KR20120020875A - Circuit and method for generating reference voltage - Google Patents

Circuit and method for generating reference voltage Download PDF

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Publication number
KR20120020875A
KR20120020875A KR1020100084776A KR20100084776A KR20120020875A KR 20120020875 A KR20120020875 A KR 20120020875A KR 1020100084776 A KR1020100084776 A KR 1020100084776A KR 20100084776 A KR20100084776 A KR 20100084776A KR 20120020875 A KR20120020875 A KR 20120020875A
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KR
South Korea
Prior art keywords
voltage
basic
base
reference voltage
base voltage
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KR1020100084776A
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Korean (ko)
Inventor
김현식
신윤재
Original Assignee
주식회사 하이닉스반도체
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Priority to KR1020100084776A priority Critical patent/KR20120020875A/en
Publication of KR20120020875A publication Critical patent/KR20120020875A/en

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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
    • G11C—STATIC STORES
    • G11C29/00—Checking stores for correct operation ; Subsequent repair; Testing stores during standby or offline operation
    • G11C29/02—Detection or location of defective auxiliary circuits, e.g. defective refresh counters
    • G11C29/021—Detection or location of defective auxiliary circuits, e.g. defective refresh counters in voltage or current generators
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
    • G11C—STATIC STORES
    • G11C5/00—Details of stores covered by group G11C11/00
    • G11C5/14—Power supply arrangements, e.g. power down, chip selection or deselection, layout of wirings or power grids, or multiple supply levels
    • G11C5/147—Voltage reference generators, voltage or current regulators; Internally lowered supply levels; Compensation for voltage drops
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G05—CONTROLLING; REGULATING
    • G05F—SYSTEMS FOR REGULATING ELECTRIC OR MAGNETIC VARIABLES
    • G05F1/00—Automatic systems in which deviations of an electric quantity from one or more predetermined values are detected at the output of the system and fed back to a device within the system to restore the detected quantity to its predetermined value or values, i.e. retroactive systems
    • G05F1/10—Regulating voltage or current
    • G05F1/46—Regulating voltage or current wherein the variable actually regulated by the final control device is dc
    • G05F1/462—Regulating voltage or current wherein the variable actually regulated by the final control device is dc as a function of the requirements of the load, e.g. delay, temperature, specific voltage/current characteristic
    • G05F1/465—Internal voltage generators for integrated circuits, e.g. step down generators

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • Dram (AREA)
  • Control Of Electrical Variables (AREA)
  • Semiconductor Integrated Circuits (AREA)

Abstract

PURPOSE: A reference voltage generating circuit and a reference voltage generating method are provided to reduce time for controlling a plurality of reference voltages by controlling a basic voltage for generating a plurality of reference voltages. CONSTITUTION: A basic voltage control unit(300) generates a basic voltage control signal according to recorded information. A basic voltage generating unit generates a basic voltage which has a level changed according to a basic voltage control signal if the basic voltage generating unit is activated in response to an external voltage. A reference voltage generating unit(200) generates a plurality of reference voltages by receiving the basic voltage. The reference voltage generating unit generates a reference current in response to an external voltage and provides the reference current to the basic voltage output unit. A basic voltage output unit generates a basic voltage which has a different level according to the basic voltage control signal based on the reference current.

Description

Circuit and Method for Generating Reference Voltage

The present invention relates to a semiconductor device, and more particularly, to a semiconductor device using a reference voltage.

In a semiconductor device, in particular, a semiconductor memory device, an internal voltage is generated from an external voltage applied from the outside of the semiconductor memory device for low power operation and stable operation, and the internal voltage is used as a voltage source of circuits inside the chip.

For the desired operation of the semiconductor device, an internal voltage that can be used as a voltage source of internal circuits must be generated with an accurate and stable voltage. However, hundreds of processes are required to produce a single semiconductor device, and each process cannot be performed at all times. As the process proceeds, many transistors included in each chip have a width, a length, an ion doping concentration, and the like. All of these cannot be the same. That is, there are transistors having a threshold voltage slightly different from those originally designed, and transistors having a slightly different current supply capability. As a result, if the level of the internal voltage is different from the level set as the design target, the chip will cause a defect, so that the semiconductor memory device is stable to the process variable in order to match the level of the internal voltage changed by the process variable to the design target value. An internal voltage is generated based on a voltage having a level, that is, a reference voltage. In addition, the reference voltage is not only a base voltage for generating an internal voltage, but also used as a reference for determining a logic value (high or low) inside the semiconductor device.

