Actively driven VREF for input buffer noise immunity

Abstract

A memory device including a circuit for actively driving a reference voltage in a memory device is disclosed. A circuit integrated in a memory device and coupled to an external voltage source substantially eliminates fluctuations in the reference voltage of the memory device caused by power supply changes and noise occurring in the memory device by generating a constant voltage and good current drive from the external voltage source.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] This invention generally relates to a method and apparatus for improving reference voltage stability in semiconductor devices. More specifically, the invention involves the integration of a circuit using a voltage reference to generate a constant voltage with a semiconductor device to actively drive a reference voltage in the device.

[0004] 2. State of the Art

[0005] Semiconductor devices such as logic chips, processors, and memory devices commonly employ at least one voltage reference signal (“VREF”) for testing and operation. Use of a VREF signal in semiconductor devices is well known in the art. Problems associated with VREF stability caused by variances in a VREF source or noise on the semiconductor device are also well known. For example, a reference voltage generating circuit incorporated into a memory device (e.g. DRAM, SDRAM, or flash memory) generates VREF from a power supply voltage supplied to the memory device. Variations in the power supply voltage are translated to variations in VREF. These variations may cause the memory device to operate defectively. Likewise, noise from other signals on the memory device may also cause variations in the generated VREF resulting in similar operational defects.

[0006] In other memory devices, such as Rambus and double data rate (DDR) memory, a VREF signal is bused to the device rather than being generated on the device. The bused VREF is subject to the same noise and signal variations as a VREF generated on the device. This results in an equal propensity for operational defects due to VREF fluctuations.

[0007] The use of a VREF signal with a semiconductor device is best explained with reference to an example. FIG. 5 is a simplified block diagram illustrating the workings of a memory device 500 such as an SDRAM as known in the art. The memory device 500 includes an address register 510, row address controls 520, column address controls 530, at least one memory array 540, data input/output controls 550, control logic 560 and a VREF generator 570. An external power supply provides a power supply voltage VDD to the memory device 500. To reduce the number of terminals on the memory device, a reference voltage (VREF) is created from the power supply voltage VDD rather than from a power supply independent of that producing VDD. VDD is introduced to the VREF generator 570 which generates a VREF signal having a desired voltage. For example, the VREF generator 570 may be a voltage divider which produces VREF having half of the voltage of VDD. The generated VREF signal is routed to both the address register 510 and the data input/output controls 550 where it is used in the operation of the memory device 500.

[0008] A simplistic generalization of VREF operation in a memory device demonstrates some of the problems associated with varying VREF signals. The VREF signal generated from VDD by the VREF generator 570 has a voltage which is approximately half of the power supply voltage VDD applied to the memory device 500. A signal, such as an address signal corresponding to a memory cell location in the memory array 540, received by the memory device 500 at the address register 510, is compared to VREF. If the signal has a voltage which is higher than VREF, then the signal is high and corresponds to a logical value of one. If the signal has a voltage lower than VREF, then the signal is low, having a logical value of zero. In this manner, received signals may be compared to VREF and assigned values which define memory locations within the memory array 540. Similarly, data read from or written to the memory device 500 is compared to VREF to establish whether each data bit is high or low.

[0009] Because VREF is usually generated from the power supply voltage VDD, variances in the power supply voltage VDD cause fluctuations in VREF. If the variance is great enough to drive VREF closer to the power supply voltage VDD, a signal received by the memory device 500 which normally would have been defined as high may, instead, be mischaracterized as low. The altered characterization of the signal results in a malfunction of the memory device 500. Similarly, noise created by other circuits and power supplies on the memory device may also cause variances in VDD which in turn cause variances in VREF resulting in the mischaracterization of signals received by the memory device.

[0010] To reduce the problems associated with VREF variations in semiconductor devices, integrated circuits and memory devices, numerous VREF regulation circuits have been devised to aid in stabilizing VREF. These circuits may be separate from, or coincidental with, the VREF generation circuits for the integrated circuits. One example of a circuit designed to compensate for variation in VREF involves the addition of decoupling capacitors between the power rails of an integrated circuit. The capacitors help eliminate stray capacitance, thereby reducing the amount of noise within the memory device. Similarly, resistive decoupling of noisy nodes within a memory device eliminates noise at the noisy node but enhances noise elsewhere in the circuit. Likewise, diodes are used to reduce the amount of noise in such circuits. Other examples of stabilized VREF generation circuits are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,212,440 and 4,477,736, the disclosures of each of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference. However, these circuits do not eliminate all of the noise in VREF.

