Patents by Inventor Khil Ohk Kang

Khil Ohk Kang has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8035428
    Abstract: A power-up circuit for a semiconductor memory device includes a voltage division unit configured to divide a power supply voltage, a first power-up generation unit configured to detect a voltage level of a first divided voltage of the voltage division unit during an initial stage of applying a power supply to generate a first power-up signal and a second power-up generation unit configured to detect a voltage level of a second divided voltage of the voltage division unit, after the first power-up signal is generated from the first power-up generation unit, to generate a second power-up signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2011
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Khil-Ohk Kang
  • Publication number: 20110242920
    Abstract: Herein, a voltage sensing circuit, which is capable of controlling a pumping voltage to be stably generated in a low voltage environment, is provided. The voltage sensing circuit includes a current mirror having first and second terminals, a first switching element configured to control current on the first terminal of the current mirror by a reference voltage, a second switching element configured to control current from the second terminal of the current mirror in response to a pumping voltage, and a third switching element configured to control current sources of the first and second switching elements to receive a negative voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2011
    Publication date: October 6, 2011
    Inventors: Woo-Seung HAN, Khil-Ohk Kang
  • Publication number: 20110221508
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a first reference voltage generator for generating a first reference voltage; a first band gap circuit for dividing a voltage at a second reference voltage output node to produce a first and a second band gap voltages having a property relative to temperature variations; a first comparator for receiving the first reference voltage as a bias input and comparing the first band gap voltage with the second band gap voltage; and a first driver for pull-up driving the second reference voltage output node in response to an output signal of the first comparator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2011
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Inventors: Khil-Ohk KANG, Sang-Jin Byeon
  • Publication number: 20110221411
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes a voltage detector configured to detect a level of an external power supply voltage and an internal voltage generator configured to generate an internal voltage in response to an active signal and drive an internal voltage terminal with a driving ability corresponding to an output signal of the voltage detector. A method for operating the semiconductor memory device includes detecting a level of an external power supply voltage, based on a first target level, to output a detection signal; and generating an internal voltage in response to an active signal, and driving an internal voltage terminal with a driving ability corresponding to the detection signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2011
    Publication date: September 15, 2011
    Inventor: Khil-Ohk KANG
  • Patent number: 8014214
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device is provided which includes a voltage detecting unit configured to compare a target voltage level with a fed-back internal voltage to output a detection signal in a normal mode, a driving unit configured to selectively drive an internal voltage terminal to a first or second power supply voltage according to an operation mode in response to the detection signal, and an enable control unit configured to control the driving unit in response to a control signal corresponding to the operation mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2011
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Khil-Ohk Kang
  • Publication number: 20110210794
    Abstract: Herein, a voltage sensing circuit, which is capable of controlling a pumping voltage to be stably generated in a low voltage environment, is provided. The voltage sensing circuit includes a current mirror having first and second terminals, a first switching element configured to control current on the first terminal of the current mirror by a reference voltage, a second switching element configured to control current from the second terminal of the current mirror in response to a pumping voltage, and a third switching element configured to control current sources of the first and second switching elements to receive a negative voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 5, 2011
    Publication date: September 1, 2011
    Inventors: Woo-Seung HAN, Khil-Ohk Kang
  • Patent number: 7995408
    Abstract: A reference voltage supplying circuit can include an internal reference voltage generating unit configured to generate an internal reference voltage, a pad configured to receive an external reference voltage, a switching unit selectively configured to supply the internal reference voltage or the external reference voltage to an internal voltage generator in a test mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Khil-Ohk Kang
  • Patent number: 7978536
    Abstract: Semiconductor memory device and method of operating the same includes an enable signal generator configured to generate first and second enable signals having activation timings determined in response to activation of an active command, the first enable signal being deactivated after a first time from a deactivation timing of the active command, and the second enable signal being deactivated after a second time longer than the first time from the deactivation timing of the active command. Internal voltage generators are configured to generate internal voltages. At least one of the internal voltage generators is turned on/off in response to the first enable signal, and at least one other of the internal voltage generators is turned on/off in response to the second enable signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2011
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Khil-Ohk Kang
  • Patent number: 7969136
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a first reference voltage generator for generating a first reference voltage; a first band gap circuit for dividing a voltage at a second reference voltage output node to produce a first and a second band gap voltages having a property relative to temperature variations; a first comparator for receiving the first reference voltage as a bias input and comparing the first band gap voltage with the second band gap voltage; and a first driver for pull-up driving the second reference voltage output node in response to an output signal of the first comparator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventors: Khil-Ohk Kang, Sang-Jin Byeon
  • Patent number: 7969797
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes a voltage detector configured to detect a level of an external power supply voltage and an internal voltage generator configured to generate an internal voltage in response to an active signal and drive an internal voltage terminal with a driving ability corresponding to an output signal of the voltage detector. A method for operating the semiconductor memory device includes detecting a level of an external power supply voltage, based on a first target level, to output a detection signal; and generating an internal voltage in response to an active signal, and driving an internal voltage terminal with a driving ability corresponding to the detection signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Khil-Ohk Kang
