Oscillator Circuit with Location-Based Charge Pump Enable
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional memory devices experience power surges and noise due to the simultaneous activation of charge pumps, and time delays in voltage delivery can adversely impact performance when the first activated pump is far from the selected memory bank.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor memory system where charge pumps are activated in a sequence dependent on the location of the selected memory block, with an Enable Control circuit generating enable signals to selectively activate pumps near the selected block, reducing noise and peak current by staggering their activation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If all charge pumps are activated at once, then power delivery to memory banks is ensured, but power surge and noise increase
Solution Approach 1:
The charge pump system is segmented into multiple independently controllable units, each associated with specific memory banks. Instead of activating all pumps simultaneously, the system divides them into groups that can be activated separately based on which memory banks are being accessed, thereby reducing peak current and noise while maintaining reliable power delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The charge pump activation scheme is made dynamic rather than static. The system adaptively determines which charge pumps to activate based on real-time memory access patterns and bank selections. This dynamic control allows the system to optimize between power delivery reliability and noise reduction by activating only the necessary pumps for current operations.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If charge pumps are activated in a predetermined sequence, then power surge is reduced, but time delay in voltage reaching selected memory bank increases performance impact
Solution Approach 1:
Different charge pumps are strategically positioned at different locations within the memory device, with each pump located near specific memory banks. This spatial arrangement creates local quality variations where the activation sequence can be optimized for each region. When a particular memory bank is accessed, the nearby charge pump is activated first, ensuring rapid voltage delivery without excessive delay, while still reducing overall power surge through staggered activation.
3Device complexity
If the first activated charge pump is far from the selected memory bank, then pump activation sequence is simplified, but voltage delivery time increases and performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs self-service mechanisms where the memory access request itself provides the information needed to determine the optimal charge pump activation sequence. The control logic automatically identifies which memory banks are being accessed and selects the appropriate charge pumps based on their proximity to those banks, eliminating the need for complex external control sequences while ensuring rapid voltage delivery and maintaining high memory performance.
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor memory includes a plurality of memory blocks each comprising a plurality of memory cells, and a plurality of charge pumps each located near one of the plurality of memory blocks. In an access to the semiconductor memory, depending on the selected memory block, a subset or all of the plurality of charge pumps are activated in one of a predetermined number of sequences.