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US 10,120,404 B2Granted
Apparatuses and related methods for staggering power-up of a stack of semiconductor dies
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorTrismardawi Tanadi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An apparatus including semiconductor dies in a stack. The semiconductor dies are configured to power-up in a staggered manner. Methods for powering up an electronic device include detecting a power-up event with the semiconductor dies in the stack, and responsive to the power-up event, powering up a first semiconductor die in the stack at a first time, and powering up a second semiconductor die in the stack at a second time that is different from the first time.
Claims11
A semiconductor device, comprising:
- a first semiconductor die including:
- a first delay circuit including:
- a first switch network including a first set of switches;
- a first set of delay paths coupled to the first switch network;
- and
- first switch logic operably coupled to the first switch network and including first select inputs, the first switch logic configured to:
- control the first switch network responsive to decoding a first state for the first select inputs;
- and
- generate a first power-up output through a first delay path of the first set of delay paths to cause the first semiconductor die to power up according to a first delay;
- and
- a second semiconductor die including:
- a second delay circuit including:
- a second switch network including a second set of switches;
- a second set of delay paths coupled to the second switch network;
- and
- second switch logic operably coupled to the first switch network and including second select inputs, the second switch logic configured to:
- control the second switch network responsive to decoding a second state for the second select inputs;
- and
- generate a second power-up output through a second delay path of the second set of delay paths to cause the second semiconductor die to power up according to a second delay that is different than the first delay, wherein the first delay path and the second delay path include a different number of delay elements, and wherein the first semiconductor die and the second semiconductor die are operably coupled to a common power supply.
16 more elements
A semiconductor device comprising:
- a package enclosing each of a first semiconductor die, a second semiconductor die, and a third semiconductor die arranged in a stack, wherein:
- the first semiconductor die includes:
- a first delay circuit including:
- a first switch network including a first set of switches;
- a first set of delay paths coupled to the first switch network;
- and
- first switch logic including first select inputs, and configured to:
- control the first switch network responsive to decoding a first state for the first select inputs;
- and
- generate a first power-up output through a first delay path of the first set of delay paths to cause the first semiconductor die to power up according to a first delay;
- the second semiconductor die includes:
- a second delay circuit including:
- a second switch network including a second set of switches;
- a second set of delay paths coupled to the second switch network;
- and
- second switch logic including second select inputs, and configured to:
- control the second switch network responsive to decoding a second state for the second select inputs;
- and
- generate a second power-up output through a second delay path of the second set of delay paths to cause the second semiconductor die to power up according to a second delay that is different than the first delay;
- the third semiconductor die includes:
- a third delay circuit including:
- a third switch network including a third set of switches;
- a third set of delay paths coupled to the third switch network;
- and
- third switch logic including third select inputs, and configured to:
- control the third switch network responsive to decoding a third state for the third select inputs;
- and
- generate a third power-up output through a third delay path of the third set of delay paths to cause the third semiconductor die to power up according to a third delay that is different than the first delay and the second delay;
- and
- the delay circuits for each of the first semiconductor die, the second semiconductor die, and the third semiconductor die include identical sets of switch networks, delay paths, control logic, except for the configuration of the respective select inputs that determine which switches of the respective switch networks are enabled by the respective switch logic to generate the respective power-up output through the respective delay path.
27 more elements
A method of operating delay circuits to power up semiconductor dies of a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
- causing a first switch of a first switch network to be enabled responsive to a first state of a first set of select inputs to generate a first power-up output through a first delay path to a first semiconductor die according to a first delay;
- and
- causing a second switch of a second switch network to be enabled responsive to a second state of a second set of select inputs to generate a second power-up output through a second delay path to a second semiconductor die according to a second delay different than the first delay, wherein the first delay path and the second delay path include a different number of delay elements, and the semiconductor dies are coupled to a common power supply.
A method of operating delay circuits to power up semiconductor dies of a semiconductor device operably coupled to a common power supply, the method comprising:
- causing a first switch of a first switch network to be enabled responsive to a first state of a first set of select inputs to generate a first power-up output through a first delay path to a first semiconductor die according to a first delay;
- causing a second switch of a second switch network to be enabled responsive to a second state of a second set of select inputs to generate a second power-up output through a second delay path to a second semiconductor die according to a second delay different than the first delay;
- decoding hardwired voltages on the first set of select signals to determine the first state;
- and
- decoding hardwired voltages on the second set of select signals to determine the second state.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.