# US 12,007,834 B2 · Semiconductor device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,007,834 B2 - Document ID: US12007834B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/695,150 - Filed: 2022-03-15 - Published: 2023-05-18 - Granted: 2024-06-11 - Earliest claimed: 2021-11-17 - Assignees: SK hynix Inc. - Applicants: SK hynix Inc. - Inventors: Choung Ki Song - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12007834B2 ## CPC - G06F 11/08: Error detection or correction by redundancy in data representation, e.g. by using checking codes - G06F 11/106: {Correcting systematically all correctable errors, i.e. scrubbing} - G11C 8/06: Address interface arrangements, e.g. address buffers - G11C 2029/0409: {Online test} - G11C 2029/0411: {Online error correction} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B) ## Abstract A semiconductor device includes an error check execution signal generation circuit configured to generate an error check execution signal for performing an error check operation when an ECS (Error Check and Scrub) command that is generated based on a refresh command is input; and an ECS control circuit configured to generate an ECS active command and an ECS read command for performing the error check operation based on the ECS command and the error check execution signal, and successively generate the ECS read commands to perform the error check operation. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A semiconductor device comprising: an error check execution signal generation circuit configured to generate an error check execution signal for performing an error check operation when an ECS (Error Check and Scrub) command that is generated based on a refresh command is input; and an ECS control circuit configured to: generate an ECS active command and an ECS read command for performing the error check operation based on the ECS command and the error check execution signal, and successively generate the ECS read commands to perform the error check operation. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein, during the error check operation, the error check execution signal generation circuit is configured to generate the error check execution signal that is disabled based on a check flag signal that is generated when a codeword contains an error. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the error check operation is an operation that successively outputs the codewords that are stored in a memory bank and detects whether each of the codewords contains an error. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the codewords comprise a first code word and a second code word, and wherein the ECS control circuit is configured to perform the error check operation on the second codeword that is stored in a second area that is included in a memory bank after performing the error check operation on the first codeword that is stored in a first area that is included in the memory bank. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein the ECS control circuit is configured to generate the ECS active command for performing the ECS operation, the ECS read command, an ECS write command, an ECS precharge signal, and an end signal based on the ECS command and the error check execution signal. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device of claim 1, wherein, when the ECS command is input during a period in which the error check execution signal is disabled, the ECS control circuit is configured to generate the ECS active command and then to successively generate the ECS read commands, and configured to generate an ECS precharge signal and an end signal, and wherein, when the ECS command is input during a period in which the error check execution signal is enabled, the ECS control circuit is configured to sequentially generate the ECS active command, the ECS read command, an ECS write command, the ECS precharge signal, and the end signal. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The semiconductor device of claim 6, wherein the ECS control circuit comprises: a clock code generation circuit configured to: generate a clock code signal that is counted whenever the ECS command is input, and generate the clock code signal that is initialized when the end signal is input; a check decoder configured to generate the ECS active command, the ECS read command, the ECS precharge signal, and the end signal based on a logic level combination of the clock code signal during a period in which the error check execution signal is disabled; and an operation decoder configured to generate the ECS active command, the ECS read command, the ECS write command, the ECS precharge signal, and the end signal based on the logic level combination of the clock code signal during a period in which the error check execution signal is enabled. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The semiconductor device of claim 7, wherein the clock code generation circuit comprises: an ECS mode signal generation circuit configured to generate an ECS mode signal that is enabled from a point of time at which the ECS command is input to a point of time at which the end signal is input; an oscillation signal generation circuit configured to generate an oscillation signal that toggles during a period in which the ECS mode signal is enabled; and a clock counter configured to: generate the clock code that is counted whenever a pulse of the oscillation signal is input, and initialize the clock code when a pulse of the oscillation signal is not input. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The semiconductor device of claim 1, further comprising an ECS command generation circuit configured to generate the ECS command that is generated whenever the refresh command is input a preset number of times. