Charge Pump Dynamic Clocking for Peak Current Recovery

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Solution Overview

Problem

In memory sub-systems, peak current generated by charge pumps limits system performance, as existing static clocking methods either slow down the clock to reduce peak current, thereby reducing performance, or incur area costs with additional logic.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a dynamic clock that adjusts frequency based on detected peak currents, slowing down during peak current detection and speeding up during non-peak current periods, allowing performance to be maintained without sacrificing power reduction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If static clocking slows down the clock to reduce peak current, then power consumption is reduced, but system performance deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepower consumptionVSAvoidsystem performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamic clocking where the clock frequency is adjusted in real-time based on the charge pump's operational state. During recovery periods when peak current occurs, the clock frequency is reduced to lower power consumption. During non-recovery periods, the clock frequency is increased to maintain high performance. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by making the clock speed adaptive rather than static.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the clock frequency parameter dynamically based on detected peak current conditions. The system monitors for peak current events and adjusts the clock frequency accordingly - slowing it during peak current periods to reduce power, and speeding it up during normal periods to maintain performance. This parameter change strategy directly addresses the power-performance tradeoff.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Use of energy by moving object

If additional logic is added to reduce peak current, then power reduction is achieved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepeak current reductionVSAvoidlogic circuit complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Use of energy by moving objectVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent employs a feedback mechanism where the system detects peak current conditions and uses this information to control the clock frequency. The detector monitors the charge pump operation and provides feedback to the clock control logic, which adjusts the clock frequency in response to detected peak current events. This feedback-based approach achieves peak current reduction without requiring complex additional logic circuits.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS11763858B2Peak current reduction using dynamic clocking during charge pump recovery period

Publication Date: 2023.09.19 MICRON TECHNOLOGY INC

AI summary

A system includes a charge pump to charge wordlines of a memory array, a pump regulator coupled including a level detector, and dynamic clock logic coupled between the level detector and an oscillator. The logic provides clock signals to the charge pump and is to perform operations including causing the oscillator to output, to the charge pump during a first time period of a recovery period of the charge pump, a first clock signal having a lower frequency than output during a time period preceding the recovery period. The operations further include causing the oscillator to output, to the charge pump during a second time period of the recovery period that follows the first time period, a second clock signal having a higher frequency than output during the time period preceding the recovery period.