Abstract: An apparatus and method for decoding address signals. The apparatus generally comprises an address buffer array, a buffer controller coupled to the address buffer array, an address decoder coupled to the address buffer array and a strobe generator coupled to the address decoder and the buffer controller. The address buffer array buffers address signals in response to an address strobe from the buffer controller. The strobe generator generates a decoding strobe in response to the address strobe. The decoding strobe signals the address decoder to decode the address signals received from the address buffer array. To synchronize the arrival of the decoding strobe and the buffered address signals at the decoder, the strobe generator has one or more signal transfer characteristics in common with one or more of the address buffers. In a specific embodiment, the strobe generator has a longer signal transfer delay than any address buffer in the address buffer array.

Abstract: A data strobe buffer in SDRAM is disclosed. The data strobe buffer for a synchronous dynamic read only memory (SDRAM), comprising: a first dynamic buffer generating a first pulse at a rising edge of a data strobe signal; a second dynamic buffer generating a second pulse at a falling edge of the data strobe signal; and a block for generating an enable signal which is enabled in a range between a rising edge of an external clock signal and a logic high state of the second pulse, and providing the second dynamic buffer with the enable signal. The data strobe buffer ensures a minimum value of tDQSS parameter in DDR SDRAM even if speed of the chip increases or operation condition of the chip becomes tight, thereby preventing the data strobe buffer from being misoperated due to the damping and the fluctuation of the data strobe signal.

Abstract: An apparatus for receiving an external data strobe signal in a high-speed memory device to generate an internal data strobe signal used in a write operation therein, includes first buffering means, activated by an enable signal, for receiving the external data strobe signal having a series of pulses to output a first internal data strobe signal having a series of pulses, each pulse of the first internal data strobe signal corresponding to a rising edge of each pulse of the external data strobe signal, and second buffering means, activated by the enable signal, for receiving the external data strobe signal having a series of pulses to output a second internal data strobe signal having a series of pulses, each pulse of the second internal data strobe signal corresponding to a falling edge of each pulse of the external data strobe signal, wherein a delay to a corresponding pulse of the first internal data strobe signal from a rising edge of each pulse of the external data strobe signal is substantially identical

Abstract: Disclosed is a DDR SDRAM device which may be implemented by simply modifying a pipe counter for an SDR SDRAM device. A pipe counter comprising according to the present invention comprises: a controller for producing a counter control signal in response to rising and falling edge signals of an external clock signal; an enabling unit for producing a plurality of enable signals in response to the counter control signal and for enabling one of the enable signals during one period of the counter control signal; and a driver for receiving one of the enable signals, producing first and second pipe counter signals being synchronized with the rising and falling edge signals of the external clock signal, wherein one of the first and second pipe counter signals is activated during one period of the received enable signal.

Abstract: An apparatus for driving a cell plate line of a semiconductor memory device having a plurality of memory cells, includes: a first driving means for driving the cell plate line with a first power supply voltage; a second driving means for driving the cell plate line with a second power supply voltage higher than the first power supply voltage; and a driving control means for enabling said second driving means for a predetermined time in order to activate the cell plate line in response to a control signal from an external circuit and enabling said first driving means after the predetermined time in order to stabilize said second driving means enables, wherein the control signal is employed to select one memory cell related to the cell plate line. Thereby, the apparatus can the high-speed operation of a ferroelectric random access memory (FeRAM) by using two power supply voltage sources.

Abstract: The present invention relates to semiconductor memory device and more particularly, to a technique for stabilizing the potential of the cell plate line by using two kinds of potentials for the cell plate line driver to implement the powerful driving force and rapid operability required in case of designing the RAM using as the memory device the material having large electrostatic capacity, and for preventing the loss of I/O by using CMOS transistors in the decoder circuit which receives the cell plate line voltage by cooperating with the cell plate line driver circuit and feeds back the cell plate line voltage.

Abstract: A variable comparison voltage generation apparatus for a semiconductor memory element substitutes a variable comparison voltage amplifier for a fixed comparison voltage amplifier used for a ferroelectric substance memory. The variable comparison voltage generation apparatus according to the present invention accurately detect the data stored in the memory element with ferroelectric substance.