# US 5,345,421 A · High speed, low noise semiconductor storage device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,345,421 A - Document ID: US5345421A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 07/905,745 - Filed: 1992-06-29 - Granted: 1994-09-06 - Earliest claimed: 1991-06-28 - Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd. - Inventors: Masahiro Iwamura; Tatsumi Yamauchi; Makoto Saeki; Hideaki Uchida - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5345421A ## CPC - H03K 19/00361: {in field effect transistor circuits} - 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) ## Abstract A wide-bit output semiconductor storage device of high speed and low noise is provided in which output circuits are grouped into two groups and the two output circuit groups are so controlled as to be switched in directions of levels which are opposite to each other. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A semiconductor storage device comprising: a plurality of memory cells; an address buffer circuit to which signals representative of addresses of said plurality of memory cells are inputted; an address decoder circuit responsive to a signal delivered out of said address buffer circuit to select at least one of said plurality of memory cells; a sense circuit connected to said plurality of memory cells to sense data storage in said plurality of memory cells; output circuits grouped into a plurality of groups and operative to convert signals delivered out of said sense circuit into signals of predetermined levels of potential and to deliver the converted signals; and pre-drive means responsive to said signal delivered out of said address buffer circuit for driving a predetermined group of said output circuits toward a first level of potential and another predetermined group of said output circuits toward a second level of potential in advance of delivery of output signals from said sense circuit. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A semiconductor storage device according to claim 1 wherein said pre-drive means comprises a detection circuit for detecting a read access start signal for said memory cells, and a pre-drive signal generator circuit responsive to an output signal of said detection circuit to generate a pre-drive signal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A semiconductor storage device according to claim 1 wherein said output circuits are sorted into at least two groups. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) A semiconductor storage device according to claim 2 wherein said pre-drive signal generator circuit is a circuit for delivering a signal of a predetermined time width (tw). ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A semiconductor storage device according to claim 1 wherein said output circuit comprises a first transistor connected between a first potential portion and an output terminal, and a second transistor connected between said output terminal and a second potential portion, each of said first and second transistors being responsive to the output signal of said pre-drive means to establish a current path between said first potential portion and said output terminal or between said output terminal and said second potential portion. ### Claim 6 A semiconductor storage device comprising: a memory array including a plurality of memory cells; a sense circuit group connected to said memory array to sense data stored in at least one memory cell selected from said plurality of memory cells; at least two output circuit groups operative to convert signals delivered out of said sense circuit groups into signals of predetermined levels of potential and to deliver the converted signals, each of said output circuit groups including a plurality of output circuits each having a first transistor connected between a first potential portion and an output terminal and a second transistor connected between said output terminal and a second potential portion; and pre-drive means responsive to a memory access start signal for selection of a memory cell for driving the output terminals of respective output circuits comprising a predetermined output circuit group toward a first level of potential and the output terminals of respective output circuits comprising another predetermined output circuit group toward a second level of potential. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) A semiconductor storage device according to claim 6 wherein each of said first and second transistors comprising the output circuits is responsive to the memory access start signal to establish a current path between said first potential portion and said output terminal or between said output terminal and said second potential portion. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) A semiconductor storage device according to claim 6 wherein said pre-drive means comprises a predrive signal generator circuit for delivering a signal of a predetermined time width (tw). ### Claim 9 A semiconductor storage device comprising: a memory array including a plurality of memory cells; a sense circuit group connected to said memory array to sense data stored in at least one memory cell selected from said plurality of memory cells; at least three output circuit groups operative to convert signals delivered out of said sense circuit groups into signals of predetermined levels of potential and to deliver the converted signals, each of said output circuit groups including a plurality of output circuits each having a first transistor connected between a first potential portion and an output terminal and a second transistor connected between said output terminal and a second potential portion; a read control circuit for controlling an operation of reading data from said memory array; pre-drive means responsive to a memory access start signal for selection of a memory cell and a control signal from said control circuit for driving the output terminals of respective output circuits comprising a predetermined output circuit group toward a first level of potential and the output terminals of respective output circuits comprising another predetermined output circuit group toward a second level of potential; and a delay circuit group for delaying a read data signal delivered out of said sense circuit group by a predetermined delay time and delivering a delay signal to a plurality of output circuits comprising still another predetermined output circuit group. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A semiconductor storage device according to claim 9 wherein each of said first and second transistors comprising the output circuits is responsive to the memory access start signal to establish a current path between said first potential portion and said output terminal or between said output terminal and said second potential portion. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) A semiconductor storage device according to claim 9 wherein said delay circuit group delays the read data signal delivered out of said sense circuit group until said predetermined output circuit group is driven toward said first level of potential and said another predetermined output circuit group is driven toward said second level of potential. ### Claim 12 A semiconductor storage device comprising a plurality of memory cells, an address decoder, an address driver, a sense circuit, input/output circuits and a read/write control circuit, wherein a plurality of output circuits allotted to a pair of power supply pins are sorted into two groups, one of said two output circuit groups is driven by a signal associated with read access toward a high level of potential in advance of delivery of read data from the memory and thereafter driven in accordance with the read data, and the other output circuit group is driven by the signal associated with read access toward a low level of potential in advance of the read data delivery and thereafter driven in accordance with the read data. ### Claim 13 A semiconductor storage device comprising a plurality of memory cells, an address decoder, an address driver, a sense circuit, input/output circuits and a read/write control circuit, wherein a plurality of output circuits allotted to a pair of power supply pins are sorted into three or more groups, a first output circuit group is driven by a signal associated with read access toward a high level of potential in advance of delivery of read data from