Depending on the configuration of the semiconductor device, the internal voltage may be of various types (for example, Vcc, VCORE, etc. in the case of DRAM). Therefore, the semiconductor device generates a plurality of reference voltages, and generates a plurality of internal voltages based on the reference voltages. In a semiconductor device, a circuit that generates a voltage having a stable level with respect to process variables, that is, a reference voltage, is a relatively large area circuit. Accordingly, the semiconductor device generates a small number of voltages having a stable level with respect to the process variable (hereinafter, referred to as a base voltage), and generates a plurality of reference voltages based on the base voltage.

To test the operating characteristics of the semiconductor device, the designer or manufacturer changes the electrical design rule (EDR) and proceeds with the test. If the EDR is changed, the level of the reference voltage can be adjusted. Therefore, the reference voltage generation circuit according to the prior art is configured to include a circuit that can adjust each of a plurality of reference voltages.

1 is a block diagram of a reference voltage generation circuit according to the prior art.

The reference voltage generator may include a base voltage generator 10, a reference voltage generator 20, and a reference voltage adjuster 30.

The base voltage generator 10 receives the external voltage VDD to generate the base voltage Vbg. As mentioned above, the base voltage Vbg is a voltage having a stable level with respect to process variables. The basic voltage generator 10 includes a Widler reference circuit using a MOS transistor, a band gap reference circuit using a BJT transistor, or the like.

The reference voltage generator 20 generates a plurality of reference voltages Vref1, Vref2, and Vref3 based on the base voltage Vbg. In addition, the plurality of reference voltages are level adjusted according to a plurality of reference voltage adjustment signals trim1, trim2, and trim3 for each. The first reference voltage adjustment signal trim1 is a signal for adjusting the first reference voltage Vref1. The second reference voltage adjustment signal trimm2 and the third reference voltage adjustment signal trimm3 are also signals for adjusting the second reference voltage Vref2 and the third reference voltage Vref3, respectively. As there are more types of reference voltages generated by the reference voltage generator 20, more types of reference voltage adjustment signals are also provided.

The reference voltage controller 30 includes a fuse for the reference voltage and generates a plurality of reference voltage adjustment signals trim1, trim2, and trim3 according to the information recorded in the reference voltage fuse.

In the reference voltage generation circuit according to the related art illustrated in FIG. 1, when a plurality of reference voltages need to be adjusted, the reference voltage adjustment signals trim1, trim2, adjust trim3). The reference voltage generator 20 adjusts each of the reference voltages Vref1, Vref2, and Vref3 according to the reference voltage adjustment signals trim1, trim2, and trim3. As mentioned above, the more types of reference voltages generated by the reference voltage generator 20, the more types of reference voltage adjustment signals, and therefore, the number of fuses for reference voltages to be included in the reference voltage adjuster 30 increases. Lose.

In the test of the semiconductor device, if the EDR is changed, adjustment to the reference voltage is required. For example, in order to test a semiconductor device with lower power, a plurality of internal voltages of the semiconductor device must be generated lower, and for this purpose, the plurality of reference voltages must be adjusted to be lower. The reference voltage generation circuit according to the related art shown in FIG. 1 adjusts a plurality of reference voltages Vref1, Vref2, and Vref3 by cutting the fuses for the reference voltage included in the reference voltage controller 30, respectively.

In the reference voltage adjusting method shown in FIG. 1, a fuse for a reference voltage corresponding to each reference voltage must be cut in order to adjust each reference voltage, and a verification of each cut fuse is also required. This takes a test time for the semiconductor device. In addition, with the development of semiconductor devices, the type of internal voltage is increasing. As a result, the number of fuses required for the reference voltage generating circuit is increasing, and the test time is lengthening.

The present invention has a technical problem to provide a reference voltage generation circuit that can reduce the test time taken to adjust the reference voltage.

The reference voltage generation circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention may generate a basic voltage adjustment signal according to information recorded therein, and when activated in response to an external voltage, the reference voltage generation circuit may change a level according to the basic voltage adjustment signal. And a base voltage generator configured to generate a base voltage to generate a plurality of reference voltages by receiving the base voltage.

In addition, the method for generating a reference voltage according to an embodiment of the present invention may include generating basic voltage adjustment information according to information recorded in a fuse for a basic voltage, and changing a base voltage having a different level according to an external voltage and the basic voltage adjustment information. And generating a plurality of internal reference voltages based on the base voltages.

