Device having internal voltage generating circuit

• US 9,958,887 B2
• Filed: 07/17/2017
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Ikeda, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Emily P
• Application Number:
  US15/651,895
• Publication Number:
  US 20170315572A1
• Time in Patent Office: 288 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/461 using an operational amplifier as final control device
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/56 using semiconductor devices in series with the load as final control devices G05F1/461 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05F 1/575 characterised by the feedback circuit
• 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 device includes an amplifying circuit having first and second input terminals and an output terminal, a ground terminal, a variable resistance circuit, and a resistance selecting circuit coupled in series to the variable resistance circuit between the output terminal and the ground terminal. The resistance selecting circuit includes a first node coupled to the second input terminal, a plurality of resistors coupled in series to each other and a plurality of gate circuits each coupled between the first node and one end of a corresponding one of the resistors.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising;

an amplifying circuit having first and second input terminals and an output terminal;

a ground terminal;

a resistance selecting circuit configured to produce a plurality of internal voltages different from each other and supply a selected one of the plurality of internal voltages to the second input terminal;

a first variable resistance circuit coupled between the output terminal and the resistance selecting circuit, the first variable resistance circuit configured to exhibit a first variable resistance value that comprises a sum of a first variable resistance component and a first constant resistance component; and

a second variable resistance circuit coupled to the ground terminal and the resistance selecting circuit, the second variable resistance circuit configured to exhibit a second variable resistance value that comprises a sum of a second variable resistance component and a second constant resistance component.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second variable resistance circuits are configured to be controlled such that a change of one of the first and second variable resistance values is opposite to a change of the other of the first and second variable resistance values to keep a sum of the first and second variable resistance values substantially stable.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a minimum resistance value of the first variable resistance value is equal to a minimum resistance value of the second variable resistance value.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein a maximum resistance value of the first variable resistance value is equal to a maximum resistance value of the second variable resistance value.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first and second variable resistance circuits are configured to be controlled such that the first variable resistance value is always different from the second variable resistance value.

6. An apparatus comprising:

an amplifying circuit having first and second input terminals and an output terminal;

a ground terminal;

a resistance selecting circuit configured to produce a plurality of internal voltages different from each other and supply a selected one of the plurality of internal voltages to the second input terminal;

a first variable resistance circuit including first and second resistors coupled in series between the output terminal and the resistance selecting circuit; and

a second variable resistance circuit including third and fourth resistors coupled in series between the ground terminal and the resistance selecting circuit.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first and third resistors are equal in resistance value to each other and the second and fourth resistors are equal in resistance value to each other.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first and second resistors are different in resistance value from each other.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first variable resistance circuit includes first, second and third internal nodes such that the first resistor is between the first and second internal nodes and the second resistor is between the second and third internal nodes, the first variable resistance circuit further includes a first transfer gate between the first and second internal nodes.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the second variable resistance circuit includes fourth, fifth and sixth internal nodes such that the third resistor is between the fourth and fifth internal nodes and the fourth resistor is between the fifth and sixth internal nodes, the second variable resistance circuit further includes a second transfer gate between the fourth and fifth internal nodes.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first transfer gate is configured to be in an on state when the second transfer gate is in an off state and to be in an off state when the second transfer gate is in an on state.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first and third resistors are equal in resistance value to each other and the second and fourth resistors are equal in resistance value to each other.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first and second resistors are different in resistance value from each other.

14. An apparatus comprising;

an amplifying circuit configured to be supplied with first and second voltages and to generate a third voltage responsive to a voltage comparison between the first and second voltages;

a resistance selecting circuit configured to be supplied with the third voltage and configured to generate a plurality of internal voltages different from each other and generate a fourth voltage lower than any of the plurality of internal voltages based on the third voltage, the resistance selecting circuit further configured to output a selected one of the plurality of internal voltages as the second voltage to the amplifying circuit; and

a variable resistance circuit configured to be supplied with the fourth voltage and a ground voltage.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising a reference voltage generating circuit configured to generate a reference voltage that is substantially stable regardless of a thermal change on the apparatus as the first voltage.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the resistance selecting circuit includes a plurality of internal nodes to which the plurality of internal voltages are supplied, an output node to which the selected one of the plurality of internal voltages is supplied, and a plurality of gate circuits each coupled between a corresponding one of the plurality of internal nodes and the output node.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the plurality of gate circuits are configured to be controlled such that a selected one of the plurality of gate circuits is closed and at least one of the other gate circuits of the plurality of gate circuits is opened.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the variable resistance circuit includes a variable resistance component and a constant resistance component and the constant resistance component exhibits a minimum resistance value of the variable resistance circuit.