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US 6,480,427 B2Granted
Negative-potential detecting circuit having an enhanced sensitivity of detecting negative potentials
AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
InventorMasao Kuriyama
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A negative-potential detecting circuit includes first and second resistance elements connected in series between an output end of a constant-current source for outputting a constant current and a negative-potential node for generating a negative potential, a third resistance element connected between a connection node between the first and second resistance elements and a fixed-potential node, and a comparator for comparing a potential of a connection node between the constant-current source and the first resistance element and a reference potential with each other. The comparator detects a level of a negative potential by comparing the potential of the connection node and the reference potential.
Claims19
A negative-potential detecting circuit comprising:
- a constant-current source;
- a first resistance element having one end connected to an output node of the constant-current source and another end;
- a second resistance element having one end connected to said another end of the first resistance element and another end connected to a negative-potential node whose potential is to be detected;
- a first comparator having one input terminal connected to a connection node between the constant-current source and the first resistance element, another input terminal connected to a first reference potential node setting a detection level of a potential of the negative-potential node, and an output terminal, which compares a potential of the connection node and a first reference potential of the first reference potential node with each other to determine a voltage level of the negative-potential node;
- and
- a third resistance element having one end connected to a connection node of each of the first and second resistance elements and another end connected to a second reference potential node.
3 more elements
A negative-potential detecting circuit comprising:
- a constant-current source;
- a potential-dividing circuit having one end connected to the constant-current source and another end connected to a negative-potential to be detected, which divides a potential difference between an output terminal of the constant-current source and the negative-potential node to generate a divided potential;
- a comparator for comparing a potential of a detection node between the potential-dividing circuit and the constant-current source and a first reference potential setting a detection level with each other to determine a level of a negative potential of the negative-potential node;
- and
- a potential control circuit having one end connected to an output node of the potential-dividing circuit outputting the divided potential and another end connected to a second reference potential, which controls a potential of the output node of the potential-dividing circuit to hold the potential of the detection node at a positive value when the negative potential varies.
2 more elements
A semiconductor memory device comprising:
- a booster circuit which receives a power supply voltage from outside, generates a negative boost potential used for at least one of writing, reading, and erasing of stored data of a memory cell array in response to an internal control signal, and applies the negative boost potential to any one of a row decoder, a column decoder, and a source decoder;
- and
- a control circuit which controls the negative boost potential applied to any one of the row decoder, the column decoder, and the source decoder from the booster circuit, the control circuit including a negative-potential detecting circuit,
- wherein the negative-potential detecting circuit includes:
- a constant-current source;
- a first resistance element having one end connected to an output node of the constant-current source;
- a second resistance element having one end connected to another end of the first resistance element and another end connected to a negative boost potential node whose potential is to be detected;
- a comparator having one input terminal connected to a connection node between the constant-current source and the first resistance element and another input terminal connected to a first reference potential node setting a detection level of the negative boost potential, which compares a potential of the connection node and a first reference potential of the first reference potential node with each other to determine a voltage level of the negative boost potential node;
- and
- a third resistance element having one end connected to a connection node of each of the first and second resistance elements and another end connected to a second reference potential node.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.