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US 5,249,155 AGranted
Semiconductor device incorporating internal voltage down converting circuit
AssigneeMitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsKazutami Arimoto, Hideto Hidaka, Mikio Asakura, Masanori Hayashikoshi, Masaki Tsukude, Shinji Kawai, Tsukasa Ooishi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An n channel driver circuit comprised of an N channel MOS transistor is provided in parallel to a driver circuit comprised of a P channel MOS transistor. Normally, n channel driver circuit supplies an internal supply voltage, to activate driver circuit only at the time of current peak. Thus, an insufficient capability of n.sup.- channel driver circuit to supply current is supplemented.
Claims35
A semiconductor device, comprising:
- internal voltage down converting means for down-converting an external supply voltage to a predetermined internal supply voltage;
- and
- internal circuit means driven by said internal supply voltage, and
- said internal voltage down converting means including:
- first voltage supply means including a first conductive channel type field effect device and responsive to a first reference voltage for feedback controlling said first conductive channel type field effect device, thereby to supply said internal supply voltage to said internal circuit means,
- second voltage supply means including a second conductive channel type field effect device that responds to a second reference voltage to output said internal supply voltage and supply the output internal supply voltage to said internal circuit means, and
- control means for controlling activation and inactivation of said first voltage supply means.
4 more elements
A semiconductor device, comprising:
- a plurality of internal voltage down converting means for down-converting an external supply voltage to a predetermined internal supply voltage;
- a plurality of internal circuit means each corresponding to said plurality of internal voltage down converting means and each driven by corresponding internal supply voltages for carrying out an operation having an active period and a standby period;
- and
- control means for controlling said plurality of internal voltage down converting means,
- said internal voltage down converting means each including:
- first voltage supply means including a first conductive channel type field effect device and responsive to a first reference voltage for feedback controlling said first conductive channel type field effect device, thereby to apply said internal supply voltages to the corresponding internal circuit means, and
- second voltage supply means including a second conductive channel type field effect device that responds to a second reference voltage to output said internal supply voltages and applies the output internal supply voltages to the corresponding internal circuit means;
- wherein
- said plurality of internal circuit means carry out different operations from each other, and
- said control means activates first voltage supply means of each said internal voltage down converting means in said active period, inactivates first voltage supply means of each said internal voltage down converting means in said standby period, and inactivates corresponding first voltage supply means when the operation of each said internal circuit means is in a steady state in said active period.
7 more elements
A semiconductor device, comprising:
- internal voltage down converting means for down-converting an external supply voltage to a predetermined internal supply voltage;
- dynamic storage means driven by said internal supply voltage;
- and
- control means for activating said internal voltage down converting means for only a minimum time period required for refresh of said storage means in a refresh operation period.
1 more element
A semiconductor device comprising:
- internal voltage down converting means for down-converting an external supply voltage to a predetermined internal supply voltage;
- dynamic storage means driven by said internal supply voltage;
- and
- control means for activating said internal voltage down converting means for only a minimum time period required for refresh of said storage means in a refresh operation period;
- wherein said storage means includes
- memory means including a plurality of memory cells and storing data therein,
- selecting means for selecting a memory cell to be refreshed, and
- sense amplifier means for amplifying data read from the memory cell selected by said selecting means;
- and
- said internal voltage down converting means applies said internal supply voltage to said sense amplifier means, and said control means activates said internal voltage down converting means for only a minimum time period required for the refresh of the memory cell selected by said selecting means in said refresh operation period.
7 more elements
A semiconductor device, comprising:
- a power supply terminal for receiving an external supply voltage;
- internal voltage down converting means for down-converting said external supply voltage to a predetermined internal supply voltage;
- internal circuit means driven by said internal supply voltage;
- switch means provided between said power supply terminal and said internal circuit means;
- and
- control means for activating said internal voltage down converting means and turning said switch means off in a normal operation, and for inactivating said internal voltage down converting means and turning said switch means on in a test.
3 more elements
A semiconductor device comprising:
- a power supply terminal for receiving an external supply voltage;
- internal voltage down converting means for down-converting said external supply voltage to a predetermined internal supply voltage;
- internal circuit means driven by said internal supply voltage;
- switch means provided between said power supply terminal and said internal circuit means;
- control means for activating said internal voltage down converting means and turning said switch means off in a normal operation, and for inactivating said internal voltage down converting means and turning said switch means on in a test;
- and
- means for externally receiving a control signal for controlling said internal circuit means;
- wherein said control means carries out the control in said test when timing of said control signal is predetermined timing different from timing in the normal operation.
5 more elements
A semiconductor device comprising:
- a power supply terminal for receiving an external supply voltage;
- internal voltage down converting means for down-converting said external supply voltage to a predetermined internal supply voltage;
- internal circuit means driven by said internal supply voltage;
- switch means provided between said power supply terminal and said internal circuit means;
- control means for activating said internal voltage down converting means and turning said switch means off in a normal operation, and for inactivating said internal voltage down converting means and turning said switch means on in a test;
- and
- means for externally receiving a control signal for controlling said internal circuit means, and an external terminal for receiving a predetermined signal or potential;
- wherein said control means carries out said control in said test when timing of said control signal is predetermined timing different from the timing in the normal operation and a voltage level of said external terminal is a predetermined voltage level different from the level in the normal operation.
5 more elements
A semiconductor device, comprising:
- internal voltage down converting means for down-converting an external supply voltage to a predetermined internal supply voltage;
- and
- internal circuit means driven by said internal supply voltage,
- said internal voltage down converting means including:
- reference voltage generating means responsive to said external supply voltage for generating a reference voltage,
- driver means for applying said internal supply voltage to said internal circuit means,
- level shift means for level-shifting an output of said driver means,
- amplifying means for amplifying an amplitude of an output of said level shift means, and
- differential amplifying means for differentially amplifying said reference voltage and an output of said amplifying means,
- said driver means being controlled by an output of said differential amplifying means.
7 more elements
A semiconductor device, comprising:
- an internal power supply line supplied with an internal supply voltage;
- an external pad for receiving a predetermined signal or potential;
- and
- monitor means including a transistor connected between said external pad and said internal power supply line and having a known threshold value.
1 more element
In a semiconductor device including an internal power supply line supplied with an internal supply voltage, an external pad for receiving a predetermined signal or potential, and a transistor connected between said external pad and said internal power supply line, a method of monitoring a potential of an internal power supply line, comprising the step of:
- calculating the potential of said internal power supply line on the basis of a voltage of said external pad and a threshold voltage of said transistor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.