Semiconductor Data Aligner for High-Speed I/O Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
As semiconductor devices become more highly integrated and operate at higher speeds, the challenge arises in efficiently aligning and transmitting serially input data in parallel across multiple global I/O lines, which existing technologies fail to address effectively.
Innovation Solution
The semiconductor device incorporates a first data aligner, an input strobe signal generator, and a second data aligner to synchronize and re-align input data with internal strobe signals, generating alignment data and internal data through a delay signal generator, input clock generator, and latch unit, ensuring proper alignment and transmission across global I/O lines.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If data is transmitted at higher speeds through multiple global I/O lines, then productivity and operational efficiency are improved, but alignment precision and synchronization reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The first data aligner performs preliminary alignment of serially input data with internal strobe signals before transmission. This preliminary action ensures that data is pre-synchronized and properly aligned before being transmitted at high speeds through multiple global I/O lines, preventing alignment issues that would otherwise occur at higher transmission speeds.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary alignment system consisting of the first data aligner, input strobe signal generator, and second data aligner. This intermediary system acts as a mediator between the serial data input and the parallel high-speed transmission, ensuring proper synchronization and alignment is maintained even at higher data transmission speeds.
2Manufacturing precision
If data is aligned in synchronization with internal strobe signals, then alignment precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The alignment system is segmented into multiple functional units: a first data aligner for initial alignment, an input strobe signal generator for generating synchronized clock signals, and a second data aligner for final alignment. This segmentation allows each unit to perform a specific alignment function, achieving high precision while organizing complexity into manageable, modular components.
Solution Approach 2:
The alignment system uses universal strobe signal generation mechanisms that serve multiple purposes: generating timing signals for data alignment, providing synchronization references for multiple global I/O lines, and coordinating the operation of different aligner units. This multi-functionality reduces overall system complexity by having single components perform multiple critical functions.
Data Source
AI summary
The semiconductor device includes a first data aligner, an input strobe signal generator and a second data aligner. The first data aligner aligns input data in synchronization with an internal strobe signal to generate alignment data. The input strobe signal generator generates first and second delay signals from the internal strobe signal. The input strobe signal generator also latches an input clock signal generated from an external clock signal after a write latency period from a period when a write operation commences, in response to the first and second delay signals to generate an input strobe signal. The second data aligner re-aligns the alignment data in synchronization with the input strobe signal to generate internal data.