Internal voltage trimming device and semiconductor integrated circuit including the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9929644-B2
Application number	US-201615221902-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 28, 2016
Priority date	Aug 20, 2015
Publication date	Mar 27, 2018
Grant date	Mar 27, 2018

Abstract

An internal voltage trimming device and a semiconductor integrated circuit including the same are provided. The internal voltage trimming device includes a voltage dividing circuit configured to generate a feedback voltage based on a resistance of the voltage dividing circuit and a target voltage that is received in a trimming mode, and a comparator configured to compare a reference voltage and the feedback voltage to generate a comparison signal. The internal voltage trimming device further includes a direct current to direct current (DC-DC) converter configured to generate an internal voltage based on an input voltage and the comparison signal, and be disabled in the trimming mode, and an automatic trimming circuit configured to generate, in the trimming mode, a trimming signal based on the comparison signal. The voltage dividing circuit is further configured to adjust the resistance based on the trimming signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An internal voltage trimming device comprising:
a voltage dividing circuit configured to generate a feedback voltage, based on a first voltage dividing ratio of the voltage dividing circuit and a voltage of an output pad, the voltage dividing circuit comprising resistance devices that are configured to set the first voltage dividing ratio;
a comparator configured to compare a reference voltage and the feedback voltage, and generate a comparison signal based on the comparison;
a direct current to direct current (DC-DC) converter configured to generate, in an operating mode, an internal voltage, based on an input voltage and the comparison signal, and output the internal voltage to the output pad;
an automatic trimming circuit configured to generate, in a trimming mode, a trimming signal for reducing a difference between the reference voltage and the feedback voltage, based on the comparison signal,
wherein, in the trimming mode, the DC-DC converter is further configured to be disabled, a target voltage is applied to the output pad, and the voltage dividing circuit is further configured to adjust the first voltage dividing ratio, based on the trimming signal, and
wherein the feedback voltage applied to the comparator in the operating mode is obtained by dividing the internal voltage, and the feedback voltage applied to the comparator in the trimming mode is obtained by dividing the target voltage, and
a verifier configured to, in a verification mode, block the target voltage applied to the output pad, and determine at least one among the voltage dividing circuit, the comparator, and the DC-DC converter as defective in response to a change in a logic state of the comparison signal not occurring during an initial set time period during which the DC-DC converter is enabled.

2. The internal voltage trimming device of claim 1 , wherein, in the trimming mode, the target voltage is generated and applied to the output pad by an external tester.

3. The internal voltage trimming device of claim 1 , wherein the comparator comprises:
a first input terminal configured to receive the reference voltage;
a second input terminal connected to a feedback node, the second input terminal being configured to receive the feedback voltage; and
an operation amplifier configured to generate the comparison signal, based on a voltage difference between the first input terminal and the second input terminal.

4. The internal voltage trimming device of claim 1 , wherein the resistance devices of the voltage dividing circuit are connected in a serial string between the output pad and a ground terminal, and
the voltage dividing circuit further comprises switches respectively connected between nodes of the serial string and a feedback node, the switches being configured to be turned on based on the trimming signal.

5. The internal voltage trimming device of claim 1 , wherein the resistance devices of the voltage dividing circuit are connected in a serial string between the output pad and a ground terminal, and
the voltage dividing circuit further comprises a switch connected to one among the resistance devices in parallel, the switch being configured to be turned on based on the trimming signal.

6. The internal voltage trimming device of claim 1 , wherein the DC-DC converter is further configured to set the internal voltage to be lower or higher than the input voltage, based on the comparison signal.

7. The internal voltage trimming device of claim 1 , wherein the DC-DC converter comprises:
an oscillator configured to generate a pulse signal, and change at least one among a frequency and a duty cycle of the pulse signal, based on the comparison signal; and
a voltage pump circuit configured to boost the input voltage in response to the pulse signal to generate the internal voltage.

8. The internal voltage trimming device of claim 1 , wherein the automatic trimming circuit is further configured to determine a final voltage dividing ratio of the voltage dividing circuit to be the first voltage dividing ratio corresponding to the trimming signal in response to the change in the logic state of the comparison signal.

9. The internal voltage trimming device of claim 1 , wherein the automatic trimming circuit comprises:
a logical circuit configured to generate the trimming signal, based on the logic state of the comparison signal; and
a trimming determiner configured to determine a final voltage dividing ratio of the voltage dividing circuit to be the first voltage dividing ratio corresponding to the trimming signal in response to the comparison signal changing from a first logic state to a second logic state.

10. The internal voltage trimming device of claim 9 , wherein the trimming determiner is further configured to determine the final voltage dividing ratio to be a second voltage dividing ratio corresponding to an (N−1)th trimming signal in response to the comparison signal changing from the second logic state to the first logic state, the trimming signal being an Nth trimming signal, and N being an integer of two or more.

11. A semiconductor integrated circuit comprising:
an internal voltage generating circuit configured to:
generate, using a comparator, a comparison signal based on a first difference between a reference voltage and a feedback voltage that is received from an output pad via a voltage dividing circuit;
generate, using a direct current to direct current (DC-DC) converter, an internal voltage, based on the comparison signal; and
output the internal voltage to the output pad;

an automatic trimming circuit configured to generate a trimming signal for adjusting a first voltage dividing ratio of the voltage dividing circuit to reduce the first difference between the reference voltage and the feedback voltage, based on the comparison signal; and
a processor configured to:
enable the automatic trimming circuit and disable the DC-DC converter in a trimming mode;
enable the DC-DC converter and disable the automatic trimming circuit in an operating mode;
enable the DC-DC converter and disable the automatic trimming circuit in a verification mode; and
detect whether the internal voltage generating circuit is defective, based on a change in a logic state of the comparison signal in the verification mode

wherein the semiconductor integrated circuit applies a target voltage to the output pad in the trimming mode, and
wherein the feedback voltage applied to the comparator in the operating mode is obtained by dividing the internal voltage, and the feedback voltage applied to the comparator in the trimming mode is obtained by dividing the target voltage.

12. The semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 11 , wherein the voltage dividing circuit comprises:
a serial string of resistance devices connected between the output pad and a ground terminal; and
switches respectively connected between nodes of the serial string of resistance devices and a feedback node, the switches being configured to be turned on based on the trimming signal, and
the comparator comprises:
a first input terminal configured to receive the reference voltage;
a second input terminal connected to the feedback node, the second input terminal being configured to receive the feedback voltage; and
an operation amplifier configured to generate the comparison signal, based on a voltage difference between the first input terminal and the second input terminal.

13. The semiconductor integrated circuit of claim 11 , wherein the automatic trimming circuit is further configured to:
determine a final voltage dividing ratio of the voltage dividing circuit to be the first

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Ji-Sung
• Oh Se-Eun
• Park Jun-Young
• IM Hyeon-seong

Classifications

• H02M2001/0025

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H02M3/07 Primary

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

• H02M3/073

  Charge pumps of the Schenkel-type · CPC title

• H02M1/0025

  Arrangements for modifying reference values, feedback values or error values in the control loop of a converter · CPC title