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The semiconductor device of claim 9, wherein the ECS command generation circuit comprises: a refresh counter configured to: generate a refresh counting code that is counted whenever the refresh command is input, and generate the refresh counting code that is initialized when the ECS command is input; and a code decoder configured to generate the ECS command that is generated when the refresh counting code is counted a preset number of times. ### Claim 11 A semiconductor device comprising: an ECS control circuit configured to: generate an ECS active command for performing an error check operation based on an ECS command and an error check execution signal, and then successively generate ECS read commands; and a select address generation circuit configured to: output, as a select row address and a select column address, during the error check operation, a row address and a column address that are sequentially counted whenever the ECS active command and the ECS read command are input, and store the counted row address and column address when an error flag signal is input. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The semiconductor device of claim 11, wherein the error check operation is an operation that successively outputs codewords that are stored in a memory bank and detects whether each of the codewords contains an error. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The semiconductor device of claim 11, wherein the ECS control circuit is configured to generate the ECS active command for performing the ECS operation, the ECS read command, an ECS write command, an ECS precharge signal, and an end signal based on the ECS command and the error check execution signal. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The semiconductor device of claim 11, wherein the select address generation circuit is configured to: output, as the select row address and the select column address, the row address and the column address that are sequentially counted when the check flag signal is disabled, and output the stored row address and column address as the select row address and the select column address when the check flag signal is enabled. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The semiconductor device of claim 11, wherein the ECS control circuit is configured to: generate the ECS active command and then successively generate the ECS read commands when the ECS command is input during a period in which the error check execution signal is disabled, and generate an ECS precharge signal and an end signal, and sequentially generate the ECS active command, the ECS read command, the ECS write command, the ECS precharge signal, and the end signal when the ECS command is input during a period in which the error check execution signal is enabled. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The semiconductor device of claim 15, wherein the ECS control circuit comprises: a clock code generation circuit configured to: generate a clock code signal that is counted whenever the ECS command is input, and generate the clock code signal that is initialized when the end signal is input; a check decoder configured to generate the ECS active command, the ECS read command, the ECS precharge signal, and the end signal based on a logic level combination of the clock code signal during a period in which the error check execution signal is disabled; and an operation decoder configured to generate the ECS active command, the ECS read command, the ECS write command, the ECS precharge signal, and the end signal based on the logic level combination of the clock code signal during a period in which the error check execution signal is enabled. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The semiconductor device of claim 16, wherein the clock code generation circuit comprises: an ECS mode signal generation circuit configured to generate an ECS mode signal that is enabled from a point of time at which the ECS command is input to a point of time at which the end signal is input; an oscillation signal generation circuit configured to generate an oscillation signal that toggles during a period in which the ECS mode signal is enabled; and a clock counter configured to: generate the clock code that is counted whenever a pulse of the oscillation signal is input, and initialize the clock code when a pulse of the oscillation signal is not input. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The semiconductor device of claim 11, wherein the select address generation circuit comprises: an address counter configured to generate the row address and the column address that are sequentially counted whenever the ECS active command, the ECS read command, and the ECS write command are input; an input/output control signal generation circuit configured to generate an input control signal and an output control signal based on the ECS read command during a period in which an error flag signal is enabled; an address pipe configured to: store the row address and the column address when the input control signal is input, and output the stored row address and column address as a pipe row address and pipe column address when the output control signal is input; and an address selection circuit configured to: output the row address and the column address as the select row address and the select column address based on the logic level of the check flag signal, or output the pipe row address and the pipe column address as the select row address and the select column address. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The semiconductor device of claim 11, further comprising a memory bank configured to: output codewords that are stored in a plurality of word lines that are selectively activated by the select row address and the select column address, or store the codewords. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The semiconductor device of claim 19, wherein the codewords comprise a first codeword and a second codeword, wherein the memory bank comprises: a first area configured to: output the first codeword that is stored in a first word line that is selectively activated by the select row address and the select column address, or store the first codeword; and a second area configured to: output the second codeword that is stored in a second word line that is selectively activated by the select row address and the select column address, or store the second codeword.