Semiconductor Buffer Switching for Low-Leakage Power-Down Exit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Semiconductor memory devices face challenges in reducing power consumption during the power-down mode due to high leakage current, which is not effectively addressed by existing technologies.
Innovation Solution
The semiconductor device incorporates a buffer control circuit, first and second buffer circuits, a detection pulse generation circuit, and a command address buffer circuit to manage chip select signals and command addresses, transitioning between logic levels to enable and exit the power-down mode, thereby reducing current consumption and layout area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the semiconductor memory device operates in power-down mode to reduce power consumption, then energy consumption is reduced, but leakage current increases and becomes difficult to control
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer circuit is divided into multiple segments with different buffer control signals (first buffer control signal and second buffer control signal). This segmentation allows selective activation of different buffer portions based on operation mode, enabling better control over leakage current paths while maintaining low power consumption in power-down mode.
Solution Approach 2:
The buffer circuit dynamically switches between different operating states by changing buffer control signals. In normal mode, the buffer operates fully; in power-down mode, the buffer control circuit modifies the control signals to reduce active transistor count, dynamically adapting the circuit's power consumption and leakage characteristics to the current operational requirements.
2Ease of operation
If buffer circuits operate during power-down mode to maintain signal buffering capability, then operational readiness is improved, but current consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
During power-down mode, instead of completely disabling the buffer or maintaining full operation, the circuit applies partial action by selectively controlling which buffer portions remain active through modified buffer control signals. This partial operation maintains essential signal buffering capability while minimizing current consumption by keeping only necessary circuit elements in active state.
3Device complexity
If the semiconductor device uses traditional buffer control methods in power-down mode, then circuit simplicity is maintained, but layout area increases due to additional control components
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer control circuit is designed to perform multiple functions: it generates normal buffer control signals during standard operation and generates modified buffer control signals during power-down mode. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate control circuits for different modes, maintaining circuit simplicity while reducing layout area by avoiding redundant components.
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device includes a buffer control circuit suitable for generating a buffer control signal in response to a power-down mode signal and a detection pulse, a first buffer circuit suitable for generating a first internal chip select signal by buffering a chip select signal depending on a select signal which is generated in response to the buffer control signal in a power-down mode, and a detection pulse generation circuit suitable for generating the detection pulse in response to the first internal chip select signal.