Average Interval Generator for Dispersed Row Hammer Refresh
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Solution Overview
Problem
In semiconductor devices like DRAM, concentrated access on a word line can lead to decreased information storing characteristics of adjacent memory cells, necessitating additional refresh operations to prevent data loss, but the timing of these row hammer refresh operations is challenging to coordinate with normal refresh operations.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an average interval generator that disperses row hammer refresh operations by activating the row hammer refresh signal at predetermined intervals, ensuring balanced current consumption and pseudo-averaging of refresh operations, is used to manage the timing of row hammer refreshes within the semiconductor device's refresh control circuit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If row hammer refresh operations are performed frequently to prevent data loss, then data integrity is improved, but current consumption increases and refresh timing coordination becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic row hammer refresh operations by counting internal refresh signals and triggering row hammer refreshes at predetermined intervals. The refresh control circuit uses a counter to monitor the number of internal refresh signals and activates row hammer refresh operations only when the counter reaches specific threshold values, thereby distributing refresh operations periodically rather than continuously, which reduces current consumption while maintaining data integrity.
2Reliability
If row hammer refresh operations are concentrated to ensure complete refresh, then data integrity is improved, but current consumption fluctuations increase and timing coordination becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The refresh control circuit distributes row hammer refresh operations periodically by counting internal refresh signals and triggering refreshes only at predetermined intervals. This periodic activation prevents concentrated current consumption spikes by spacing out refresh operations evenly over time, thereby stabilizing current consumption while ensuring complete refresh coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts refresh timing based on the count value of internal refresh signals. The refresh control circuit monitors the real-time state of the counter and adaptively triggers row hammer refresh operations when specific conditions are met, making the refresh schedule flexible and responsive to actual system state rather than following a rigid fixed schedule, thus balancing current consumption stability with refresh completeness.
3Productivity
If row hammer refresh timing is coordinated with normal refresh operations, then refresh efficiency is improved, but the complexity of refresh control increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the control of normal refresh operations and row hammer refresh operations into a single refresh control circuit. The same circuit uses the count value of internal refresh signals to coordinate both types of refresh operations, triggering them at appropriate intervals based on the same timing mechanism. This unified approach improves refresh efficiency by ensuring proper coordination while avoiding the need for separate complex control circuits for each refresh type.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein is an apparatus that includes a first circuit configured to generate a first signal a first number of times in response to an input signal, a second circuit configured to generate a second signal having a second numerical value each time the first signal is activated, and a third circuit configured to receive the second signal to update a count value obtained by accumulating the second numerical value, configured to generate a third signal each time the count value reaches a third numerical value, and configured to update the count value obtained by accumulating the second numerical value and subtracting the third numerical value when the count value reached the third numerical value.