Patents Represented by Attorney Mannava & Kang, P.C.
  • Patent number: 7599240
    Abstract: An internal voltage generator of a semiconductor memory device controls generating an internal voltage according to an increase of the internal voltage during an active mode, to thereby decrease current consumption. The internal voltage generator of a semiconductor memory device includes a voltage sensor, a plurality of first control units, a plurality of second control units, and a plurality of voltage drivers. The voltage sensor detects an internal voltage. The plurality of first control units generate a plurality of internal control signals according to the voltage level of an output of the voltage sensor. The plurality of second control units generate a plurality of driver control signals in response to the plurality of internal control signals. The plurality of voltage drivers are turned on/off in response to the plurality of driver control signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Yoon-Jae Shin, Jun-Gi Choi
  • Patent number: 7598785
    Abstract: A slew-rate adjusting apparatus for use in a semiconductor memory device includes: a slew-rate modulation signal generator for generating a slew-rate modulation signal according to the number of control codes having a first logic level among a plurality of control codes, which are programmable at an exterior; and a pre-driver for adjusting a slew rate of a data signal by changing the number of switching elements turned on in response to the slew-rate modulation signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Jae-Hyuk Im, Kee-Teok Park
  • Patent number: 7599243
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes a bit line sense amplifying block that senses and amplifies bit line data. A first driving block drives a pull up power line of the bit line sense amplifying block using a voltage applied to a normal driving voltage terminal. A second driving block drives the normal driving voltage terminal using an over driving voltage. An over driving signal generation block generates an over driving signal that defines an over driving interval in response to an active command. An external power supply voltage level detection block detects a voltage level of the external power supply voltage. A selective output block selectively outputs the over driving signal in response to an output signal of the external power supply voltage level detection block, wherein an output signal of the selective output block controls the second driving block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Khil-Ohk Kang
  • Patent number: 7599245
    Abstract: An output controller includes: an output enable signal generator for generating corresponding ones among a plurality of output enable signals based on a preset column address strobe (CAS) latency, each of the output enable signals having information relating to a delay time from an activation timing of a CAS signal; and an output driving signal generator for receiving the plurality of output enable signals corresponding to the preset CAS latency and outputting rising and falling output driving signals for controlling an output timing of data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2009
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Hoon Choi
  • Patent number: 7596049
    Abstract: The semiconductor memory device includes a plurality of bank groups each including a plurality of banks sharing one of a plurality of global input/output line groups, a data input unit configured to transfer external data to data input global lines in response to write commands corresponding to the respective bank groups, a data output unit configured to output data applied on data output global lines to an external circuit in response to read commands corresponding to the respective bank groups, and a data transfer unit configured to transfer data applied on the data input global lines to one of the plurality of global input/output line groups in response to the write commands, and to transfer data applied on one of the plurality of global input/output line groups to the data output global lines in response to the read commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 29, 2009
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Young-Han Jeong, Seung-Bong Kim
  • Patent number: 7593280
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device reduces power consumption during a refresh operation. The semiconductor memory device comprises a voltage generator, a sensing controller, an output driver and a data transmitter. The voltage generator is configured to generate an internal power voltage, which is lower during a power saving mode than during a normal mode, for a peripheral area. The sensing controller is configured to generate a control signal corresponding to a level of the internal power voltage. The output driver is configured to drive a transmitting data by using an output voltage. The data transmitter is configured to convert an inputting data into the transmitting data by using the internal power voltage or convert the inputting data into the transmitting data by using the output voltage in response to the control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Kwang-Hyun Kim
  • Patent number: 7593285
    Abstract: It is provided a semiconductor device with the ability to carry out data output operation using a reference clock of which the duty cycle is substantially 50%. The semiconductor device includes a clock buffer for receiving the external clock to generate an internal clock; a delay locked loop circuit for receiving the internal clock to generate a delay locked clock, a controlling unit for generating a control signal, a data output unit for output of data synchronized with a reference clock, and a clock transfer circuit for receiving the delay locked clock to output the reference clock in response to the control signal wherein the clock transfer circuit corrects the duty cycle of the delay locked clock based on a duty cycle information of the reference clock.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Yong-Deok Cho
  • Patent number: 7592862
    Abstract: A digital temperature sensing device uses temperature depending characteristic of contact resistance of a MOS transistor and a self-refresh driving device adjusts its self-refresh period depending on temperature using the digital temperature sensing device. The self-refresh driving device includes a first reference voltage generating unit for generating a reference voltage robust to temperature, the first reference voltage generating means being formed with a plurality of MOS transistors, the number of source contacts of the MOS transistors being adjusted such that variation of saturation current through source-drain is compensated for; a second reference voltage generating unit for generating a second reference voltage sensitive to temperature; a level comparator for comparing the first reference voltage with the second reference voltage; and an oscillator for generating a clock signals having differing period depending on the output signal of the level comparator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Hi-Hyun Han, Jun-Gi Choi
  • Patent number: 7593283
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes: a global input/output line; a first global core line; a second global core line; a global core line controller disposed between the first global core line and the second global core line; a first bank coupled to the global core line controller through the first global core line; and a second bank coupled to the global core line controller through the second global core line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 22, 2009
