Boost voltage generating circuit for nonvolatile ferroelectric memory device and method for generating boost voltage
AssigneeHynix Semiconductor Inc.
InventorsHee Bok Kang, Hun Woo Kye, Duck Ju Kim, Je Hoon Park
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A boost voltage generating circuit and method for a nonvolatile ferroelectric memory device is disclosed in the present invention. The present invention provides a stable operation when a power source supply voltage region is in a wide power source voltage region, and a layout area for generating a boost voltage is reduced, thereby reducing a chip cost.
Claims26
A boost voltage generating circuit for a nonvolatile ferroelectric memory device, comprising:
- a supply voltage sensor receiving a voltage boost control signal and determining whether a power source voltage is less than a threshold voltage;
- a first operation unit receiving an output signal of the supply voltage sensor and the voltage boost control signal and performing a first logic operation;
- first and second signal output units receiving an output signal of the first operation unit and delaying start and end edges of the voltage boost control signal, thereby outputting first and second boost control signals;
- and
- a voltage generating circuit having a ferroelectric capacitor that receives an active signal of an address decoder and the first and second boost control signals when the power source voltage is less than the threshold voltage, thereby generating a boost voltage higher than the power source voltage.
The boost voltage generating circuit of claim 5, wherein the first PMOS transistor is connected to a power source voltage terminal and the ferroelectric capacitor.
A method of generating a boost voltage for a nonvolatile ferroelectric memory device, comprising:
- outputting a voltage boost control signal when a chip enable signal is activated in a region where a power source voltage is less than a threshold voltage;
- delaying start and end edges of the voltage boost control signal to output first and second boost control signals;
- and
- inputting the first and second boost control signals into a boost voltage generating circuit having a ferroelectric capacitor to generate a boost voltage higher than the power source voltage.
A method of generating a boost voltage for a nonvolatile ferroelectric memory device, comprising:
- outputting a wordline boost control signal of high level having a first width when a chip enable signal is activated and a power source voltage is less than a threshold voltage;
- delaying only a start edge of the wordline boost control signal to output a first boost control signal;
- outputting the first boost control signal and at the same time delaying/extending a width equivalent to an end edge of the boost control signal to output a second boost control signal;
- and
- inputting an active signal of an address decoder and the first and second boost control signals in a boost voltage generating circuit having a ferroelectric capacitor to generate a boost voltage higher than the power source voltage.
A method of generating a boost voltage for a nonvolatile ferroelectric memory device, comprising:
- outputting a first voltage boost control signal of a wordline driver of high level having a first width when a chip enable signal is activated in a region where a power source voltage is less than a threshold voltage;
- outputting a second voltage boost control signal in the order of low level, high level, and low level while the first voltage boost control signal is output at high level;
- delaying only a start edge of the second voltage boost control signal to output a first boost control signal at high level;
- outputting the first boost control signal and at the same time delaying/extending a width equivalent to an end edge of the second voltage boost control signal to output a second boost control signal at low level;
- and
- inputting an active signal of an address decoder and the first and second boost control signals in a boost voltage generating circuit having a ferroelectric capacitor to generate a boost voltage higher than the power source voltage only when the first boost control signal is high level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.