[0011] Although a number of VREF regulation circuits have been described and used with memory devices and other semiconductor devices, problems caused by noise within the device and by fluctuations in power supplies remain. Furthermore, these problems seem to be accentuated in high speed memory devices and other semiconductor devices operating at ever lower voltages. Therefore, it is desirous to provide a VREF to a semiconductor device which is not as susceptible to power supply fluctuations or noise from the circuits in the semiconductor device.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The present invention generally relates to an apparatus for improving reference voltage stability in semiconductor devices. More specifically, the invention involves the integration of a circuit using VREF as a reference to generate a constant voltage in a semiconductor device to actively drive a reference voltage (VREF) within the memory device. It is understood that, while the present invention may be incorporated with any semiconductor device having need for a VREF signal the present invention will be described in reference to memory device.

[0013] According to the present invention, a VREF signal is actively driven on a memory device by coupling an external VREF signal to a circuit capable of generating a constant voltage and active current drive which is integrated with the memory device. For example, employing the combination of an external VREF signal with a voltage follower, a VREF current source substantially close to a constant voltage may be driven within the memory device. Unlike the VREF generated by VREF generators incorporated with semiconductor devices of the prior art, the VREF created by the voltage follower circuit is not subject to fluctuations due to changes in the power supply voltage VDD of the memory device because VREF is driven by an independent, external input voltage. Likewise, the substantially constant voltage driven by the voltage follower reduces the effects of coupling in the memory device and eliminates VREF fluctuations caused by noise in the memory device. Furthermore, the active current drive capability of the voltage follower circuit allows quick responses to other signals coupling VREF or causing fluctuations in VREF.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] While the specification concludes with claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming that which is regarded as the present invention, the advantages of this invention can be more readily ascertained from the following description of the invention when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

[0015] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0016] FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of a voltage follower circuit as used in the present invention;

[0017] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an additional embodiment of the present invention;

[0018] FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a computer system using a memory device of the present invention; and

[0019] FIG. 5 is a simplified block diagram of a memory device of the prior art employing a VREF signal created from a power supply voltage.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] Illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 4 are different embodiments of the present invention. It is understood that the figures presented in conjunction with this description are not meant to be actual, scaled, representations of the present invention. Instead, FIGS. 1 through 4 exemplify idealized representations of the present invention, employed to more clearly and fully depict the present invention.

[0021] FIG. 1 illustrates a general diagram of a preferred embodiment of the present invention: a voltage follower circuit 100 integrated with a semiconductor device 190. The voltage follower circuit 100, delineated by broken lines, is coupled to a VREF source 195 external to the semiconductor device 190.

[0022] The voltage follower circuit 100 of FIG. 1 is illustrated in more detail in FIG. 2. As depicted, the voltage follower circuit 100 is delineated by broken lines and includes an operational amplifier 110 having two inputs and an output. A first input, commonly known as a non-inverting input 112, couples a voltage signal VIN to the amplifier 110. The second input, also known as the inverting input 114, is coupled to the output 116 of the amplifier 110. Thus, the inverting input 114 receives a voltage signal VOUT.

[0023] The voltage follower circuit 100 illustrated in FIG. 2 is well known in the art. The voltage VIN applied to the non-inverting input 112 produces a voltage VOUT which is coupled to the inverting input 114, producing a second input to the voltage follower circuit of VOUT. Voltage follower circuits such as that illustrated in FIG. 2 actively drive VOUT equal to VIN, thereby maintaining a substantially constant voltage VOUT.

[0024] In this embodiment of the present invention, the non-inverting input 112 of the voltage follower circuit 100 is coupled to a VREF source 195 external to the semiconductor device 190. Therefore, VIN is equal to the VREF source 195. Coupled with VOUT, the voltage follower circuit 100 generates a VREF for the semiconductor device 190 which is independent of the semiconductor device power supply (not shown). Thus, fluctuations in VREF due to power supply variations are eliminated. Additionally, the voltage follower circuit 100 generates a VREF having sufficient current to counter at least a portion of the capacitive coupling effects commonly found on the VREF line in semiconductor devices having noisy environments. The ability of the voltage follower circuit 100 to actively drive VREF in the semiconductor device 190 reduces fluctuations in VREF caused by noise and interference encountered by VREF within the semiconductor device 190.

