# US 11,115,021 B2 · Impedance calibration circuit and memory device including the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,115,021 B2 - Document ID: US11115021B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/021,728 - Filed: 2020-09-15 - Published: 2021-08-05 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2020-02-05 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Tongsung Kim; Youngmin Jo; Jungjune Park; Jindo Byun; Dongho Shin; Jeongdon Ihm - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11115021B2 ## CPC - H03K 19/0005: {Modifications of input or output impedance} - G11C 7/1057: {Data output buffers, e.g. comprising level conversion circuits, circuits for adapting load} - G11C 7/1084: {Data input buffers, e.g. comprising level conversion circuits, circuits for adapting load} - G11C 8/10: Decoders - G11C 29/028: {with adaption or trimming of parameters} - G11C 29/50008: {of impedance} - H03K 19/018557: {Coupling arrangements; Impedance matching circuits} - H03K 19/018592: {with a bidirectional operation} - H03K 19/0813: {Threshold logic} - G11C 2207/2254: Calibration - 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) - G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B) ## Abstract An impedance calibration circuit includes a first code generation circuit connected to a first reference resistor, and configured to generate a first code for forming a resistance based on the first reference resistor, by using the first reference resistor; a second code generation circuit configured to form a resistance of a second reference resistor less than the resistance of the first reference resistor, based on the first code, and generate a second code by using the second reference resistor; and a target impedance code generation circuit configured to generate a target impedance code based on the first code, the second code, and a target impedance value, and form an impedance having the target impedance value in a termination driver connected to the impedance calibration circuit, based on the target impedance code. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An impedance calibration circuit comprising: a first code generation circuit connected to a first reference resistor, and configured to generate a first code for forming a resistance based on the first reference resistor, by using the first reference resistor; a second code generation circuit configured to: form a resistance of a second reference resistor less than the resistance of the first reference resistor, based on the first code, and generate a second code by using the second reference resistor; and a target impedance code generation circuit configured to: generate a target impedance code based on the first code, the second code, and a target impedance value, and form an impedance having the target impedance value in a termination driver connected to the impedance calibration circuit, based on the target impedance code. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The impedance calibration circuit of claim 1, wherein the target impedance code generation circuit is configured to: compare the target impedance value with a threshold impedance value, and generate the target impedance code based on a code selected from the first code and the second code according to a result of the comparing. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The impedance calibration circuit of claim 2, wherein the target impedance code generation circuit is configured to: when the target impedance value is greater than the threshold impedance value, either generate the first code as the target impedance code or generate the target impedance code by shifting the first code, and when the target impedance value is less than the threshold impedance value, either generate the second code as the target impedance code or generate the target impedance code by shifting the second code. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The impedance calibration circuit of claim 1, wherein the target impedance code generation circuit comprises: an impedance comparator configured to output a comparison result by comparing the target impedance value with a threshold impedance value; and an operator circuit configured to generate the target impedance code, based on a code selected from the first code and the second code according to a result of the comparing. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The impedance calibration circuit of claim 1, wherein the first code generation circuit comprises: at least one ZQ pull-up driver configured to form a first pull-up impedance, based on a first pull-up code included in the first code; and at least one ZQ pull-down driver configured to form a first pull-down impedance, based on a first pull-down code included in the first code. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The impedance calibration circuit of claim 5, wherein the second code generation circuit comprises: a second reference resistance forming circuit configured to form a resistance of the second reference resistor, based on the first pull-up code or the first pull-down code; at least one pull-up driver configured to form a second pull-up impedance, based on a second pull-up code included in the second code; and at least one pull-down driver configured to form a second pull-down impedance, based on a second pull-down code included in the second code. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The impedance calibration circuit of claim 6, wherein the second reference resistance forming circuit comprises a plurality of ZQ pull-up drivers connected to each other in parallel, and each of the plurality of ZQ pull-up drivers is configured to form an impedance value that is the same as the first pull-up impedance, based on the first pull-up code. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The impedance calibration circuit of claim 6, wherein the second reference resistance forming circuit comprises a plurality of ZQ pull-down drivers connected to each other in parallel, and each of the plurality of ZQ pull-down drivers is configured to form an impedance value that is the same as the first pull-down impedance, based on the first pull-down code. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The impedance calibration circuit of claim 6, wherein the target impedance code generation circuit comprises: a pull-up decoder configured to generate a target impedance pull-up code included in the target impedance code, based on the first pull-up code, the second pull-up code, and the target impedance value; and a pull-down decoder configured to generate a target impedance pull-down code included in the target impedance code, based on the first pull-down code, the second pull-down code, and the target impedance value. