Abstract: A reinforced solder bump connector structure is formed between a contact pad arranged on a semiconductor chip and a ball pad arranged on a mounting substrate. The semiconductor chip includes at least one reinforcing protrusion extending upwardly from a surface of an intermediate layer. The mounting substrate includes at least one reinforcing protrusion extending upwardly from a ball pad, the protrusions from both the chip and the substrate being embedded within the solder bump connector. In some configurations, the reinforcing protrusion from the contact pad and the ball pad are sized and arranged to have overlapping under portions. These overlapping portions may assume a wide variety of configurations that allow the protrusions to overlap without contacting each other including pin arrays and combinations of surrounding and surrounded elements. In each configuration, the reinforcing protrusions will tend to suppress crack formation and/or crack propagation thereby improving reliability.

Abstract: Disclosed is a synchronous mirror delay circuit for generating an internal clock signal synchronized with an external clock signal, comprising: a clock buffer circuit that generates a reference clock signal in response to the external clock signal; a delay monitor circuit that delays the reference clock signal; a forward delay array for delaying an output clock signal of the delay monitor circuit to generate delay clock signals; a mirror control circuit that receives the delay clock signals and the reference clock signal to detect one delay clock signal synchronized with the reference clock signal among the delay clock signals; a backward delay array that delays the delay clock signal detected by the mirror control circuit to output a synchronous clock signal; a delay circuit that delays an asynchronous clock signal output through the forward delay array; and a clock driving circuit that outputs the delayed asynchronous clock signal as the internal clock signal when the reference clock signal is not synchroni

Abstract: There is provided an integrated circuit which performs data input/output operations through a transmission line with a predetermined impedance. The integrated circuit includes a driver having a plurality of driving units, in which the driving units input/output data from/to the transmission line, and a controller for inputting an output data signal and applying a plurality of control signals to the driver, in which the control signals are generated in response to an output activation signal and impedance code signals related to states of the impedance. At least one driving unit is driven in response to the control signals, and the driver includes an on-chip termination circuit connected to an input buffer.

Abstract: A solder bump structure includes a contact pad, an intermediate layer located over the contact pad, a solder bump located over the intermediate layer, and at least one metal projection extending upwardly from a surface of the intermediate layer and embedded within the solder bump. Any crack in the solder bump will tend to propagate horizontally through the bump material, and in this case, the metal projections act as obstacles to crack propagation. These obstacles have the effect of increasing the crack resistance, and further lengthen the propagation path of any crack as it travels through the solder bump material, thus decreasing the likelihood device failure.

Abstract: An internal clock generating circuit of a semiconductor device includes: a delay chain having a plurality of delay units for generating multi-phase clocks by adjusting an input clock; a thermometer for outputting a thermometer code value in response to an input selection data; a multiplexer for selectively outputting one of a plurality of clocks input from the delay chain in response to the thermometer code value of the thermometer; and a pulse regenerator for outputting an adjusted internal clock by restoring a pulse form of the clock output from the multiplexer into its original state and controlling the delay thereof as much as desired.

Abstract: Disclosed is a programmable impedance control circuit, comprising a voltage divider, the voltage divider comprising an MOS array supplied with a first voltage and an external resistance having an external impedance equal to N times said external resistance. The voltage divider outputs a second voltage. A reference voltage generator is provided for generating a third voltage corresponding to N/(N+M) times said first voltage as a reference voltage for said second voltage, and wherein M times internal impedance is used for N times external impedance (N=M or N≠M).

Abstract: A semiconductor device according to the present invention includes an output impedance control circuit, connected to a ZQ pad and an output buffer circuit, for controlling an impedance of the output buffer circuit according to an impedance of an external resistor connected with the ZQ pad.

Abstract: A semiconductor device is provided which includes: a plurality of termination circuits having a plurality of impedance elements connected to an input/output pad, said termination circuits being controlled by impedance control signals; and a controller for outputting said impedance control signals to adaptively change with changes in characteristic impedance of a transmission line connected to the input/output pad in bi-directional data communication, to adaptively control the plurality of impedance elements in the plurality of input termination circuits for matching the impedance to the characteristic impedance of the transmission line. Each of the plurality of impedance elements is configured in pairs of MOS transistors. The plurality of termination circuits have different impedance values. And each of the impedance elements of the plurality of termination circuits is independently controlled.

Abstract: An internal clock generating circuit and method for generating an internal clock phase-synchronized to an input clock with minimum delay and at high speed is disclosed. An internal clock generating circuit comprises a first delay control circuit for generating a first clock having the time delay of up to T/2 (where T is a cycle of an input clock) from the input clock and for generating a first variable delay control signal; and a second delay control circuit for generating a second clock in response to the first variable delay control signal, the second clock having the time delay of greater than T/2 from the input clock at an initial state and having the time delay of about T from the input clock in a phase-locked state.

Abstract: A circuit includes a clock buffer to generate an initial reference clock signal responsive to an external clock signal, a DMC to receive the initial reference clock signal, and an array of forward units to receive a signal from the DMC. The circuit also includes an array of back units that produces a back signal. The back signal is input in a clock driver to produce an internal clock signal. A delay element produces a delayed reference signal responsive to the initial reference clock signal. A plurality of MCCs receive an output of one of the forward units and the delayed reference clock signal. When one of the outputs of the forward units is synchronized with the delayed reference clock signal, one of the back units is thereby activated, which initiates generation of the back signal.

