# US 2013/0155784 A1 · Semiconductor memory apparatus

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- Number: US 2013/0155784 A1
- Document ID: US20130155784A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/563,014
- Filed: 2012-07-31
- Published: 2013-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2011-12-15
- Assignees: SK hynix Inc.
- Inventors: Kyu Nam LIM; Woong Ju JANG
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130155784A1

## CPC

- G11C 7/08: Control thereof
- G11C 7/065: {Differential amplifiers of latching type}
- G11C 7/12: Bit line control circuits, e.g. drivers, boosters, pull-up circuits, pull-down circuits, precharging circuits, equalising circuits, for bit lines
- G11C 29/12: Built-in arrangements for testing, e.g. built-in self testing [BIST] {or interconnection details}
- G11C 2029/1204: {Bit line control}
- G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B)

## Abstract

A semiconductor memory apparatus includes: a first sense amplification unit including first and second inverters configured to be driven to voltage levels of a power driving signal and a ground driving signal and forming a latch structure between a bit line and a bit line bar; and a second sense amplification unit including first and second transistors configured to be driven to the voltage level of the ground driving signal and forming a latch structure between the bit line and the bit line bar when an activated switching signal is applied, wherein a threshold voltage of the second sense amplification unit is set lower than that of the first sense amplification unit.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A semiconductor memory apparatus comprising:
a first sense amplification unit comprising first and second inverters configured to be driven to voltage levels of a power driving signal and a ground driving signal and forming a latch structure between a bit line and a bit line bar; and
a second sense amplification unit comprising first and second transistors configured to be driven to the voltage level of the ground driving signal and forming a latch structure between the bit line and the bit line bar when an activated switching signal is applied,
wherein a threshold voltage of the second sense amplification unit is set lower than that of the first sense amplification unit.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor memory apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power driving signal and the ground driving signal have a precharge voltage level in a standby state, and have a core voltage level and a ground voltage level, respectively, in an active state.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The semiconductor memory apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the second sense amplification unit further comprises:
a voltage passing section configured to pass voltages of the bit line and the bit line bar in response to the activated switching signal,
wherein the first transistor couples the bit line bar to the node where the ground driving signal is inputted depending on the voltage level of the bit line, and
the second transistor couples the bit line to the node where the ground driving signal is inputted depending on the voltage level of the bit line bar.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The semiconductor memory apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first and second transistors comprise first and second NMOS transistors, respectively.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The semiconductor memory apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the voltage passing section comprises:
a third NMOS transistor configured to receive the voltage level of the bit line bar through a source terminal of the third NMOS is transistor in response to the switching signal; and
a fourth NMOS transistor configured to receive the voltage level of the bit line through a source terminal of the fourth NMOS transistor in response to the switching signal.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The semiconductor memory apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a control unit configured to generate the activated switching signal according to an activated active signal and read signal.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The semiconductor memory apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the control unit comprises:
a sensing signal generator configured to generate an activated bit line sensing signal from the activated active signal;
a read select signal generator configured to generate an activated read select signal, when both of a column select signal and the read signal are activated; and
a switching signal generator configured to activate the switching signal when any one of the bit line sensing signal and the read select signal is activated.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The semiconductor memory apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the sensing signal generator activates the bit line sensing signal when the bit line sense amplifier is enabled.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The semiconductor memory apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the switching signal generator comprises:
a read selection section configured to receive the read select signal when the read signal is activated, and output the received signal as a switching control signal; and
a signal output section configured to activate the switching signal when any one of the bit line sensing signal and the switching control signal is activated.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The semiconductor memory apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the switching signal generator maintains the switching signal in a deactivation state even though the read select signal is activated, during a test mode.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The semiconductor memory apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the switching signal generator comprises:
a read selection section configured to receive the read select signal in response to activation of the read signal and output the received signal as a switching control signal when a deactivated test mode signal is applied, and configured to output the deactivated switching control signal when the activated test mode signal is applied; and
a signal output section configured to activate the switching signal when any one of the bit line sensing signal and the switching control signal is activated.

### Claim 12

A semiconductor memory apparatus comprising:
a first sense amplification unit comprising first and second inverters configured to be driven to voltage levels of a power driving signal and a ground driving signal and forming a latch structure between a bit line and a bit line bar;
a control unit configured to generate an activated switching signal according to an activated active signal, a read signal and a write signal; and
a second sense amplification unit comprising first and second transistors configured to be driven to the voltage level of the ground driving signal and forming a latch structure between the bit line and the bit line bar when the activated switching signal is applied,
wherein a threshold voltage of the second sense amplification unit is set lower than that of the first sense amplification unit.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The semiconductor memory apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the power driving signal and the ground driving signal have a precharge voltage level in a standby state, and have a core voltage level and a ground voltage level, respectively, in an active to state.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The semiconductor memory apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the second sense amplification unit further comprises:
a voltage passing section configured to pass voltages of the bit line and the bit line bar in response to the activated switching signal,
wherein the first transistor couples the bit line bar to the node where the ground driving signal is inputted depending on the voltage level of the bit line, and
the second transistor couples the bit line to the node where the ground driving signal is inputted depending on the voltage level of the bit line bar.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The semiconductor memory apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the control unit comprises:
a sensing signal generator configured to generate an activated bit line sensing signal from the activated active signal;
a read select signal generator configured to generate an activated read select signal, when both of a column select signal and the read signal are activated;
a write select signal generator configured to generate an activated write select signal, when both of the column select signal and the write signal are activated; and
a switching signal generator configured to activate the switching signal when any one of the bit line sensing signal, the read select signal and the write select signal is activated.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The semiconductor memory apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the sensing signal generator activates the bit line sensing signal when the bit line sense amplifier is enabled.

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The semiconductor memory apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the switching signal generator comprises:
a read selection section configured to receive the read select signal when the read signal is activated, and output the received signal as a switching control signal;
a write selection section configured to receive the write select signal when the write signal is activated, delay the received signal by a predetermined time, and output the delayed signal as the switching control signal; and
a signal output section configured to activate the switching signal when any one of the bit line sensing signal and the switching control signal is activated.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The semiconductor memory apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the switching signal generator maintains the switching signal in a deactivation state even though the read select signal or the write select signal is activated, during a test mode.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The semiconductor memory apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the switching signal generator comprises:
a read selection section configured to receive the read select signal in response to activation of the read signal and output the received signal as a switching control signal when a deactivated test mode signal is applied, and configured to output the deactivated is switching control signal when the activated test mode signal is applied;
a write selection section configured to receive the write select signal in response to activation of the write signal, delay the received signal by a predetermined time, and output the delayed signal as the switching control signal when the deactivated test mode signal is applied, and configured to output the deactivated switching control signal when the activated test mode signal is applied; and
a signal output section configured to activate the switching signal when any one of the bit line sensing signal and the switching control signal is activated.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The semiconductor memory apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the switching signal generator comprises:
a read selection section configured to receive the read select signal when the write signal is deactivated, and output the received signal as the switching control signal; and
a write selection section configured to receive the write select signal in response to activation of the write signal, delay the received signal by a predetermined time, and output the delayed signal as the switching control signal when the activated test mode signal is applied, and configured to output the deactivated switching control signal when the deactivated test mode signal is applied; and
a signal output section configured to activate the switching signal when any one of the bit line sensing signal and the switching is control signal is activated.