The present invention creates the effect of reducing the test time for adjusting the reference voltage.

1 is a block diagram of a reference voltage generation circuit according to the prior art;
2 is a schematic block diagram of a reference voltage generation circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention;
3 is a circuit diagram of an example of the basic voltage generator 100 illustrated in FIG. 2.

The reference voltage generation circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention generates a plurality of reference voltages Vref1, Vref2, Vref3, ... by adjusting the level of the base voltage Vbg. Adjusting the base voltage Vbg is effective to adjust the entirety of the plurality of reference voltages by changing the EDR. Unlike the reference voltage generation circuit illustrated in FIG. 1, the reference voltage adjustment signals trim1, trim2, and trim3 are adjusted to adjust the plurality of reference voltages Vref1, Vref2, and Vref3. The reference voltage generation circuit according to the embodiment may adjust the plurality of reference voltages Vref1, Vref2, and Vref3 by adjusting the base voltage Vbg, so that the reference voltages Vref1, Vref2, and Vref3 may be adjusted. More efficient adjustment is possible. As mentioned above, the reference voltage adjusting unit 30 shown in FIG. 1 includes a fuse for a reference voltage, and as the type of the reference voltage increases, the number of fuses for the reference voltage should increase. Therefore, there is a problem that the time for adjusting the plurality of reference voltages Vref1, Vref2, Vref3 is long. The reference voltage generation circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention adjusts the base voltage Vbg based on the generation of the plurality of reference voltages Vref1, Vref2, and Vref3, and thus, the plurality of reference voltages Vref1 and Vref2. , The time required to adjust Vref3) can be reduced.

2 is a schematic block diagram of a reference voltage generation circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The reference voltage generator circuit may include a basic voltage generator 100, a reference voltage generator 200, and a basic voltage controller 300.

When the base voltage generator 100 is activated by an external voltage VDD, the base voltage generator 100 generates the base voltage Vbg having a different level according to the base voltage adjustment signal trim_bg. When the base voltage generator 10 illustrated in FIG. 1 is activated by an external voltage VDD, the base voltage generator 100 may generate the base voltage Vbg having a predetermined level. The basic voltage Vbg having a different level according to the basic voltage adjustment signal trim_bg is generated. Accordingly, the reference voltage generation circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 2 adjusts the plurality of reference voltages Vref1, Vref2, and Vref3 according to the prior art reference voltage generation circuit of FIG. 1. You can do it more efficiently. Since the base voltage Vbg is a signal for generating the plurality of reference voltages Vref1, Vref2, and Vref3, the base voltage generator 100 may determine a value at which the base voltage Vbg is constant with respect to a process variable. It is desirable to configure to maintain.

The reference voltage generator 200 receives the base voltage Vbg to generate the plurality of reference voltages Vref1, Vref2, and Vref3 based on the base voltage Vbg. The plurality of reference voltages are illustrated as three in FIG. 2. The reference voltage generation circuit according to an embodiment of the present invention adjusts the levels of the base voltages Vbg to adjust the plurality of reference voltages Vref1, Vref2, and Vref3 according to the EDR change, and thus is shown in FIG. 2. Unlike the reference voltage generator 20 illustrated in FIG. 1, the reference voltage generator 200 does not need to receive the plurality of reference voltage adjustment signals trim1, trim2, and trim3. The reference voltage generator 200 may include a level shifter (not shown) and a voltage divider (not shown) that generate a voltage reference voltage based on the base voltage Vbg. .

The basic voltage adjustor 300 generates a basic voltage adjust signal trim_bg according to the information recorded therein. The basic voltage adjustment signal trim_bg is a signal for determining the level of the basic voltage Vbg. The basic voltage adjustor 300 may include a recordable means. Hereinafter, the basic voltage adjusting unit 300 will be exemplarily configured to include a fuse, and the basic voltage adjusting unit (3) will be described to distinguish it from the fuse for the reference voltage used in the reference voltage adjusting unit 30 mentioned above. The fuse included in 300 is referred to as a fuse for basic voltage. The basic voltage adjusting unit 300 is generated by adjusting the basic voltage adjusting signal trim_bg by cutting the fuse for the basic voltage included therein.