  • Patent number: 7961531
    Abstract: Herein, a voltage sensing circuit, which is capable of controlling a pumping voltage to be stably generated in a low voltage environment, is provided. The voltage sensing circuit includes a current mirror having first and second terminals, a first switching element configured to control current on the first terminal of the current mirror by a reference voltage, a second switching element configured to control current from the second terminal of the current mirror in response to a pumping voltage, and a third switching element configured to control current sources of the first and second switching elements to receive a negative voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2011
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventors: Woo-Seung Han, Khil-Ohk Kang
  • Patent number: 7936613
    Abstract: A charge driving circuit and a discharge driving circuit occupy a relatively small area and maintain driving force in a semiconductor memory device having a plurality of banks. The semiconductor memory device includes multiple banks, a common discharge level detector configured to detect a voltage level of internal voltage terminals on the basis of a first target level in response to active signals corresponding to the respective banks, and a discharge drivers assigned to the respective banks. The discharge drivers are configured to drive the internal voltage terminals to be discharged in response to the respective active signals and respective discharge control signals outputted from the common discharge level detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Khil-Ohk Kang
  • Patent number: 7936632
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an internal circuit configured to receive a first power supply voltage applied via a first power input terminal through a first power supply path and receive an internal power supply voltage to perform a predetermined circuit operation and an internal power supply voltage generator configured to receive a second power supply voltage for a power circuit applied via a second power input terminal through a second power supply path and generate the internal power supply voltage, wherein the second power supply path is separated from the first power supply path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Khil-Ohk Kang
  • Patent number: 7936633
    Abstract: A circuit for generating a voltage of a semiconductor memory apparatus includes a control unit that outputs a driving control signal in response to an enable signal and a burn-in signal, a first voltage generating unit that generates and outputs a first voltage in response to the enable signal, and a voltage maintaining unit that maintains the first voltage in response to the driving control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Khil-Ohk Kang
  • Publication number: 20100315133
    Abstract: A power-up circuit for a semiconductor memory device includes a voltage division unit configured to divide a power supply voltage, a first power-up generation unit configured to detect a voltage level of a first divided voltage of the voltage division unit during an initial stage of applying a power supply to generate a first power-up signal and a second power-up generation unit configured to detect a voltage level of a second divided voltage of the voltage division unit, after the first power-up signal is generated from the first power-up generation unit, to generate a second power-up signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Publication date: December 16, 2010
    Inventor: Khil-Ohk Kang
  • Publication number: 20100244854
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a common probing pad; an internal voltage generation unit having a plurality of internal voltage generation blocks configured to generate a plurality of internal voltages; and a probing voltage selection unit configured to transfer an internal voltage selected from the internal voltages to the common probing pad in response to a plurality of voltage selection signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2009
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Inventor: Khil-Ohk Kang
  • Patent number: 7800958
    Abstract: A voltage generating unit of a semiconductor memory device makes it possible to reduce a peak current value when generating a high voltage. The voltage generating unit of the semiconductor memory device includes a detecting unit configured to detect a voltage level of a high voltage by comparing a reference voltage with a fed-back high voltage, an oscillating unit configured to generate a plurality of clock signals with different operation time points on the basis of an output signal of the detecting unit, and a plurality of pumping units configured to generate the high voltage according to pumping control signals based on the clock signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Khil-Ohk Kang
  • Patent number: 7800962
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes a bit line sense amplifier for sensing and amplifying data applied on a bit line; a first driver for driving a pull-up voltage line of the bit line sense amplifier to a voltage applied on a normal driving voltage terminal; an overdriving signal generator for generating an overdriving signal defining an overdriving period in response to an active command; an overdriving control signal generator for receiving the overdriving signal to generate an overdriving control signal for selectively performing an overdriving operation according to a voltage level of an overdriving voltage; and a second driver for driving the normal driving voltage terminal to the overdriving voltage in response to the overdriving control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Khil-Ohk Kang
  • Patent number: 7800969
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device can stabilize a voltage level of a normal driving voltage terminal in a normal driving operation, which is performed after an overdriving operation, even when an overdriving voltage is unstable due to environmental factors of the semiconductor memory device in the overdriving operation. The semiconductor memory device includes a bit line sense amplifier for performing an amplification operation using a normal driving voltage or an overdriving voltage to sense and amplify data applied to bit lines, a normal driving voltage compensator configured to drive a normal driving voltage terminal according to a voltage level of the normal driving voltage terminal and target normal driving voltage levels, and a discharge enable signal generator configured to generate a discharge enable signal by adjusting an activation period of the discharge enable signal according to the overdriving voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2010
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Khil-Ohk Kang
  • Publication number: 20100123513
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a driver configured to provide an internal voltage by driving an internal voltage node with an external voltage, a controller configured to output a control signal, and a discharger configured to discharge leakage current flowing into the internal voltage node through the driver in response to the control signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2009
    Publication date: May 20, 2010
    Inventor: Khil-Ohk KANG