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The impedance calibration circuit of claim 9, wherein the termination driver is configured to form a termination impedance, and comprises: a termination pull-up driver configured to form a pull-up termination impedance value, based on the target impedance pull-up code; and a termination pull-down driver configured to form a pull-down termination impedance value, based on the target impedance pull-down code. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The impedance calibration circuit of claim 10, wherein the termination pull-up driver comprises a plurality of PMOS transistors having widths that are sequentially doubled, each of the plurality of PMOS transistors being driven by a bit value included in the target impedance pull-up code, and wherein the termination pull-down driver comprises a plurality of NMOS transistors having widths that are sequentially doubled, each of the plurality of NMOS transistors being driven by a bit value included in the target impedance pull-down code. ### Claim 12 An impedance calibration circuit comprising: a first code generation circuit configured to: generate a first code by using a first reference resistor, and form a resistance based on the first reference resistor and the first code; a second code generation circuit including a plurality of ZQ pull-up drivers configured to form a resistance of a second reference resistor, based on the first code, the second code generation circuit configured to generate a second code by using the second reference resistor; and a target impedance code generation circuit configured to: select one from among the first code and the second code according to a result of comparing a target impedance value with a threshold impedance value, generate a target impedance code based on using the selected code, and form an impedance having the target impedance value for a termination driver connected to the impedance calibration circuit, wherein each ZQ pull-up driver includes either one or more PMOS transistors or one or more NMOS transistors. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The impedance calibration circuit of claim 12, wherein the target impedance code generation circuit is configured to: when the target impedance value is greater than the threshold impedance value, select the first code, and when the target impedance value is less than the threshold impedance value, select the second code. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The impedance calibration circuit of claim 12, wherein the resistance of the second reference resistor corresponds to a value obtained by dividing the resistance of the first reference resistor by the number of ZQ pull-up drivers. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The impedance calibration circuit of claim 12, wherein the threshold impedance value is less than the resistance of the first reference resistor and greater than the resistance of the second reference resistor. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The impedance calibration circuit of claim 12, wherein the target impedance code generation circuit is configured to: when the target impedance value is greater than the threshold impedance value, output the first code as the target impedance code in response to the target impedance value being the same as the resistance of the first reference resistor, and generate the target impedance code by shifting the first code by one bit in response to the target impedance value being different from the resistance of the first reference resistor, and when the target impedance value is less than the threshold impedance value, output the second code as the target impedance code in response to the target impedance value being the same as the resistance of the second reference resistor, and generate the target impedance code by shifting the second code by one bit in response to the target impedance value being different from the resistance of the second reference resistor. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The impedance calibration circuit of claim 12, wherein the first code generation circuit comprises: at least one ZQ pull-up driver configured to form a first pull-up impedance, based on a first pull-up code included in the first code; and at least one ZQ pull-down driver configured to form a first pull-down impedance, based on a first pull-down code included in the first code, and wherein each of the plurality of ZQ pull-up drivers corresponds to the at least one ZQ pull-up driver. ### Claim 18 An impedance calibration method performed by an impedance calibration circuit in a memory device comprising a memory cell region including a first metal pad, a peripheral circuit region including a second metal pad and vertically connected to the memory cell region by the first metal pad and the second metal pad, the impedance calibration circuit connected to a first reference resistor, the impedance calibration method comprising: generating a first code for forming a resistance based on the first reference resistor, by using the first reference resistor; generating a second code for forming a resistance of a second reference resistor formed based on the first code, by using the second reference resistor; and generating a target impedance code corresponding to a target impedance value, based on the first code, the second code, and the target impedance value. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The impedance calibration method of claim 18, wherein the generating of the target impedance code comprises: comparing the target impedance value with a threshold impedance value; and generating the target impedance code by using a code selected from the first code and the second code according to a result of the comparing. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The impedance calibration method of claim 19, wherein the generating of the target impedance code by using the selected code comprises: when the target impedance value is greater than the threshold impedance value, generating the target impedance code, based on either using the first code as the target impedance code or using a code obtained by shifting the first code by at least one bit; and when the target impedance value is less than the threshold impedance value, generating the target impedance code, based on either using the second code as the target impedance code or using a code obtained by shifting the second code by at least one bit.