US 5,970,014 AGranted

Semiconductor memory device having two or more memory blocks

AssigneeOki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.

InventorsYasukazu Kai, Tetsuya Mitoma

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Abstract

A semiconductor memory device having two or more memory blocks is disclosed. The disclosed semiconductor memory device comprises first and second memory cores, first and second output circuits and internal output lines connected to the first and second output circuits, respectively. The first and second output circuits are respectively connected to said first and second memory cores for outputting the data in response to first and second control signals, respectively. The disclosed semiconductor memory device further comprises first and second control signal generating circuits. The first and second control signal generating circuits are connected to the first and second output circuits for generating the first and second control signals to the first and second output circuits. The first and second control signal generating circuits receive first and second read signals having the active state and the inactive state that is switched in response to a read control signal. The first and second control signal generating circuits switch the first and second control signals to the active state with a predetermined time delay when the first and second read signals are switched from the inactive state to the active state, while these immediately switch the first and second control signals to the inactive state when the first and second read signal are switched from the active state to the inactive state.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A semiconductor memory device comprising:

a first memory core and a second memory core respectively having a plurality of memory cells;
a plurality of first output circuits connected to said first memory core, said first output circuits outputting the data stored in said first memory core in response to a first control signal;
a plurality of second output circuits connected to said second memory core, said second output circuits outputting the data stored in said second memory core in response to a second control signal;
a plurality of internal output lines connected to said first output circuits and said second output circuits, respectively;
a first control signal generating circuit connected to said first output circuits for generating said first control signal to said first output circuits, said first control signal generating circuit receiving a first read signal having the active state and the inactive state thereof being switched in response to a read control signal, said first control signal generating circuit switching said first control signal to the active state with a predetermined time delay when said first read signal is switched from the inactive state to the active state, while it immediately switches said first control signal to the inactive state when said first read signal is switched from the active state to the inactive state;
and
a second control signal generating circuit which is connected to said second output circuits for generating said second control signal to said second output circuits, said second control signal generating circuit receiving a second read signal switched to the active state when said first read signal is switched to the inactive state, said second control signal generating circuit switching said second control signal to the active state with a predetermined time delay when said second read signal is switched from the inactive state to the active state, while it immediately switches said second control signal to the inactive state when said second read signal is switched from the active state to the inactive state.

4 more elements

A semiconductor memory device comprising:

a first memory core and a second memory core respectively having a plurality of memory cells;
a plurality of first output circuits connected to said first memory core, said first output circuits outputting the data stored in said first memory core in response to a first control signal, each of said first output circuits comprising,
an enabling circuit for enabling said first output circuit in response to the first control signal having an active state, and
a gate circuit for allowing a passage of the data stored in said first memory core in response to a first delayed signal having an active state, the first delayed signal switching from an inactive state to the active state with a predetermined time delay when the first control signal is switched from an inactive state to the active state;
a plurality of second output circuits connected to said second memory core, said second output circuits outputting the data stored in said second memory core in response to a second control signal, each of said second output circuits comprising,
an enabling circuit for enabling said first output circuit in response to the second control signal having an active state, and
a gate circuit for allowing a passage of the data stored in said first memory core in response to a second delayed signal having an active state, the second delayed signal switching from an inactive state to the active state with a predetermined time delay when the first control signal is switched from an inactive state to the active state;
and
a plurality of internal output lines connected to said first output circuits and said second output circuits, respectively, for receiving data from said first and second output circuits.

6 more elements

A method of reading out data from first and second memory cores to a common output node, the method comprising the steps of:

generating first and second read signals having inverted relationship each other;
the first and second read signal having an active state and an inactive state;
generating a first read control signal based on the first read signal, the first read control signal switched from the active state to the inactive state when the first read signal is switched from the active state to the inactive state, the first read control signal switched from the inactive state to the active state after a predetermined time delay when the first read signal is switched from the inactive state to the active state;
generating a second read control signal based on the second read signal, the second read control signal switched from the active state to the inactive state when the second read signal is switched from the active state to the inactive state, the second read control signal switched from the inactive state to the active state after a predetermined time delay when the second read signal is switched from the inactive state to the active state;
reading data from the first memory core in response to the first read control signal;
and
reading data from the second memory core in response to the second read control signal.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.