Clock Duty Correction Circuit for Phase Skew Compensation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Semiconductor apparatuses face challenges in accurately performing data communication due to phase distortions in clock signals and data caused by skews and process variations, leading to reduced valid data windows and communication difficulties.

Innovation Solution

A duty correction device and method that includes a global duty correction circuit and local duty correction circuits, which detect phase differences and adjust clock signal timing using local correction signals, enabling global duty correction when a threshold is reached, ensuring synchronized and accurate data transmission.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If phase detection and variable delay operations are performed locally at each output circuit, then data transmission accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases due to multiple local duty correction circuits

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvephase detection accuracyVSAvoidcircuit structure complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The duty correction function is segmented into local duty correction circuits distributed at each output circuit. Each local circuit independently performs phase detection and variable delay operations on its specific data path, enabling localized precision correction without requiring a single complex centralized correction system.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Each local duty correction circuit is tailored to its specific output circuit's characteristics, performing phase detection and delay adjustments locally. This allows each segment to be optimized for its particular requirements while maintaining overall system coherence through the global duty correction circuit.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If multiple local duty correction circuits operate independently, then data transmission reliability is improved, but loss of time occurs due to threshold-based global correction triggering

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata transmission reliabilityVSAvoidglobal correction triggering delay

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Local duty correction circuits continuously perform phase detection and variable delay operations in advance, maintaining readiness to correct phase skew at any moment. This preliminary local correction ensures that when global correction is triggered by threshold-based local correction signals, the system can immediately apply coordinated adjustments without significant delay.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Each local duty correction circuit generates local correction signals based on its phase detection results, which are fed back to the global duty correction circuit. When the number of local correction signals reaches a predetermined threshold, this feedback mechanism triggers global duty correction, creating a responsive closed-loop system that balances local autonomy with global coordination.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Manufacturing precision

If global duty correction is performed based on local correction signals, then manufacturing precision is improved, but device complexity increases due to coordination between global and local circuits

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveduty ratio correction precisionVSAvoidglobal-local circuit coordination complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The global duty correction circuit combines multiple local correction signals through logical operations to determine when global correction should be applied. This merging approach consolidates the correction decisions from multiple local circuits into a unified global correction action, achieving high manufacturing precision through coordinated operation while managing complexity through systematic signal integration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Measurement precision

If variable delay is applied to aligned signals, then communication accuracy is improved, but loss of time occurs during delay operations

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata alignment accuracyVSAvoidsignal delay time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The variable delay operation dynamically adjusts the delay amount based on detected phase skew, applying only the necessary delay to achieve alignment. This dynamic adjustment minimizes unnecessary delay time while ensuring accurate data alignment, as the delay is adapted in real-time to the actual phase difference rather than applying fixed or excessive delay.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS11658645B2Duty correction device and method, and semiconductor apparatus using the same

Publication Date: 2023.05.23 SK HYNIX INC

AI summary

A duty correction device includes a global duty correction circuit and a local duty correction circuit. The global duty correction circuit performs a global duty correction operation on a first clock signal and a second clock signal based on a local correction signal. The local duty correction circuit performs a local duty correction by detecting phases of the first and second clock signals, and enables the local correction signal when a number of the local duty correction operation reaches a threshold value.