# US 11,451,223 B2 · Driver and method of operating the same

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- Number: US 11,451,223 B2
- Document ID: US11451223B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/167,553
- Filed: 2021-02-04
- Published: 2022-02-17
- Granted: 2022-09-20
- Earliest claimed: 2020-08-12
- Assignees: SK hynix Inc.
- Applicants: SK hynix Inc.
- Inventors: Chan Hui Jeong
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11451223B2

## CPC

- G06F 3/0679: {Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]}
- H03K 17/102: {in field-effect transistor switches}
- G06F 3/0611: {in relation to response time}
- G06F 3/0625: {Power saving in storage systems}
- G06F 3/0634: {by changing the state or mode of one or more devices}
- G06F 3/0656: {Data buffering arrangements}
- G11C 7/10: Input/output [I/O] data interface arrangements, e.g. I/O data control circuits, I/O data buffers
- G11C 7/22: Read-write [R-W] timing or clocking circuits; Read-write [R-W] control signal generators or management
- G11C 7/1063: {Control signal output circuits, e.g. status or busy flags, feedback command signals}
- G11C 7/109: {Control signal input circuits}
- Y02D 10/00: Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
- 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)
- G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B)
- Y02D: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES [ICT], I.E. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AIMING AT THE REDUCTION OF THEIR OWN ENERGY USE

## Abstract

The present technology relates to an electronic device. A driver for generating a signal that satisfies a characteristic required according to a type of a signal includes a current controller configured to control total current flowing through the driver based on a selected signal, among a plurality of signals, applied to a page buffer that stores data, a load controller configured to control a magnitude of a load of an output terminal of the driver based on the selected signal and a cap compensator configured to control the magnitude of the load of the output terminal by increasing or decreasing a capacitance of the load of the output terminal based on the selected signal.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A driver comprising:
a current controller configured to control total current flowing through the driver based on a selected signal, among a plurality of signals, applied to a page buffer that stores data;
a load controller configured to control a magnitude of a load of an output terminal of the driver based on the selected signal; and
a cap compensator configured to control the magnitude of the load of the output terminal by adjusting a capacitance of the load of the output terminal based on the selected signal.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The driver of claim 1, wherein, when the selected signal is a first signal, the current controller outputs a current signal for decreasing the total current.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The driver of claim 1, wherein, when the selected signal is a first signal, the load controller outputs a load signal for decreasing the magnitude of the load of the output terminal.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The driver of claim 3, wherein, after the magnitude of the load of the output terminal is decreased, a control signal generator for generating the first signal is operated with the driver to increase the magnitude of the load of the output terminal.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The driver of claim 4, wherein the current controller outputs a current signal for increasing the total current.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The driver of claim 4, wherein the load controller outputs the load signal for increasing the magnitude of the load of the output terminal.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The driver of claim 1, wherein, when the selected signal is a second signal, the current controller outputs a current signal for increasing the total current.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The driver of claim 1, wherein, when the selected signal is a second signal, the load controller outputs a load signal for increasing the magnitude of the load of the output terminal.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The driver of claim 8, wherein the cap compensator further controls the magnitude by outputting a cap compensation signal for increasing the capacitance according to the magnitude of the load of the output terminal controlled based on the load signal.

### Claim 10

A method of operating a driver, the method comprising:
determining a selected signal, among a plurality of signals, to be applied to a page buffer that stores data;
controlling a total current flowing through the driver based on the selected signal;
controlling a magnitude of a load of an output terminal of the driver based on the selected signal; and
controlling the magnitude of the load of the output terminal by adjusting a capacitance of the load of the output terminal based on the selected signal.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the controlling of the total current includes outputting, when the selected signal is a first signal, a current signal for decreasing the total current.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the controlling of the magnitude of the load of the output terminal includes outputting, when the selected signal is a first signal, a load signal for decreasing the magnitude of the load of the output terminal.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein, after the magnitude of the load of the output terminal is decreased, the magnitude of the load of the output terminal is increased.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the controlling of the total current includes outputting, after the magnitude of the load of the output terminal is increased, a current signal for increasing the total current.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein the controlling of the magnitude of the load of the output terminal further includes outputting the load signal for increasing the magnitude of the load of the output terminal.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the controlling of the total current includes outputting, when the selected signal is a second signal, a current signal for increasing the total current.

### Claim 17 (depends on 10)

The method of claim 10, wherein the controlling of the magnitude of the load of the output terminal includes outputting, when the selected signal is a second signal, a load signal for increasing the magnitude of the load of the output terminal.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the controlling of the magnitude of the load of the output terminal includes outputting a cap compensation signal for increasing the capacitance according to the magnitude of the load of the output terminal controlled based on the load signal.

### Claim 19

A memory device including a page buffer that stores data, the memory device comprising:
a multiplexer configured to, based on an enable signal, output a voltage signal from among a plurality of voltage signals;
a driver configured to control total current flowing through the driver and a magnitude of a load of an output terminal of the driver based on the voltage signal output from the multiplexer; and
a control signal generator configured to generate a signal to be applied to the page buffer based on a drive input signal output from the output terminal of the driver.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The memory device of claim 19, wherein the driver comprises:
a current controller configured to control the total current based on the voltage signal;
a load controller configured to control the magnitude of the load of the output terminal based on the voltage signal; and
a cap compensator configured to control the magnitude of the load of the output terminal by increasing or decreasing a capacitance of the load of the output terminal based on the voltage signal.