Patent · US Active

Apparatus and method for controlling refresh with current dispersion effect in semiconductor device

US7881140B2 · kind B2 · utility

5Cited by
2References
17Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateAug 22, 2008
Grant dateFeb 1, 2011
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 17, 2028

Classification

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

Abstract

A refresh control apparatus is provided which is capable of dispersing a peak current at an all-bank refresh mode and reducing the characteristic difference between the banks. The refresh control apparatus includes an internal refresh counter for outputting row address signals to select word lines when a refresh command is inputted from an external circuit, a row decoder for outputting row decoding signals to select all banks in response bank active signals and the row address signals, an enable signal control unit for sequentially outputting at a time interval sense amplifier enable signals in response to the bank active signals and the refresh command, and a sense amplifier for sequentially refreshing all of the banks at a time interval in response to the sense amplifier enable signals.

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