Driver and memory controller having the same

• US 9,275,707 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2013
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Koo, Kyung-Hoi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Michael
• Application Number:
  US14/134,620
• Publication Number:
  US 20140313846A1
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 365/230.06, 365/226
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/4072 Drivers or receivers G06F13/4086 takes precedence; for multistate logic circuits H03K19/0002
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 5/14 Power supply arrangements , e.g. power down, chip selection or deselection, layout of wirings or power grids, or multiple supply levels
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 8/06 Address interface arrangements, e.g. address buffers

Abstract

A memory controller includes a bus driver that allows the controller to support both a semiconductor memory device supporting a low power double data rate 3 (LPDDR3) transmission method and a semiconductor memory device supporting a low power double data rate 4 (LPDDR4) transmission method.

Claims

1. A bus line driver comprising:

a first NMOS transistor connected between a ground voltage source and a first node, and controlled by a first signal;

a second NMOS transistor connected between the first node and a second node, and controlled by a second signal;

a first PMOS transistor connected between the second node and a power supply voltage source, and controlled by a third signal; and

a pad connected to the first node,

wherein, when a first transmission method is supported and the first PMOS transistor is activated, the power supply voltage is applied to the pad via the second NMOS transistor, and

when a second transmission method is supported, the pad is connected to the second node.

2. The driver of claim 1, wherein the second and third signals have opposite phases.

3. The driver of claim 2, wherein, when the second transmission method is supported, the pad is connected to the second node using a metal revision, and

when the first PMOS transistor is activated, the power supply voltage is applied to the pad via the second node.

4. The driver of claim 2, wherein, when the second transmission method is supported, the pad is connected to the second node via an anti-fuse, and

when the first PMOS transistor is activated, the power supply voltage is applied to the pad via the second node.

5. The driver of claim 1, wherein the power supply voltage is applied to the second signal.

6. The driver of claim 5, wherein, when the second transmission method is supported, the pad is connected to the second node using a metal revision, and

when the first PMOS transistor is activated, the power supply voltage is applied to the pad via the second node.

7. The driver of claim 5, wherein, when the second transmission method is supported, the pad is connected to the second node via an anti-fuse, and

when the first PMOS transistor is activated, the power supply voltage is applied to the pad via the second node.

8. The driver of claim 1, further comprising a second PMOS transistor connected between the second node and the pad, and controlled by a fourth signal.

9. The driver of claim 8, wherein the second and third signals have opposite phases, and

the first or second transmission method is supported according to the fourth signal.

10. The driver of claim 8, wherein the power supply voltage is applied to the second signal, and

the first or second transmission method is supported according to the fourth signal.

11. The driver of claim 1, further comprising:

a first resistor connected between the first NMOS transistor and the first node;

a second resistor connected between the second NMOS transistor and the second node; and

a third resistor connected between the second node and the first PMOS transistor,

wherein, when the first transmission method is supported, the first and second resistors increase linearity of an impedance, and

when the second transmission method is supported, the first and third resistors increase linearity of impedance.

12. The driver of claim 1, wherein the first transmission method comprises a low power dual data rate (LPDDR) 4 transmission method, and the second transmission method comprises an LPDDR3 transmission method.

13. A memory controller comprising:

a driver configured to transmit data to a semiconductor memory device supporting a first or second transmission method; and

a data bus connected to the driver, and configured to transmit the data to and receive the data from the semiconductor memory device,

wherein the driver comprises;

a first NMOS transistor connected between a ground voltage source and a first node, and controlled by a first signal;

a second NMOS transistor connected between the first node and a second node, and controlled by a second signal;

a first PMOS transistor connected between the second node and a power supply voltage source, and controlled by a third signal; and

a pad connected to the first node,

wherein, when the first transmission method is supported and the first PMOS transistor is activated, a power supply voltage is applied to the pad via the second node, and

when the second transmission method is supported, the pad is connected to the second node.

14. The memory controller of claim 13, further comprising:

a first resistor connected between the first NMOS transistor and the first node;

a second resistor connected between the second NMOS transistor and the second node; and

a third resistor connected between the second node and the first PMOS transistor,

wherein, when the first transmission method is supported, the first and second resistors increase linearity of an impedance, and

when the second transmission method is supported, the first and third resistors increase linearity of impedance.

15. The memory controller of claim 13, further comprising a second PMOS transistor connected between the second node and the pad, and controlled by a fourth signal,

the second and third signals have opposite phases, or the power supply voltage is applied to the second signal, and

the first or second transmission method is supported according to the fourth signal.

16. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

a line driver including

circuitry for low power double data rate 3 (LPDDR3) transmission;

circuitry for low power double data rate 4 (LPDDR4) transmission; and

selection circuitry for selecting between LPDDR3 and LPDDR4 transmission, wherein the selection circuitry includes an antifuse.

17. A memory controller including the electronic apparatus of claim 16.

18. A memory system, comprising:

the memory controller of claim 17; and

a plurality of memory devices arranged to be controlled by the memory controller.

19. The electronic apparatus of claim 16 wherein the selection circuitry includes an optional final metallization trace.