Patent · US Active

Dynamic semiconductor memory reducing the frequency of occurrence of refresh command request and refresh control method thereof

US7630268B2 · kind B2 · utility

11Cited by
7References
45Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJun 12, 2006
Grant dateDec 8, 2009
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 3, 2027

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C11/40618
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A dynamic semiconductor memory has a plurality of memory blocks and a memory core. Each of the memory blocks has a sense amplifier, and the memory core is formed from memory cells located at intersections between a plurality of word lines and a plurality of bit lines connected to the sense amplifier. The memory blocks are sequentially refreshed by selecting each of the word lines and by simultaneously activating the memory cells connected to the selected word line by the sense amplifier. The dynamic semiconductor memory has a first refresh counter which outputs a first internal refresh candidate address, and a second refresh counter which outputs a second internal refresh candidate address that is different from the first internal refresh candidate address. When an externally accessed address coincides with the first internal refresh candidate address, a refresh operation is performed starting from the second internal refresh candidate address.

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