US 6,150,870 A · Adjustable substrate voltage applying circuit of a semiconductor device

Abstract

A substrate voltage applying circuit selectively controls a level of a substrate voltage supplied to a memory cell unit of a semiconductor device, for example, after fabrication. In a semiconductor device preferably fabricated by a triple-well process, a substrate voltage applying circuit of the semiconductor device can include an oscillation circuit unit that generates an oscillation signal and a pumping unit that outputs a substrate voltage based on the oscillation signal. A vendor test mode generating unit outputs sense level selecting signals by coding preferably signals that are externally supplied. A level sense unit senses a level of the substrate voltage using a plurality of preset sensing points and supplies a corresponding sensing signal to the oscillation circuit unit based on the sense level selecting signals from the vendor test mode generating unit.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A circuit for controlling an oscillation circuit coupled to a pumping unit that provides a substrate voltage, the circuit comprising:

a level sense unit;
and
a vendor test mode generating unit that outputs sense level selecting signals to the level sense unit, wherein the level sense unit senses a level of the substrate voltage by a plurality of prescribed sensing points and outputs a corresponding sensing signal for controlling the oscillation circuit according to the sense level selecting signals from the vendor test mode generating unit, wherein the level sense unit comprises a plurality of level sense terminals connected in parallel, wherein each of the plurality of level sense terminals senses the substrate voltage from the pumping unit using a corresponding one of the sensing points.

A substrate voltage applying circuit of a semiconductor device, comprising:

a substrate voltage unit that applies a substrate voltage to the semiconductor device based on a first control signal;
a generator that generates sense level selecting signals according to second control signals;
and
a level sensor, coupled to the substrate voltage unit and the generator, that senses a level of the substrate voltage provided by the substrate voltage unit using a prescribed sensing point among a plurality of prescribed sensing points which is determined based on the sense level selecting signals and outputs the first control signal, wherein the level sensor comprises a plurality of level sense terminals coupled in parallel, wherein each of the plurality of level sense terminals senses the substrate voltage using a corresponding one of the prescribed sensing points.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Adjustable substrate voltage applying circuit of a semiconductor device

Life of this patent

Adjustable substrate voltage applying circuit of a semiconductor device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17