Semiconductor System with Replacement Storage Units for Power Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Semiconductor systems face high power consumption due to the increased number of memory banks, particularly when accessing or refreshing memory banks, which leads to inefficiencies in control signal generation and transmission.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor system and method that detects memory banks with low access frequencies and utilization rates, replacing them with replacement storage units and setting entire channels to a power-down mode to reduce power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the number of memory banks in core chips is increased, then the storage capacity and functionality are improved, but the power consumption for generating and transmitting control signals and for active-precharging word lines is inevitably increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the operational state parameter of memory banks by introducing a power-down mode. When a memory bank is replaced by a replacement storage unit, the corresponding channel is set to power-down mode, which significantly reduces power consumption while maintaining the increased number of memory banks for storage capacity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts low-utilization memory banks from active operation by replacing them with replacement storage units. This allows the system to maintain high storage capacity while removing the power consumption burden of frequently accessing or refreshing underutilized memory banks
2Use of energy by moving object
If replacement storage units are used to replace low-utilization memory banks, then power consumption is reduced, but the system complexity increases due to replacement management
Solution Approach 1:
The base chip is designed with multi-functionality: it serves as both the control unit for core chips and the management unit for replacement storage units. The base chip generates control signals for both memory bank operations and replacement operations, consolidating control functions and reducing overall system complexity
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor system includes one or more core chips including a plurality of memory banks; one or more replacement storage units; and a base chip suitable for: first detecting a memory bank having an access frequency that satisfies a first condition, second detecting whether an utilization rate of the first detected memory bank satisfies a second condition, and replacing the second detected memory bank with one among the replacement storage units.