A boost level clamping circuit and a method for clamping a boosted wordline voltage from a booster circuit used in a semiconductor memory device is provided which is power supply and process corner independent. The clamping circuit is formed of a plurality of parallel-connected clamp stages connected to the boosted wordline voltage from the booster circuit. Each of the plurality of clamp stages serves to clamp the boosted wordline voltage at different predetermined levels. Each of the clamp stages is formed of a sampling circuit, a comparator circuit, a pulse generator circuit, and a pull-down circuit.

High speed, high precision, power supply and process independent boost level clamping technique

In response to complementary clock signals provided from a driver, a charge pump operates to provide an output voltage which is a down-converted negative voltage. The voltage between this output voltage and a predetermined positive reference voltage is capacitance-divided by capacitors. The capacitance-divided positive voltage is applied to a comparator, whereby a reference voltage is compared with the above positive voltage. An output signal of the comparator is applied to the driver. In response, the driver controls the operation of the charge pump, whereby the output voltage is clamped at a predetermined voltage level for output.

Semiconductor device allowing generation of desired internal voltage at high accuracy

A static type of semiconductor memory device includes a power supply line for supplying a power supply voltage, a pair of bit lines, a word line, and a memory cell connected to the word line and the pair of bit lines. The power supply voltage is boosted up to provide the boosted voltage on a boosted voltage line. A predetermined voltage is supplied to the word line using the boosted voltage and a write operation or read operation is performed to the memory cell via the pair of bit lines when the predetermined voltage is supplied on the word line. The predetermined voltage is approximately equal to a sum of the power supply voltage and a threshold voltage of a MOS transistor, resulting in a great low voltage operation margin.

Static type of semiconductor memory device having great low voltage operation margin

A voltage boost circuit is provided which supplies a gate voltage to an insulated gate transistor. The voltage boost circuit has a voltage supply circuit, a supply line for connection to the gate of the insulated gate transistor and connected to the voltage supply circuit for precharge, a boost precharge circuit connected to the supply line and a capacitive element for boosting the voltage on the supply line. The circuit also has a facility for resetting the voltage on the supply line to its initial value after operation of the boost circuit. A memory array including such a voltage boost circuit is also provided, together with a method of boosting a gate voltage for insulating gate transistors in a memory array.

High speed, high precision, power supply and process independent boost level clamping technique

References

Semiconductor device allowing generation of desired internal voltage at high accuracy

Static type of semiconductor memory device having great low voltage operation margin

Voltage booster circuit for a memory device

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