data; and

adjusting the value of the supply voltage according to the comparison result if the comparison result indicates that there is at least one different bit existing between the input data and the output data.

2. The operation method according to claim 1, wherein the decoder comprises a source line decoder.

3. The operation method according to claim 1, wherein the comparison of the input data and the output data is realized by a digital data comparison manner, analog-type current comparison manner or analog-type voltage comparison manner.