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Nak-Kyu Park
  • Patent number: 7590023
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device can stably supply a high voltage even if not only the PVT (Process, Voltage, and Temperature) fluctuations but also the level fluctuations of the external voltage are caused by the variation of the external environments. The driving force of a standby VPP generating unit and a plurality of active VPP generating units are changed according to the PVT fluctuations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 15, 2009
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Kyung-Whan Kim
  • Patent number: 7586798
    Abstract: A write circuit of a semiconductor memory device includes a global data input/output (I/O) line; an amplifying block for receiving and amplifying write data and transmitting the amplified write data as global data onto the global data I/O line; and a control block for comparing the write data with the global data to thereby disable the amplifying block when the write data and the global data have substantially the same data value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Beom-Ju Shin
  • Patent number: 7586796
    Abstract: A core voltage discharge driver prevents a core voltage discharging operation from interrupting the core voltage generating operation. The core voltage discharge driver includes a comparing unit configured to compare a core voltage generating control signal for controlling generation of a core voltage with a core voltage discharging control signal for controlling discharge of the core voltage, and an adjusting unit configured to adjust the core voltage discharging control signal based on a comparison result of the comparing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2009
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Jun-Gi Choi
  • Patent number: 7583547
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory over-driving scheme for a semiconductor memory device makes it possible to secure a high-speed sensing operation of a memory sense amplifier, regardless of a change of a power supply voltage. Over-driving efficiency is improved by controlling the discharging time and the drivability using different sized the drivers when the power supply voltage fluctuates while the bit line over-driving operation is performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2009
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Chae-Kyu Jang, Ju-Young Seo
  • Patent number: 7580313
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device with a reduced cell area and a high-speed data transfer by modifying a circuit layout. The semiconductor memory device includes: a cell area with a first and a second cell areas; a plurality of Y decoders of which one Y decoder selects bit line sense amplifiers in the first and the second cell areas; IO sense amplifiers provided with a first IO sense amplifier and a second IO sense amplifier; a plurality of first data lines for transferring a data sensed and amplified at the bit line sense amplifier of the first cell area; and a plurality of second data lines for transferring a data sensed and amplified at the bit line sense amplifier of the second cell area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Dong-Keun Kim, Jae-Jin Lee
  • Patent number: 7579821
    Abstract: A voltage generator includes a bias signal generator generating first to fourth bias signals using a reference voltage, the first to fourth bias signals having different voltage levels. A driving signal generator receives the first and third bias signals to generate a pull-up signal in response to a voltage level of an output terminal and receiving the second and fourth bias signals to generate a pull-down signal in response to a voltage level of the output terminal. A voltage driver pulls up and pulls down a voltage level of the output terminal in response to the respective pull-up and pull-down signals. An auxiliary driving controller disables the pull-up signal when the voltage level of the output terminal is greater than that of the reference voltage and the pull-down signal when the voltage level of the output terminal is less than that of the reference voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Kang-Seol Lee, Jae-Jin Lee
  • Patent number: 7579255
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method for isolating the same. The semiconductor device includes: a silicon substrate provided with a trench including at least one silicon pillar at a bottom portion of the trench, wherein the silicon pillar become sidewalls of micro trenches; and a device isolation layer selectively and partially filled into the plurality of micro trenches.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Seung-Ho Pyi
  • Patent number: 7580310
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a self refresh control device for reducing a current leakage of transistors in off-state. The apparatus for controlling a voltage used in a semiconductor memory device includes a first voltage supplying block for supplying a first voltage to the semiconductor memory device in response to an inputted control signal; and a second voltage supplying block for supplying a second voltage to the semiconductor memory device in response to the inputted control signal, wherein the first and the second voltages are used as a bulk voltage of a transistor included in the semiconductor memory device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2009
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Shin-Ho Chu
  • Patent number: 7577038
    Abstract: There is provided an input/output multiplexer capable of reducing a layout area in designing a device by disposing first and second multiplexers at either side of a specific data input/output (I/O) pad. An apparatus for multiplexing data inputted or outputted to a global input/output (I/O) line includes a first multiplexer for multiplexing the data and supplying a first multiplexed data to the global I/O line and a second multiplexer for multiplexing the first multiplexed data supplied to the global I/O line, wherein the first and second multiplexers are formed at either side of the global I/O line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Beom-Ju Shin
  • Patent number: 7576596
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to provide an internal voltage generator of a semiconductor memory device for generating a predetermined stable level of an internal voltage. The semiconductor memory device includes a control signal generator, an internal voltage generator and an internal voltage compensator. The control signal generator generates a reference signal and a compensating signal which are corresponding to voltage level of the reference signal. The internal voltage generator generates an internal voltage in response to the reference signal. The internal voltage compensator compensates the internal voltage in response to the compensating signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Kang-Seol Lee, Ji-Eun Jang
  • Patent number: 7577050
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes a plurality of internal voltage measuring units, each for driving data input from a memory bank to output the data when a test signal is deactivated, and outputting a corresponding one of internal voltages used in the semiconductor memory device when the test signal is activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2009
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventors: Ki-Ho Kim, Seok-Cheol Yoon