Abstract: A synchronous mirror delay circuit comprises a delay monitor circuit for delaying a reference clock signal from a clock buffer circuit. A forward delay array sequentially delays an output clock signal of the delay monitor circuit to generate delay clock signals, and the mirror control circuit detects a delay clock signal synchronized with the reference clock signal among the delay clock signals. A backward delay array delays a clock signal delayed by the mirror control circuit, and a clock driver receives an output clock signal of the backward delay array to generate the internal clock signal. A locking range control circuit controls a delay time of each clock signal transferred to the delay monitor circuit by the amount of a delay time of each signal transferred to the clock driver when none of delay clock signals of the forward delay array is synchronized with the reference clock signal.

Abstract: Disclosed is a programmable impedance control circuit, comprising a voltage divider, the voltage divider comprising an MOS array supplied with a first voltage and an external resistance having an external impedance equal to N times said external resistance. The voltage divider outputs a second voltage. A reference voltage generator is provided for generating a third voltage corresponding to N/(N+M) times said first voltage as a reference voltage for said second voltage, and wherein M times internal impedance is used for N times external impedance (N=M or N≠M).

Abstract: A level converting apparatus for converting an original voltage level to a wanted voltage level is disclosed. The level converter includes a converting part for outputting a level-converting signal having a different level from that of an input signal in response to an input signal; a delay part for delaying the level-converted signal of the converting part by a predetermined time; and a self-reset part for generating a reset signal in response to the delayed level-converted signal of the delay part to output it to the converting part so that a pulse width of the level-converted signal as output is set as much as the sum of a predetermined delay time and an internal operation delay time.

Abstract: The invention relates to a semiconductor memory device and a method for generating an internal clock, the circuit of the semiconductor device including: a receiver for receiving an external clock; a delay compensation circuit for receiving an output of the receiver and delaying it by as much as the compensation delay time and control delay time subtracted out of a cycle of the external clock; an external control delay part for delaying an output of the delay compensation circuit by as much as the control delay time and unit increase/decrease delay time in response to an external control code; and an internal clock driver for driving an output of the external control delay part and generating an internal clock centered to externally applied data, thereby performing an accurate timing control to an external clock without loss of performance.

Abstract: An impedance control circuit that reduces the impedance variance when an external impedance generated from an external resistor is matched to internal impedance. In one aspect, an impedance control circuit comprises an external resistor for establishing a first reference voltage; a comparator for comparing the first reference voltage with a second reference voltage and outputting an impedance corresponding to the result of the comparison; and a PMOS current source connected to a constant-voltage source and to the output of the comparator, wherein the PMOS current source generates a current that corresponds to the impedance of the comparator.

Abstract: A semiconductor package manufacturing method includes: providing a rerouting film; attaching a semiconductor wafer having integrated circuits to the rerouting film, such that chip pads of the integrated circuits correspond to via holes of the rerouting film; forming a solder filling in each of the via holes to electrically connect the chip pads to the metal pattern layer; forming external terminals on terminal pads of the rerouting film; and separating the wafer and the rerouting film into individual semiconductor packages. A method further includes forming a protection layer on the solder filling. Instead of the semiconductor wafer, individual integrated circuit chips can be attached on the rerouting film.

Abstract: An impedance updating apparatus includes a terminator circuit for receiving and terminating an external input signal, the terminator circuit having an up-terminator and a down-terminator; and an update controller for separately controlling the up-terminator and the down-terminator based on the level of the external input signal. The update controller includes at least one latch for latching impedance codes of a programmable impedance controller, the impedance codes being used for controlling transistors in the up-terminator and down-terminator. The update controller performs updating impedance of the up-terminator, or down-terminator when an up-update enable signal or a down-update enable signal and a level of the external input signal correspond to a predetermined condition. And the update controller performs updating impedance of the up-terminator, or down-terminator in response to a level of the external input signal during set-up or hold time only.

Abstract: A level converting apparatus for converting an original voltage level to a wanted voltage level is disclosed. The level converter includes a converting part for outputting a level-converting signal having a different level from that of an input signal in response to an input signal; a delay part for delaying the level-converted signal of the converting part by a predetermined time; and a self-reset part for generating a reset signal in response to the delayed level-converted signal of the delay part to output it to the converting part so that a pulse width of the level-converted signal as output is set as much as the sum of a predetermined delay time and an internal operation delay time.

Abstract: An internal clock generating circuit of a semiconductor device includes: a delay chain having a plurality of delay units for generating multi-phase clocks by adjusting an input clock; a thermometer for outputting a thermometer code value in response to an input selection data; a multiplexer for selectively outputting one of a plurality of clocks input from the delay chain in response to the thermometer code value of the thermometer; and a pulse regenerator for outputting an adjusted internal clock by restoring a pulse form of the clock output from the multiplexer into its original state and controlling the delay thereof as much as desired.

Abstract: Disclosed is a programmable impedance control circuit, comprising a voltage divider, the voltage divider comprising an MOS array supplied with a first voltage and an external resistance having an external impedance equal to N times said external resistance. The voltage divider outputs a second voltage. A reference voltage generator is provided for generating a third voltage corresponding to N/(N+M) times said first voltage as a reference voltage for said second voltage, and wherein M times internal impedance is used for N times external impedance (N=M or N≠M).