the memory and thereafter driven in accordance with the read data, a second output circuit group is driven by the signal associated with read address toward a low level of potential in advance of the read data delivery and thereafter driven in accordance with the read data, and a third output circuit group is driven by read data which is delayed by a predetermined time. ### Claim 14 A semiconductor storage device comprising a plurality of memory cells, an address decoder, an address driver, a sense circuit, input/output circuits and a read/write control circuit, wherein a plurality of output circuits allotted to a pair of power supply pins are sorted into four groups, a first output circuit group is driven by a signal associated with read access toward a high level of potential in advance of delivery of read data from the memory and thereafter driven in accordance with the read data, a second output circuit group is driven by a delayed read access associated signal toward the high level of potential later than said first output circuit groups by a predetermined time in advance of the read data delivery and thereafter driven in accordance with read data which is delayed by a predetermined time, a third output circuit group is driven by the read access associated signal toward the low level of potential in advance of the read data delivery and thereafter driven in accordance with the read data, and a fourth output circuit group is driven by the delayed read access associated signal toward the low level of potential later than said third output circuit group by a predetermined time in advance of the read data delivery and thereafter driven in accordance with read data which is delayed by a predetermined time. ### Claim 15 A semiconductor storage device comprising a plurality of memory cells, an address decoder, an address driver, a sense circuit, input/output circuits and a read/write control circuit, wherein a plurality of output circuit groups are allotted to a plurality of pairs of power supply pins, two output circuit groups are allotted to each pair of power supply pins, one of said two output circuit groups is driven by a signal associated with read access toward a high level of potential in advance of delivery of read data from the memory and thereafter driven in accordance with read data, and the other output circuit group is driven by the read access associated signal toward a low level of potential in advance of the read data delivery and thereafter driven in accordance with the read data. ### Claim 16 A semiconductor storage device comprising a plurality of memory cells, an address decoder, an address driver, a sense circuit, input/output circuits and a read/write control circuit, wherein a plurality of output circuit groups are allotted to a plurality of pairs of power supply pins, three or more output circuit groups are allotted to each pair of power supply pins, a first output circuit group is driven by a signal associated with read access toward a high level of potential in advance of delivery of read data from the memory and thereafter driven in accordance with read data, a second output circuit group is driven by the read access associated signal toward a low level of potential in advance of the read data delivery and thereafter driven in accordance with the read data, and a third output circuit group is driven in accordance with read data which is delayed by a predetermined time. ### Claim 17 A semiconductor storage device of 4N-bit output comprising a plurality of memory cells, an address decoder, an address driver, a sense circuit, input/output circuits and a read/write control circuit, wherein at least one output circuit is driven toward a high level of potential in advance of delivery of read data form the memory and thereafter driven in accordance with read data, and at least another output circuit is driven toward a low level of potential in advance of the read data delivery and thereafter driven in accordance with the read data. ### Claim 18 A semiconductor storage device of 9N-bit output comprising a plurality of memory cells, an address decoder, an address driver, a sense circuit, input/output circuits and a read/write control circuit, wherein at least one output circuit is driven toward a high level of potential in advance of delivery of read data form the memory and thereafter driven in accordance with read data, and at least another output circuit is driven toward a low level of potential in advance of the read data delivery and thereafter driven in accordance with the read data. ### Claim 19 A semiconductor integrated circuit device comprising at least one pair of power supply pins and a plurality of output circuits, wherein at least one of said plurality of output circuits is driven by a signal associated with output control toward a high level of potential in advance of delivery of an input signal and thereafter driven in accordance with the input signal, and at least another output circuit is driven by the output control associated signal toward a low level of potential in advance of the input signal delivery and thereafter driven in accordance with the input signal. ### Claim 20 A semiconductor integrated circuit device comprising at least one pair of power supply pins and a plurality of output circuits, wherein at least one of said plurality of output circuits is driven by a signal associated with output control toward a high level of potential in advance of delivery of an input signal and thereafter driven in accordance with the input signal, at least another output circuit is driven by the output control associated signal toward a low level of potential in advance of the input signal delivery and thereafter driven in accordance with the input signal, and at least still another output circuit is driven in accordance with the input signal which is delayed by a predetermined time. ### Claim 21 A dynamic random access memory comprising: a plurality of memory cells; a clock generator circuit for receiving a chip selection signal, a row address strobe signal, a column address strobe signal and a write signal and generating a plurality of signals for control of internal operation; an address buffer circuit supplied with signals representative of addresses of said plurality of memory cells; an address decoder circuit responsive to a signal delivered out of said address buffer circuit to select at least one of said plurality of memory cells; a sense circuit connected to said plurality of memory cells to sense data stored in said memory cells; a plurality of output circuit groups each including output circuits converting signal delivered out of said sense circuit into signals of predetermined levels of potential and delivering the converted signals; and pre-drive means responsive to the signal delivered out of said clock generator circuit for driving a predetermined output circuit group toward a first level of potential in advance of delivery of the output signal from said sense circuit and another predetermined output circuit group toward a second level of potential in advance of the output signal delivery. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) A dynamic random access memory according to claim 21 wherein said pre-drive means generates a predrive signal in association with timing for changing the column address strobe signal. ### Claim 23 (depends on 15) A semiconductor storage device according to claim 15, wherein each output circuit of said output circuit groups delivers three values of a high level of potential a low level of potential and high impedance in response to an input signal and an output enable signal, wherein said output circuit is provided to respond to a control signal to drive the output level to the high level or the low level when the output enable signal is true. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) A semiconductor storage device according to claim 1, wherein said first level of potential is a high level of potential and said second level of potential is a low level of potential. ### Claim 25 (depends on 6) A semiconductor storage device according to claim 6, wherein said first level of potential is a high level of potential and said second level of potential is a low level of potential. ### Claim 26 (depends on 9) A semiconductor storage device according to claim 9, wherein said first level of potential is a high level of potential and said second level of potential is a low level of potential.