# US 10,120,404 B2 · Apparatuses and related methods for staggering power-up of a stack of semiconductor dies

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- Number: US 10,120,404 B2
- Document ID: US10120404B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/671,960
- Filed: 2017-08-08
- Published: 2017-11-23
- Granted: 2018-11-06
- Earliest claimed: 2013-09-06
- Assignees: Micron Technology, Inc.
- Applicants: Micron Technology, Inc.
- Inventors: Trismardawi Tanadi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10120404B2

## CPC

- G05F 1/66: Regulating electric power
- G06F 1/26: Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof (for memories G11C)
- H03K 5/14: by the use of delay lines (H03K5/133 takes precedence)
- H03K 17/223: {in field-effect transistor switches}
- H10W 90/00: Package configurations
- H03K 2005/00234: {using circuits having two logic levels}
- G05F: SYSTEMS FOR REGULATING ELECTRIC OR MAGNETIC VARIABLES
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M)
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## 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.

## Claims

### Claim 1

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.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device of claim 1, further comprising a package enclosing each of the first semiconductor die and the second semiconductor die arranged in a stack.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The semiconductor device of claim 2, further comprising:
a third semiconductor die within the package and operably coupled to the common power supply, the third semiconductor die including:
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.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the first delay circuit further includes a first voltage monitor configured to:
receive a power supply voltage;
generate the power-up output responsive to detecting a magnitude of the power supply voltage being above a predetermined threshold; and
generate a reset signal responsive to detecting the magnitude of the power supply voltage being below the predetermined threshold.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the first select inputs and the second select inputs are coupled to receive a different combination of voltages.

### Claim 6

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.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The semiconductor device of claim 6, wherein:
the first delay path includes a first number of delay elements through which a first power-up ok signal travels before generating the first power-up output;
the second delay path includes a second number of delay elements through which a second power-up ok signal travels before generating the second power-up output; and
the third delay path includes a third number of delay elements through which a third power-up ok signal travels before generating the third power-up output.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The semiconductor device of claim 7, wherein the delay elements include at least one flip-flop or at least one inverter.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The semiconductor device of claim 7, wherein the respective select inputs for each of the delay circuits are hardwired to a different combination of either VDD or VSS within the package.

### Claim 10

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.

### Claim 11

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.