Semiconductor Interface Chip Timing Control Circuit
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Solution Overview
Problem
In semiconductor memory devices, the integration of front-end and back-end portions on separate chips leads to limited storage capacity per chip due to occupied space by the front-end interface portion and challenges in speeding up transistors, while latency control requires additional circuitry and clock signal distribution, which can be distorted by parasitic capacitance in through silicon via connections.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device architecture where a timing control circuit on one chip generates multiple command signals with different timings, allowing the interface chip to delay and synchronize operations for multiple core chips without the need for latency counters or clock signals on each core chip, thereby reducing parasitic capacitance effects.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If front-end portion and back-end portion are integrated onto separate chips, then storage capacity per chip increases, but device complexity increases due to additional latency control circuits and clock signal distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the latency control function from individual memory chips and relocates it to the interface chip. The interface chip includes a latency counter that generates latency control signals, which are then supplied to multiple memory chips through shared clock lines. This eliminates the need for latency counters on each memory chip, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining increased storage capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The interface chip serves multiple functions: it acts as the front-end interface, manages latency control for all memory chips, and distributes clock signals to multiple memory chips through shared lines. This multi-functional design reduces the need for separate dedicated circuits on each memory chip, simplifying the overall system architecture.
2Device complexity
If clock signal is commonly supplied from interface chip to multiple core chips, then device complexity reduces, but measurement precision deteriorates due to waveform distortion from parasitic capacitance
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies preliminary anti-action by pre-compensating for the waveform distortion caused by parasitic capacitance. The interface chip includes a clock signal adjustment circuit that proactively compensates for signal degradation before the clock signal reaches the memory chips, ensuring accurate latency counting despite the shared clock distribution architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The interface chip acts as an intermediary between the external clock source and the memory chips. It receives the external clock signal, adjusts and compensates for waveform distortion through its adjustment circuit, and then distributes the corrected clock signals to multiple memory chips, ensuring signal integrity throughout the system.
3Measurement precision
If latency counter is provided in each memory chip, then latency control precision improves, but chip area increases
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the latency counter from individual memory chips and relocates it to the interface chip. The interface chip includes a single latency counter that serves all memory chips, generating latency control signals that are distributed to multiple memory chips through shared clock lines. This significantly reduces the total chip area required for latency control functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges the latency control functionality from multiple individual memory chips into a single centralized latency counter in the interface chip. This single latency counter generates control signals that are distributed to all memory chips, consolidating the area-consuming circuitry into one location while maintaining precise latency control across the entire system.
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device includes: an interface chip including a read timing control circuit that outputs, in response to a command signal and a clock signal supplied from the outside, a plurality of read control signals that are each in synchronization with the clock signal and have different timings; and core chips including a plurality of internal circuits that are stacked on the interface chip and each perform an operation indicated by the command signal in synchronization with the read control signals. According to the present invention, it is unnecessary to control latency in the core chips and therefore to supply the clock signal to the core chips.