Patent · US Expired

Semiconductor memory device

US5828619A · kind A · utility

31Cited by
3References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 18, 1996
Grant dateOct 27, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 18, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C11/406
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

In a DRAM, an external cycle count circuit detects an operation cycle of a signal RAS which is externally inputted, and a signal expressing the result is outputted to a CBR signal generating circuit and a self refresh signal generating circuit. In response to outputs from the respective signal generating circuits, an internal RAS signal generating circuit outputs a refresh instruction signal INRAS for CBR refresh and self refresh. For self refresh, as the operation cycle of the signal RAS immediately before self refresh begins, a refresh cycle is set longer. For CBR refresh, when the operation cycle of the signal RAS is long, a CBR refresh instruction signal is generated in accordance with only a part of an operation of the signal RAS. By reducing the frequency of refresh, consumption power is reduced. By means of control which considers a parameter which influences an internal temperature of a semiconductor memory device such as a DRAM, consumption power is reduced and an operation speed is improved.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.