Internal Voltage Generator Feedback Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing internal voltage generators in semiconductor devices face instability due to excessive voltage fluctuations, leading to increased current consumption and defects, particularly during operational environment changes, as the response characteristics of pull-up and pull-down drivers differ, causing simultaneous activation of both drivers and resulting in inefficient current usage.
Innovation Solution
An internal voltage generator design that includes a pull-up driver and a pull-down driver, with control mechanisms using feedback voltages to prevent simultaneous activation, employing a second feedback voltage with a lower level than the first feedback voltage to manage internal voltage stability, thereby reducing current consumption by optimizing the timing of driver operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional internal voltage generators use pull-up and pull-down drivers with standard feedback control, then voltage regulation function is provided, but voltage stability deteriorates due to excessive voltage fluctuations and simultaneous driver activation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback control mechanism where the feedback voltage is compared with a reference voltage to generate control signals for the pull-up and pull-down drivers. This closed-loop feedback system continuously monitors the internal voltage and adjusts the drivers to maintain stable voltage levels, preventing excessive voltage fluctuations and simultaneous driver activation.
2Reliability
If standard feedback control is used in internal voltage generators, then voltage regulation is achieved, but current consumption increases due to simultaneous activation of pull-up and pull-down drivers
Solution Approach 1:
The feedback control mechanism compares the feedback voltage with a reference voltage to generate appropriate control signals, ensuring that the pull-up and pull-down drivers are not activated simultaneously. This reduces unnecessary current consumption while maintaining effective voltage regulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The control mechanism preemptively prevents simultaneous activation of the pull-up and pull-down drivers by using the feedback comparison to generate control signals that activate only the necessary driver. This avoids the harmful effect of simultaneous activation and reduces current consumption before it occurs.
3Ease of operation
If conventional feedback control is used, then basic voltage regulation is provided, but operational stability deteriorates during environmental changes
Solution Approach 1:
The feedback control mechanism continuously monitors the internal voltage and compares it with a reference voltage, allowing the system to adapt to environmental changes. The control signals generated based on this comparison ensure stable operation across different environmental conditions by dynamically adjusting the driver activation.
Data Source
AI summary
An internal voltage generator includes a pull-up driver to pull-up drive a supply terminal of an internal voltage, a pull-down driver to pull-down drive the supply terminal of the internal voltage, a pull-up driving control unit to turn on the pull-up driver when a first feedback voltage corresponding to the internal voltage becomes lower than a reference voltage, and a pull-down driving control unit to turn on the pull-down driver when a second feedback voltage becomes higher than the reference voltage, the second feedback voltage having a voltage level corresponding to that of the internal voltage and lower than that of the first feedback voltage.