Internal voltage generation circuit and semiconductor device including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9740231-B2
Application number	US-201514738387-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 12, 2015
Priority date	Feb 2, 2015
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

An internal voltage generation circuit includes a first control signal generation unit suitable for generating a first control signal activated to a level of a second external voltage when a first external voltage is activated, a second control signal generation unit suitable for generating a second control signal that equals the higher of the second external voltage and an internal voltage, and a voltage generation unit suitable for generating the internal voltage by performing a charge pumping operation based on the second external voltage and an oscillation signal while blocking a current flowing through a generation node from which the internal voltage is generated, based on the first and second control signals.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An internal voltage generation circuit comprising:
a first control signal generation unit suitable for generating a first control signal activated to a level of a second external voltage when a first external voltage is activated;
a second control signal generation unit suitable for generating a second control signal that equals the higher of the second external voltage and an internal voltage; and
a voltage generation unit suitable for generating the internal voltage by performing a charge pumping operation based on the second external voltage and an oscillation signal, while blocking a current flowing through a generation node from which the internal voltage is generated, based on the first and second control signals.

2. The internal voltage generation circuit of claim 1 , wherein a target level of the second external voltage is higher than a target level of the first external voltage.

3. The internal voltage generation circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first control signal generation unit deactivates the first control signal when the first external voltage is deactivated.

4. The internal voltage generation circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first control signal generation unit comprises:
a resistive element having a first end supplied with the first external voltage;
a first NMOS transistor having a first end connected to a second end of the resistive element, a second end supplied with a ground voltage, and a gate connected to the second end of the resistive element;
a first PMOS transistor having a first end supplied with the second external voltage, a second end connected to a first node, and a gate connected to the first node;
a second NMOS transistor having a first end connected to the first node, a second end supplied with the base voltage, and a gate connected to the gate of the first NMOS transistor; and
an inverter suitable for receiving a voltage of the first node to generate the first control signal.

5. The internal voltage generation circuit of claim 1 , wherein the second control signal generation unit comprises:
a first PMOS transistor having a first end supplied with the second external voltage and a second end connected to a first node from which the second control signal is generated;
a second PMOS transistor having a first end connected to the generation node and a second end connected to the first node;
a first resistive element coupled between the first end of the first PMOS transistor and a gate of the second PMOS transistor; and
a second resistive element coupled between the first end of the second PMOS transistor and a gate of the first PMOS transistor.

6. The internal voltage generation circuit of claim 1 , wherein the voltage generation unit comprises:
a first input unit suitable for fixing a voltage of a first input node to a specific level when the first control signal is activated, and toggling the voltage of the first input node based on the oscillation signal when the first control signal is deactivated;
a second input unit suitable for fixing a voltage of a second input node to a specific level when the first control signal is activated, and toggling the voltage of the second input node to have an opposite phase to the first input node based on the oscillation signal when the first control signal is deactivated; and
a charge pumping unit suitable for generating the internal voltage based on the voltages of the first and second input nodes and the second external voltage while blocking the current flowing through the generation node based on the second control signal.

7. The internal voltage generation circuit of claim 6 , wherein the charge pumping unit comprises:
a first capacitive element coupled between the first input node and a first internal node;
a second capacitive element coupled between the second input node and a second internal node;
a first PMOS transistor coupled between the generation node and the first internal node and having a gate connected to the second internal node and a body supplied with the second control signal;
a second PMOS transistor coupled between the generation node and the second internal node and having a gate connected to the first internal node and a body supplied with the second control signal;
a first NMOS transistor having a first end connected to the first internal node, a second end supplied with the second external voltage, a gate connected to the second internal node, and a body connected to the second input node;
a second NMOS transistor having a first end connected to the second internal node, a second end supplied with the second external voltage, a gate connected to the first internal node, and a body connected to the first input node;
a third NMOS transistor having a first end connected to the second internal node, a second end and a gate supplied with the second external voltage, and a body connected to the first input node; and
a fourth NMOS transistor having a first end connected to the first internal node, a second end and a gate supplied with the second external voltage, and a body connected to the second input node.

8. The internal voltage generation circuit of claim 1 , wherein the voltage generation unit comprises:
a signal generation unit suitable for generating a first signal by inverting the oscillation signal, a second signal by inverting the first signal, a third signal by inverting the second signal, and a fourth signal by inverting the third signal;
a signal transfer unit suitable for fixing first and second input signals to a specific level when the first control signal is activated, and transferring the fourth signal and the third signal as a first input signal and a second input signal, respectively, when the first control signal is deactivated;
a charge pumping unit suitable for generating the internal voltage based on the first and second input signals, the first and second signals, and the second external voltage while blocking a current flowing through a generation node based on the second control signal.

9. The internal voltage generation circuit of claim 8 , wherein the charger pumping unit comprises:
a first capacitive element having a first end supplied with the first input signal and a second end connected to a first internal node;
a second capacitive element having a first end supplied with the second input signal and a second end connected to a second internal node;
a third capacitive element having a first end supplied with the first signal and a second end connected to a third internal node;
a fourth capacitive element having a first end supplied with the second signal and a second end connected to a fourth internal node;
a first PMOS transistor coupled between the generation node and the first internal node and having a gate connected to the second internal node and a body supplied with the second control signal; and
a second PMOS transistor coupled between the generation node and the second internal node and having a gate connected to the first internal node and a body supplied with the second control signal.

10. The internal voltage generation circuit of claim 9 , wherein the charge pumping unit comprises:
a first NMOS transistor having a first end connected to the first internal node, a second end supplied with the second external voltage, and a gate connected to the third internal node;
a second NMOS transistor having a first end connected to the second internal node, a second end supplied with the second external voltage, and a gate connected to the fourth internal node;
a third NMOS transistor having a first end connected to the third internal node, a second end supplied with the second external voltage, and a gate connected to the fourt

Assignees

• Sk Hynix Inc

Inventors

• Kim Yeon-Uk

Classifications

• H02M2003/072

  Electricity · mapped topic

• G05F3/262 Primary

  using field-effect transistors only · CPC title

• H02M3/073

  Charge pumps of the Schenkel-type · CPC title

• H02M3/072

  adapted to generate an output voltage whose value is lower than the input voltage · CPC title

• H02M3/07

  using capacitors charged and discharged alternately by semiconductor devices with control electrode {, e.g. charge pumps} · CPC title