Oscillator and semiconductor device including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016006393-A1
Application number	US-201514631701-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 25, 2015
Priority date	Jul 2, 2014
Publication date	Jan 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

An oscillator includes a flip-flop that outputs a first signal having a phase that is inverted according to a comparison signal, a comparison circuit that compares an amplification voltage with a first reference voltage and outputs the comparison signal, a current source having an output voltage that is fixed to a second reference voltage, and an amplification circuit that generates the amplification voltage according to a current outputted from the current source and the second reference voltage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An oscillator comprising:
a flip-flop that outputs a first signal having a phase that is inverted according to a comparison signal; a comparison circuit that compares an amplification voltage with a first reference voltage and outputs the comparison signal; a current source providing an output voltage that is fixed to a second reference voltage; and an amplification circuit that generates the amplification voltage according to a current outputted from the current source and the second reference voltage.

2 . The oscillator according to claim 1 , wherein the second reference voltage is adjusted according to a process variation of the current source.

3 . The oscillator according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a reference voltage generation circuit that outputs the first reference voltage and the second reference voltage according to a trimming code.

4 . The oscillator according to claim 3 , wherein the reference voltage generation circuit comprises:
a voltage division circuit that divides a power supply voltage using a plurality of resistors and outputs a plurality of divided voltages; a first selector that selects one of the plurality of divided voltages according to the trimming code and outputs a selected voltage as the first reference voltage; and a second selector that selects one of the plurality of divided voltages according to the trimming code and outputs a selected voltage as the second reference voltage.

5 . The oscillator according to claim 4 , wherein the reference voltage generation circuit further comprises:
a decoder that decodes the trimming code and provides a decoded trimming code to the first selector and the second selector.

6 . The oscillator according to claim 1 , wherein the comparison circuit outputs the comparison signal that is activated when the amplification voltage exceeds the first reference voltage, and is deactivated when the amplification voltage is smaller than the first reference voltage.

7 . The oscillator according to claim 6 , wherein the comparison circuit has a first input terminal and a second input terminal to which the amplification voltage or the first reference voltage is selectively inputted according to the first signal.

8 . The oscillator according to claim 7 , further comprising:
a 1-1 th switch that applies the first reference voltage to the first input terminal when the first signal is activated; a 2-1 th switch that applies the amplification voltage to the second input terminal when the first signal is activated; a 1-2 th switch that applies the first reference voltage to the second input terminal when the first signal is deactivated; and a 2-2 th switch that applies the amplification voltage to the first input terminal when the first signal is deactivated.

9 . The oscillator according to claim 1 , wherein the amplification circuit comprises:
an operational amplifier having a first input terminal and a second input terminal to which an output of the current source and the second reference voltage are selectively applied, and an output terminal that outputs the amplification voltage; a first charging circuit that is connected to an output node of the current source and the output terminal when the first signal is activated, and generates the amplification voltage; and a second charging circuit that is connected to the output node of the current source and the output terminal when the first signal is deactivated, and generates the amplification voltage.

10 . The oscillator according to claim 9 , wherein the amplification circuit discharges the second charging circuit when the first signal is activated, and discharges the first charging circuit when the first signal is deactivated.

11 . The oscillator according to claim 10 , further comprising:
a 3-1 th switch that connects the first charging circuit to the output terminal of the amplification circuit when the first signal is activated; a 4-1 th switch that discharges the second charging circuit when the first signal is activated; a 5-1 th switch that applies the second reference voltage to the first input terminal of the amplification circuit when the first signal is activated; a 6-1 th switch that applies the output voltage of the current source to the second input terminal of the amplification circuit when the first signal is activated; a 3-2 th switch that connects the second charging circuit to the output terminal of the amplification circuit when the first signal is deactivated; a 4-2 th switch that discharges the first charging circuit when the first signal is deactivated; a 5-2 th switch that applies the second reference voltage to the second input terminal of the amplification circuit when the first signal is deactivated; and a 6-2 th switch that applies the output voltage of the current source to the first input terminal of the amplification circuit when the first signal is deactivated.

12 . A semiconductor device comprising:
an oscillator that outputs an oscillation signal; a memory cell array; and a self-refresh controller that controls a self-refresh operation of the memory cell array according to the oscillation signal, wherein the oscillator comprises: a flip-flop that outputs the oscillation signal having a phase that is inverted according to a comparison signal; a comparison circuit that compares an amplification voltage with a first reference voltage and outputs the comparison signal; a current source providing an output voltage that is fixed to a second reference voltage; and an amplification circuit that generates the amplification voltage according to a current outputted from the current source and the second reference voltage.

13 . The semiconductor device according to claim 12 , wherein the second reference voltage is adjusted according to a process variation of the current source.

14 . The semiconductor device according to claim 13 , further comprising:
a reference voltage generation circuit that outputs the first reference voltage and the second reference voltage according to a trimming code.

15 . The semiconductor device according to claim 14 , wherein the reference voltage generation circuit comprises:
a voltage division circuit that divides a power supply voltage using a plurality of resistors and outputs a plurality of divided voltages; a first selector that selects one of the plurality of divided voltages according to the trimming code and outputs a selected voltage as the first reference voltage; and a second selector that selects one of the plurality of divided voltages according to the trimming code and outputs a selected voltage as the second reference voltage.

16 . The semiconductor device according to claim 12 , wherein the comparison circuit outputs the comparison signal that is activated when the amplification voltage exceeds the first reference voltage, and is deactivated when the amplification voltage is smaller than the first reference voltage.

17 . The oscillator according to claim 12 , wherein the amplification circuit comprises:
an operational amplifier having a first input terminal and a second input terminal to which an output of the current source and the second reference voltage are selectively applied, and an output terminal that outputs the amplification voltage; a first charging circuit that is connected to an output node of the current source and the output terminal when a first signal is activated, and generates the amplification voltage; and a second charging circuit that is connected to the output no

Assignees

• Sk Hynix Inc
• Univ Yonsei Iacf

Inventors

• Kim Yeo-Myung
• Kim Tae-Wook
• Chae Young-Cheol
• Kim Jae-Hoon

Classifications

• H03B5/02 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• H03K3/03

  Astable circuits · CPC title

• H03K3/0231 Primary

  Astable circuits {(H03K3/0315 takes precedence)} · CPC title