SEMICONDUCTOR MEMORY DEVICE INCLUDING TEMPERATURE TEST CIRCUIT

• US 20130034121A1
• Filed: 12/23/2011
• Published: 02/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Incorporated (SK Hynix Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Incorporated (SK Hynix Inc.)
• Inventors: LEE, Seong Seop
• Application Number:
  US13/337,037
• Publication Number:
  US 20130034121A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 374/152
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 13/00 Thermometers specially adapted for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G01K 3/005 Circuits arrangements for indicating a predetermined temperature fire detection G08B17/00

Abstract

A semiconductor memory device includes: a temperature sensor configured to select first and second selection reference voltages selected in a test mode as an input reference voltage according to first and second counting signals which are sequentially counted, compare the selected input reference voltage with a level of a variable voltage which changes according to internal temperature, and generate a temperature flag signal containing information on the internal temperature; and a temperature test circuit configured to output the first and second counting signals at a time point where a level of the temperature flag signal changes.

Claims

1. A semiconductor memory device comprising:

a temperature sensor configured to select first and second selection reference voltages selected in a test mode as an input reference voltage according to first and second counting signals which are sequentially counted, compare the selected input reference voltage with a level of a variable voltage which changes according to internal temperature, and generate a temperature flag signal containing information on the internal temperature; and

a temperature test circuit configured to output the first and second counting signals at a time point where a level of the temperature flag signal changes.

2. The semiconductor memory device of claim 1, wherein the temperature test circuit comprises:

a pulse generation unit configured to generate a pulse signal at a time point where the level of the temperature flag signal changes; and

a buffer unit configured to buffer and output the first and second counting signals in response to the pulse signal.

3. The semiconductor memory device of claim 2, wherein the temperature test circuit further comprises an end pulse generation unit configured to generate an end pulse for resetting an output node of the buffer unit when the second counting signal is enabled.

4. The semiconductor memory device of claim 3, wherein the temperature test circuit further comprises a reset unit configured to reset the output node of the buffer at a time point where the pulse of the end pulse is inputted in the test mode.

5. The semiconductor memory device of claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor comprises:

a selection signal generation unit configured to generate a selection signal in response to a test mode pulse;

a reference voltage selection unit configured to select the first and second selection reference voltages among a plurality of reference voltages in response to the selection signal, and output the first and second selection reference voltages; and

a voltage pulse generation unit configured to count the first and second counting signals in response to an oscillation signal, decode the first and second counting signals to generate first and second test selection signals, and generate the input reference voltage and first and second latch pulses from the first and second test selection signals.

6. The semiconductor memory device of claim 5, wherein the voltage pulse generation unit comprises:

a counting signal generation section configured to generate the first and second counting signals which are counted in response to the oscillation signal in the test mode;

a counting signal decoder configured to decode the first and second counting signals and generate the first and second test selection signals and an end signal;

an input reference voltage selection section configured to select the first or second selection reference voltage as the input reference voltage in response to the first and second test selection signals; and

a latch pulse generation section configured to generate the first and second latch pulses in response to the first and second test selection signals.

7. A semiconductor memory device comprising:

a temperature sensor configured to select first and second selection reference voltages selected in a test mode as an input reference voltage according to first and second counting signals which are sequentially counted, compare the selected input reference voltage with a level of a variable voltage which changes according to internal temperature, and generate a temperature flag signal containing information on the internal temperature;

a first code converter configured to convert codes of the first and second counting signals;

a temperature test circuit configured to output the first and second counting signals of which the codes were converted by the first code converter, at a time point where a level of the temperature flag signal changes; and

a second code converter configured to convert the codes of the first and second counting signals outputted by the temperature test circuit.

8. The semiconductor memory device of claim 7, wherein the first code converter converts the first and second counting signals having binary codes into gray codes.

9. The semiconductor memory device of claim 7, wherein the temperature test circuit comprises:

a pulse generation unit configured to generate a pulse signal at a time point where the level of the temperature flag signal changes; and

a buffer unit configured to buffer and output the first and second counting signals in response to the pulse signal.

10. The semiconductor memory device of claim 9, wherein the temperature test circuit further comprises an end pulse generation unit configured to generate an end pulse for resetting an output node of the buffer unit when the second counting signal is enabled.

11. The semiconductor memory device of claim 10, wherein the temperature test circuit further comprises a reset unit configured to reset the output node of the buffer at a time point where a pulse of the end pulse is inputted in the test mode.

12. The semiconductor memory device of claim 7, wherein the temperature sensor comprises:

a selection signal generation unit configured to generate a selection signal in response to a test mode pulse;

a reference voltage selection unit configured to select the first and second selection reference voltages among a plurality of reference voltages in response to the selection signal, and output the first and second selection reference voltages; and

a voltage pulse generation unit configured to count the first and second counting signals in response to an oscillation signal, decode the first and second counting signals to generate first and second test selection signals, and generate the input reference voltage and first and second latch pulses from the first and second test selection signals.

13. The semiconductor memory device of claim 12, wherein the voltage pulse generation unit comprises:

a counting signal generation section configured to generate the first and second counting signals which are counted in response to the oscillation signal in the test mode;

a counting signal decoder configured to decode the first and second counting signals and generate the first and second test selection signals and an end signal;

an input reference voltage selection section configured to select the first or second selection reference voltage as the input reference voltage in response to the first and second test selection signals; and

a latch pulse generation section configured to generate the first and second latch pulses in response to the first and second test selection signals.

14. The semiconductor memory device of claim 7, wherein the second code converter converts the first and second counting signals, have been converted into gray codes, into binary codes.