In addition, the reference voltage generating circuit according to another embodiment of the present invention may be configured to further include a reference voltage adjusting unit 30, as shown in FIG. As described above, the reference voltage generator 200 generates the plurality of reference voltages Vref1, Vref2, and Verf3 through the base voltage Vbg controlled by the base voltage generator 100. It is not necessary to receive the two reference voltage adjustment signals trim1, trim2, trim3, but further includes the reference voltage adjusting unit 30, and according to the plurality of reference voltage adjustment signals trim1, trim2, trim3. When the plurality of reference voltages Vref1, Vref2, and Vref3 are configured to be adjusted, each of the plurality of reference voltages Vref1, Vref2, and Vref3 may be finely adjusted. For example, the base voltage generator 100, the reference voltage generator 200, and the base voltage controller 300 may be provided as the exemplary embodiment of the present invention (the reference voltage controller 30). The plurality of reference voltages Vref1, Vref2, and Vref3 generated by the reference voltage generation circuit configured to increase or decrease are all increased or decreased at a constant rate when the base voltage Vbg rises or falls. However, a reference including the base voltage generator 100, the reference voltage generator 200, the base voltage adjuster 300, and the reference voltage adjuster 30 presented as another embodiment of the present invention. The plurality of reference voltages Vref1, Vref2, and Vref3 generated in the voltage generation circuit may rise or fall according to the base voltage Vbg and rise or fall according to the plurality of reference voltage adjustment signals trim1, trim2, and trim3. The fall applies at the same time. Therefore, a reference including the base voltage generator 100, the reference voltage generator 200, the base voltage adjuster 300, and the reference voltage adjuster 30 presented as another embodiment of the present invention. The voltage generation circuit includes the base voltage generator 100, the reference voltage generator 200, and the base voltage adjuster 300 presented as an embodiment of the present invention (the reference voltage adjuster 30). The plurality of reference voltages Vref1, Vref2, and Vref3 may be adjusted in more detail than a reference voltage generation circuit. The reference voltage adjuster 30 illustrated in FIG. 2 may be configured in the same manner as the reference voltage adjuster 30 illustrated in FIG. 1. Therefore, detailed description is omitted.

In the above, the base voltage adjusting unit 300 and the reference voltage adjusting unit 30 for generating the base voltage adjusting signal trim_bg and the plurality of reference voltage adjusting signals trim1, trim2, and trim3 may fuse a fuse. Illustrated as including. However, this is illustrated for one embodiment, and the basic voltage regulator 300 and the reference voltage regulator 30 may be in any form including recordable means (eg, electrical fuses, resistor cells, etc.). Can be configured.

3 is a circuit diagram of an example of the basic voltage generator 100 illustrated in FIG. 2.

The basic voltage generator 100 may include a reference current generator 110 and a basic voltage outputter 120. The reference current generator 110 generates a reference current maintaining a constant value with respect to the process variable, and the base voltage output unit 120 generates the base voltage Vbg based on the reference current.

The reference current generator 110 receives the external voltage VDD to generate the reference current. Since the reference current is the basis of the base voltage Vbg, the reference current generator 110 may be configured such that the reference current maintains a target value when the external voltage VDD is higher than or equal to a predetermined level. The reference current generator 110 may include a Widler reference circuit using a MOS transistor or a band gap reference circuit using a BJT transistor.

The base voltage output unit 120 generates the base voltage Vbg having a different level based on the base voltage adjustment signal trim_bg based on the reference current. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the basic voltage output unit 120 may adjust the level of the basic voltage Vbg by adjusting an internal impedance value according to the basic voltage adjustment signal trim_bg.

