Method and apparatus for generating multi-phase signals

A multi-phase clock signal generating apparatus for generating N clock signals having different phases from an external clock signal received from the outside, the apparatus comprising:

• a sub reference clock generator generating L reference clock signal groups having predetermined phase delay intervals from the external clock signal, wherein each reference clock signal group includes M sub reference clock signals, each sub reference clock signal in a reference clock signal group having a same target delay phase;
• a main reference clock generator averaging phases of the sub reference clock signals for each reference clock signal group, and generating L main reference clock signals from the L×M sub reference clock signals such that each L main reference clock signal is a single main reference clock signal corresponding to an average of the phases of the sub reference clock signals from the same reference clock signal group;
• and
• a delay cell matrix sequentially delaying the L main reference clock signals, and generating N multi-phase clock signals having different phases.