Power-saving voltage supply
First Claim
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1. A semiconductor device comprising:
- an external power supply terminal to which an external power supply voltage is supplied;
an internal power supply line;
first voltage dropping means, connected between said external power supply terminal and said internal power supply line, operative in at least a standby interval, for generating a first voltage having a smaller value than that of the external power supply voltage to supply the first voltage to said internal power supply line; and
second voltage dropping means, connected between said external power supply terminal and said internal power supply line, operative in an interval other than the standby interval for generating a second voltage having a smaller value than that of the external power supply voltage to supply the second voltage to said internal power supply line.
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Abstract
In a semiconductor device according to the invention, first and second voltage dropping circuits, for generating voltages respectively having smaller values than that of an external power supply voltage, are provided. The first voltage dropping circuit, which consumes relatively less power, is always in the operative mode, and the second voltage dropping circuit, which consumes more power than that of the first voltage dropping circuit, is operated during an interval other than a standby interval. The voltages generated by the first and second voltage dropping circuits are supplied to an internal power supply line in parallel with each other.
85 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A semiconductor device comprising:
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an external power supply terminal to which an external power supply voltage is supplied; an internal power supply line; first voltage dropping means, connected between said external power supply terminal and said internal power supply line, operative in at least a standby interval, for generating a first voltage having a smaller value than that of the external power supply voltage to supply the first voltage to said internal power supply line; and second voltage dropping means, connected between said external power supply terminal and said internal power supply line, operative in an interval other than the standby interval for generating a second voltage having a smaller value than that of the external power supply voltage to supply the second voltage to said internal power supply line.
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2. A semiconductor device comprising:
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an external power supply terminal to which an external power supply voltage is supplied; an internal power supply line; an internal circuit, connected to said internal power supply line, having a standby interval for reducing power consumption and being operated using a voltage of said internal power supply line as a power supply voltage; first voltage dropping means, connected between said external power supply terminal and said internal power supply line, operative in the standby interval, for generating a first voltage having a lower value than that of the external power supply voltage to supply the first voltage to said internal power supply line; and second voltage dropping means, connected between said external power supply terminal and said internal power supply line, operative in an interval other than the standby interval, for generating a second voltage having a lower value than that of said external power supply voltage to supply the second voltage to said internal power supply line. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification