This invention generally relates to a delay locked loop, and, in particular, to a low power delay locked loop for semiconductor devices, including memory devices.
In a high speed synchronous semiconductor memory device such as a double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (“DDR SDRAM”), data is transferred (input from or output to) to other devices in synchronization with an external clock signal. The high speed synchronous semiconductor memory device such as the DDR SDRAM performs an input or output operation in synchronization with not only a rising edge but also a falling edge of the external clock signal. Typically, in a system or a circuit including a semiconductor memory, a clock signal is used as a reference clock signal for adjusting operation timing to guarantee stable data access and data transfer without error. For stable data access and data transfer, a delay occurring from processing and receiving the data should be compensated for during the data transfer by exactly setting the data transfer at edges of the clock signal or at centers of the clock signal.
To control the data transfer timing, the clock signal needs to be synchronized with the transition timing of the external clock. Synchronous semiconductor memory devices include a clock synchronization circuit for this purpose. The clock synchronization circuit may include a phase locked loop (“PLL”) and/or a delay locked loop (“DLL”). Typically, in case that a frequency of the external clock differs from that of an internal clock in the semiconductor memory device, the PLL is used because the clock synchronization circuit can adjust the frequency of an internal clock in the semiconductor memory device. In case that a frequency of the external clock is the same as that of an internal clock in the semiconductor memory device, the DLL is generally used to adjust the phase of the internal clock.
The delay locked loop generates internal clock signals based on the reference clock by compensating for clock skew occurring in the data path. The data path has a predetermined delay amount estimated from the clock skew, where the data or the clock signal passes through the semiconductor memory device. The generated internal clock signals can then be used for synchronizing data input/output.
Although a delay locked loop works well to generate the internal clock signals for the semiconductor memory device, the DLL of the current art consume large amounts of power which are not suitable for low-power devices. For instance, a regulator is generally required in the DLL of the current art to supply a stable current to the various elements in the DLL circuit. The regulator consumes a large amount of power, and is not suited for low power applications. In additional, external biasing is necessary for the DLL of the current art to operate correctly, which is another source of power consumption. Therefore, it is desirable to provide new methods and circuits for a low power DLL, and, in particular to, a DLL that has self-biased elements and that does not need a regulator for supplying currents to the elements of the DLL circuit.
An object of this invention is to provide a low power delay locked loop.
Another object of this invention is to provide a self-biased delay locked loop.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a bandwidth programmable delay locked loop.
Briefly, the present invention discloses a delay locked loop, comprising: a phase detector, wherein the phase detector generates output signals as a function of a reference clock signal and a feedback clock signal; a charge pump, wherein the charge pump generates a charge pump voltage as a function of the output signals; a bias generation circuit, wherein the bias generation circuit generates biasing signals as a function of the charge pump voltage; and a delay chain, wherein the delay chain outputs one or more internal clock signals and the feedback clock signal as a function of the reference clock signal and the biasing signals.
An advantage of this invention is that a low power delay locked loop is provided.
Another advantage of this invention is that a self-biased delay locked loop is provided.
Yet another advantage of this invention is that a bandwidth programmable delay locked loop is provided.
The foregoing and other objects, aspects, and advantages of the invention can be better understood from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
In the following detailed description of the embodiments, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration of specific embodiments in which the present invention may be practiced.
Generally, a memory system, e.g., DDR SDRAM, requires a clock signal with very fine steps to control the delay precisely for N-bit wide data with the clock positioned at the center. To generate the clock signal for the memory system, a delay locked loop (“DLL”) of the present invention is used to synchronize one or more internal clock signals to a reference clock for the incoming data signal. The internal clock signals must be very precise clock signals relative to the incoming data, which are routed to all the parallel (N-bit) data paths macros.
The outputs signals up,
When there is a phase difference between the reference clock signal Lin and the feedback clock signal Lout, the output signals up,up, dn, and dn of the phase detector 16 indicate such changes, which are then used to adjust the feedback clock signal Lout to match the phase of the reference clock signal Lin. For instance, when the output signals up and dn are equal, then the positive signal of the reference clock signal Lin and the positive signal of the feedback clock signal Lout are in phase. When the reference clock signal Lout is leading the feedback clock signal Lin in phase, then a continuous output signal do can be generated. This in turn will decrease the control voltages for the delay chain 20 to adjust the phase of the feedback clock signal Lout to closer match the reference clock signal Lin. When the feedback clock signal Lout is lagging the reference clock signal Lin, then a continuous output signal up can be generated, which increases the control voltages for the delay chain 20 to adjust the phase of the feedback clock signal Lout to closer match the reference clock signal Lin. Likewise, the output signals
The charge pump voltage VCP is inputted to the bias generation circuit 8 to generate biasing voltages, e.g., Vbias master p, Vbias master n and any slave biases as needed. The biasing voltages are inputted to the delay chain 20 for controlling the phase delay for internal clocks signals that are generated by the delay chain 20, e.g., the internal clock signals Φ0, Φ1, Φ2, and Φ3. Typically, the internal clock signals are a preset number of degrees out of phase with the reference clock signal Lin. For instance, the internal clock signal Φ0 can be 90 degrees out of phase with the reference clock signal Lin; the internal clock signal Φ1 can be 180 degrees out of phase with the reference clock signal Lin; the internal clock signal Φ2 can be 270 degrees out of phase with the reference clock signal Lin; and the internal clock signal Φ3 can be 360 degrees out of phase with the reference clock signal Lin.