[0025] In another embodiment of the invention, multiple voltage follower circuits 100 are integrated with a semiconductor device along the VREF line, thereby assuring that the advantages of the voltage follower circuit 100 are realized with the VREF, throughout the semiconductor device. For example, FIG. 3 illustrates a semiconductor device 290 having a first voltage follower circuit 200 and a second voltage follower circuit 250 integrated therein. A voltage source 295 external to the semiconductor device 290 is the non-inverted input 212 of the amplifier 210 of the first voltage follower circuit 200. VOUT is VREF for a first circuitry portion (not shown) of the semiconductor device 290. VREF exits the first circuitry portion of the semiconductor device 290 after having been exposed to the noise generated by the circuits therein. Although the VREF is driven by the first voltage follower circuit 200, a second voltage follower circuit 250 receives the VREF at the non-inverted input 262 of the second amplifier 260. The second voltage follower circuit 250 drives a second VREF to a second circuitry portion (not shown) of the semiconductor device 290. In this manner, the advantages of using a voltage follower circuit may be realized throughout the entire memory device.

[0026] It is further understood that the present invention is not limited to the use of one or two voltage follower circuits to drive VREF in a semiconductor device. A larger plurality of voltage follower circuits could be incorporated with the VREF signal in a semiconductor device in accordance with the present invention. Likewise, the present invention is not limited by the type or configuration of the voltage follower circuit or circuits integrated with the semiconductor device. Voltage follower circuits are well known in the art and one of ordinary skill in the art would understand how to integrate a chosen voltage follower circuit with the chosen semiconductor device. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the incorporation of voltage follower circuits with a semiconductor device. Any circuit that uses VREF as a reference to generate a substantially constant voltage and good current drive may be substituted for the voltage follower circuits described herein.

[0027] The present invention is not limited to particular semiconductor devices. The advantages realized by use of this invention may be incorporated into memory devices, including, for example, DRAM, SDRAM, Rambus memory, double data rate memory, flash memory, and other high speed memory devices, as well as logic chips, processors and other integrated circuit chips.

[0028] FIG. 4 illustrates a block diagram of a computer system 400 that includes at least one memory device 490 incorporating the embodiments of the present invention as described with respect to FIGS. 1 through 3 above. As illustrated, the computer system 400 includes a processor 410 for performing computing functions as known in the art, one or more input devices 420 as known in the art, and one or more output devices 430. One or more data storage devices 440 may also be coupled to the computer system to allow the processor 410 to store or retrieve data. The processor 410 includes a processor bus 450 that includes an address bus, a control bus, and a data bus. The processor 410 is also coupled to a cache memory 460 and to the memory device 490 through a memory controller 470. A data bus is also coupled between the memory device 490 and the processor bus 450. The memory controller 470 includes a control bus 475 and an address bus 480 coupled to the memory device 490. A voltage source 495 is also coupled to the memory device 490 to provide a VREF to at least one circuit 100 integrated with the memory device 490 to generate a VREF on the device 490 having a constant voltage and a good current drive.

[0029] Having thus described certain preferred embodiments of the present invention, it is to be understood that the invention defined by the appended claims is not to be limited by particular details set forth in the above description, as many apparent variations thereof are possible without departing from the spirit or scope thereof as hereinafter claimed.

Claims

1. A memory device, comprising: a memory array for storing at least one data bit and configured to electrically operate from a power supply voltage; and a circuit configured to receive an external reference voltage and generate in response thereto an internal reference voltage independent of said power supply voltage, said internal reference voltage for accessing and evaluating said at least one data bit in said memory array.

2. The memory device of claim 1, further comprising data input/output circuitry coupled to said memory array and further coupled and responsive to said internal reference voltage of said circuit.

3. The memory device of claim 1, further comprising an address register coupled and responsive to said internal reference voltage of said circuit.

4. The memory device of claim 1, wherein said internal reference voltage generated by said circuit tracks said external reference voltage.

5. The memory device of claim 1, wherein said circuit comprises a following circuit configured to generate an internal reference voltage that is dependent upon an external reference voltage.

6. The memory device of claim 1, wherein said circuit comprises a voltage follower configured to receive said external reference signal at an input and configured to generate in response thereto said internal reference signal.

7. The memory device of claim 1, wherein said circuit comprises a plurality of voltage followers serially coupled to receive an external reference voltage and generate in response thereto an internal reference voltage.

8. The memory device of claim 1, further comprising circuitry for configuring said memory device as one of a DRAM, SDRAM, Rambus memory, double data rate memory and flash memory.