US 5,512,854 AGranted

Data output buffer for a semiconductor memory device

AssigneeHyundai Electronics Industries Co., Ltd.

InventorKee W. Park

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Abstract

A data output buffer for a semiconductor memory device having a plurality of memory cells, each of the memory cells storing a data signal. The data output buffer comprises: an input line for inputting the data signal from each of the memory cells; a pull-up driver connected between a supply voltage source and an output line, the pull-up driver being driven in response to a first logic of the data signal from the input line; a pull-down driver connected between a ground voltage source and the output line, the pull-down driver being driven complementarily to the pull-up driver in response to a second logic of the data signal from the input line; at least one auxiliary pull-up driver connected in parallel to the pull-up driver; and a controller for driving the at least one auxiliary pull-up driver for a predetermined time period from a start portion of the first logic of the data signal from the input line. With this construction, the data output buffer can enhance a response characteristic of an output signal with respect to the input data signal to enhance the data access speed of the semiconductor memory device.

Claims1

Dependent claims

A data output buffer for a semiconductor memory device having a plurality of memory cells, each of said memory cells storing a data signal, the data output buffer comprising:

an input line for receiving the data signal from each of said memory cells;
pull-up driving means connected between a supply voltage source and an output line, said pull-up driving means being driven in response to a first logic state of the data signal from said input line;
pull-down driving means connected between a ground voltage source and said output line, said pull-down driving means being driven complementarily to said pull-up driving means in response to a second logic state of the data signal from said input line;
at least one auxiliary pull-up driving means connected in parallel to said pull-up driving means;
and
control means for driving said at least one auxiliary pull-up driving means for a time period from a start portion of the first logic state of the data signal from said input line until a voltage on output line reaches a reference voltage, said control means including:
a comparator being driven in response to the first logic state of the data signal from said input line to compare a voltage of an output signal on said output line with the reference voltage;
and
a gate means for switching the compared result from said comparator to said at least one auxiliary pull-up driving means responding to the data signal from said input line.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.