Bandwidth control can adjust the internal clock signals to quickly adapt to any changes in phase of the reference clock signal Lin by way of the negative feedback loop system of the DLL of the present invention. The DLL loop parameters like bandwidth and damping factors are programmable. For instance, the bandwidth and damping factor are a function of the charge pump, loop capacitor C1, and delay cell gain. Thus, the charge pump current and the delay cell gain can be controlled using digital control bits to program the bandwidth and the damping factor.
During steady state operation, the feedback clock signal Lout is substantially in phase with the reference clock signal Lin. There might be some delay between the feedback clock signal Lout and the reference clock signal Lin due to the feedback loop routing. The delay chain 20 comprises storage delay cells, e.g., delay cells 22-30, where the delay cells are connected in series and generate the internal clock signals having a preset delay in phase. The internal clock signals can be routed to any of the parallel data paths of the memory system. Typically, the memory system may have 76 data buses of parallel inputs coming in at different frequencies and/or phases. Thus, the delay chain can be further replicated for each of the 76 data buses via a slave bias circuit (not shown).
The transistors 44-50 are connected in series across voltages VDD and VSS. The voltages VDD and VSS are the respective power and ground supplies to the respective circuit. Typically, the power supply can vary from 1.1V to 0.7V. The source of the transistor 44 is connected to the voltage VDD. The source of the transistor 50 is connected to the voltage VSS. The gate of the transistor 46 is connected to the voltage VSS, and the gate of the transistor 48 is connected to the voltage VDD. Also, the drains of the transistors 46 and 48 are connected together to generate the voltage VCP
The drains of the transistors 54 and 56 are connected to each other, providing a voltage VCP. The voltage VCPD is applied to the positive input of the OTA242. The drains of the transistors 64 and 66 are connected to each other, and further connected to the output and the negative input of the OTA242 in a negative feedback loop. The output of the OTA242 is connected with the charge pump voltage VCP. The sources of the transistors 54 and 64 are connected together, and further connected to the drains of the transistors 52 and 62. The sources of the transistors 52 and 62 are connected to the voltage VDD. The sources of the transistors 56 and 66 are connected together, and further connected to the drains of the transistors 58 and 68. The sources of the transistors 58 and 68 are connected to the voltage VSS.
The output signal up is connected to the gate of the transistor 54. The output signal
The switches 60 and 70 provide a bandwidth control for the DLL negative feedback loop. The switches 60 and 70 can be programmed accordingly to adjust the bandwidth control. Generally, the switches 60 and 70 are activated, i.e., turned on, when the reference clock signal Lin is 1 GHz or above, otherwise the switches 60 and 70 are deactivated, i.e., turned off.
The drain of the transistor 88 is further connected with the drain of the transistor 86. The gate of transistor 86 is connected to the charge pump voltage VCP. The source of the transistor 86 is connected to the voltage VSS and the source of the transistor 90. The drain of the transistor 90 is connected with the drain of the transistor 84. The gate of transistor 90 is connected to the drains of the transistors 92 and 94 to generate a voltage VDSΦ. The voltage VDSΦ is applied to any slave bias circuits (see
The sources of the transistors 82, 86, 90, 92, 96, 100, 102, and 106 are connected to the voltage VSS. The gate and drain of the transistor 82 and the drain of transistor 80 are connected together. The gates of the transistors 82, 92, 96 and 102 are connected together. The drain of the transistor 96 and the gate of the transistor 100 are connected together and generate the biasing voltage Vbias master n. The drain of the transistor 100 is connected with the drain of the transistor 98. The drain of the transistor 102, the gate and the drain of the transistor 106, and the drain of the transistor 104 are connected together, and generate the biasing voltage Vbias slave n.
The drain and gate of the transistor 142, the drain of the transistor 140, and the gate of the transistor 158 are connected to together, and generate the OTA140's output voltage VBN. The voltage VSS is applied to the sources for the transistors 142, 146, 150, and 158. The drain of the transistor 152 is connected with the source of the transistor 154. The source of the transistor 156 is connected to the drain of the transistor 158. The drains of the transistors 154 and 156 are connected together.
The OTA140 is a self-biased operational amplifier that uses a charge pump dummy path to replicate the charge pump loading effect. The voltages VBP and VBN can be used to control the biasing points for the delay cells 22-30. Since OTA140 is self-biased, there is no need for a current source for this operational amplifier, which greatly reduces the power consumption of the DLL of the present invention.
While the present invention has been described with reference to certain preferred embodiments or methods, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to such specific embodiments or methods. Rather, it is the inventor's contention that the invention be understood and construed in its broadest meaning as reflected by the following claims. Thus, these claims are to be understood as incorporating not only the preferred apparatuses, methods, and systems described herein, but all those other and further alterations and modifications as would be apparent to those of ordinary skilled in the art.
This application claims priority from a provisional patent application entitled “Apparatuses, Methods, and Systems Using Integrated Circuits” filed on Apr. 19, 2013 and having an Application No. 61/814,153. Said application is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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61814153 | Apr 2013 | US |