The basic voltage output unit 120 illustrated in FIG. 3 may include first to third resistors R1 to R3, a first NMOS transistor N1, and a second NMOS transistor N2. . In FIG. 3, the basic voltage adjustment signal trim_bg includes a basic voltage rising signal upb and a basic voltage falling signal dn which are digital signals. As such, the basic voltage adjustment signal trim_bg may be configured as a plurality of digital signals, or may be configured as a single analog signal according to the embodiment of the basic voltage output unit 120. Since the base voltage output unit 120 shown in FIG. 3 adjusts the base voltage Vbg through turn-on / turn-off of the first and second NMOS transistors N1 and N2, the base voltage adjustment is performed. The signal trim_bg is configured as a plurality of digital signals upb and dn. The first to third resistors R1 to R3 are connected between an output node no, which is an output terminal of the reference current generator 110, and a ground voltage VSS terminal. The first NMOS transistor N1 is connected in parallel with the second resistor R2 to receive the base voltage rising signal upb. The second NMOS transistor N2 is connected in parallel with the second and third resistors R2 and R3 to receive the basic voltage down signal dn. The voltage of the output node no is output as the base voltage Vbg. The first NMOS transistor N1 serves as a bypass to the second resistor R2 when the basic voltage rising signal upb is activated. The second NMOS transistor N2 acts as a bypass to the second and third resistors R2 and R3 when the basic voltage down signal dn is activated. The basic voltage output unit 120 adjusts an internal impedance value according to the bypass operation of the first and second NMOS transistors N1 and N2, and accordingly adjusts a voltage applied to the output node no. As a result, the basic voltage Vbg is output. In the basic voltage output unit 120 illustrated in FIG. 3, the total resistance value seen between the output node no and the ground voltage VSS terminal may be represented as three types as follows. The base voltage rising signal upb is a low-active signal and the base voltage down signal dn is a hi-active signal. When both the base voltage rising signal upb and the base voltage down signal dn are deactivated, the first NMOS transistor N1 is turned on and the second NMOS transistor N2 is turned off. Accordingly, the total resistance between the output node no and the ground voltage VSS terminal is R1 + R3. When the base voltage rising signal upb is activated and the base voltage down signal dn is deactivated, both the first NMOS transistor N1 and the second NMOS transistor N2 are turned off. Accordingly, the total resistance between the output node no and the ground voltage VSS terminal is R1 + R2 + R3. When the base voltage rising signal upb is deactivated and the base voltage down signal dn is activated, both the first NMOS transistor N1 and the second NMOS transistor N2 are turned on. Accordingly, the total resistance between the output node no and the ground voltage VSS terminal is R1. As such, the total resistance value between the output node no and the ground voltage VSS terminal is changed according to the basic voltage rising signal upb and the basic voltage down signal dn that are the basic voltage adjustment signals trim_bg. Since it is regulated, the voltage level of the output node no through which the reference current flows, that is, the base voltage Vbg, is regulated by the base voltage adjustment signal trim_bg.

As those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains may implement the present invention in other specific forms without changing the technical spirit or essential features, the embodiments described above should be understood as illustrative and not restrictive in all aspects. Should be. The scope of the present invention is shown by the following claims rather than the detailed description, and all changes or modifications derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalents should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention. do.

10/100: basic voltage generator 20/200: reference voltage generator
30: reference voltage adjusting unit 110: reference current generating unit
120: basic voltage output unit 300: basic voltage control unit

Claims (8)

A basic voltage adjusting unit configured to generate a basic voltage adjusting signal according to information recorded therein;
A basic voltage generator configured to generate a basic voltage having a different level according to the basic voltage adjustment signal when activated in response to an external voltage; And
And a reference voltage generator configured to receive the base voltage and generate a plurality of reference voltages. The method of claim 1,
The base voltage generator generates a reference current in response to the external voltage and provides the reference current to the base voltage output unit; And
And the base voltage output unit configured to generate the base voltage having a different level according to the base voltage adjustment signal based on the reference current. The method of claim 2,
And the base voltage output unit adjusts a level of the base voltage by adjusting an internal impedance value according to the base voltage adjustment signal. The method of claim 1,
The base voltage control unit includes a fuse for the base voltage, and the information recorded therein is recorded by cutting the fuse for the base voltage. The method of claim 1,
The apparatus further includes a reference voltage controller configured to generate a plurality of reference voltage adjustment signals according to information recorded in the fuse for the reference voltage included therein.
And the reference voltage generator may adjust the levels of the plurality of reference voltages according to the plurality of reference voltage adjustment signals. Generating basic voltage adjustment information according to the information recorded in the fuse for the basic voltage;
Generating a basic voltage having a different level according to an external voltage and the basic voltage adjustment information; And
Generating a plurality of internal reference voltages based on the base voltages. The method according to claim 6,
The generating of the base voltage may include generating a reference current maintaining a target value when the external voltage is greater than or equal to a predetermined level; And
And generating the base voltage having a different level based on the base voltage adjustment signal based on the reference current. The method according to claim 6,
Generating reference voltage adjustment information according to the information recorded in the fuse for the reference voltage,
The generating of the plurality of internal reference voltages may further include adjusting the plurality of internal reference voltages according to the reference voltage adjustment information.
KR1020100084776A 2010-08-31 2010-08-31 Circuit and method for generating reference voltage KR20120020875A (en)

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KR1020100084776A KR20120020875A (en) 2010-08-31 2010-08-31 Circuit and method for generating reference voltage

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KR1020100084776A KR20120020875A (en) 2010-08-31 2010-08-31 Circuit and method for generating reference voltage

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