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EP-4328913-B1 - REFRESH ADDRESS GENERATION CIRCUIT AND METHOD, AND MEMORY AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE

EP4328913B1EP 4328913 B1EP4328913 B1EP 4328913B1EP-4328913-B1

Inventors

  • GU, Yinchuan

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20221103

Claims (10)

  1. A refresh address generation circuit, configured to provide an address to be refreshed of a memory device which is divided into multiple groups of banks, each group of banks comprising n banks, comprising: a refresh control circuit (100), configured to sequentially receive a plurality of first refresh commands, and perform first refresh operations respectively; and further configured to: under a condition that a number of the first refresh operations is less than a preset value, output a first clock signal; and under a condition that the number of the first refresh operations is equal to the preset value n, output a second clock signal, wherein n is a positive integer greater than or equal to 1; and an address generator (200), coupled to the refresh control circuit (100), and configured to pre-store a first address and to receive the first clock signal or the second clock signal, wherein the address generator (200) is further configured to: output a first to-be-refreshed address in response to the first clock signal during each of the first refresh operations, wherein the first to-be-refreshed address comprises the first address; and change the first address in response to the second clock signal; wherein the refresh control circuit (100) comprises: a refresh window signal generation circuit (120), configured to receive the plurality of first refresh commands and a refresh window reset signal, and to generate a refresh window signal based on the plurality of first refresh commands and the refresh window reset signal, wherein a pulse duration of the refresh window signal is a window duration for the refresh control circuit (100) to perform one refresh operation, and the refresh window reset signal is used to reset the refresh window signal generation circuit (120) after one refresh operation ends; and a clock pulse generation circuit (110), coupled to the refresh window signal generation circuit (120), and configured to: under a condition that the number of the plurality of first refresh commands received by the clock pulse generation circuit (110) is less than or equal to n, generate the first clock signal before an n-th first refresh operation ends; or under a condition that the number of the plurality of first refresh commands received by the clock pulse generation circuit (110) is n, generate the second clock signal after an n-th first refresh operation ends; wherein the clock pulse generation circuit (110) comprises: a counting circuit (111), configured to receive the plurality of first refresh commands and a counting reset signal, and to count the plurality of first refresh commands and output a counting signal, wherein the counting circuit (111) is reset based on the counting reset signal; a counting reset signal generation circuit (112), coupled to the counting circuit (111) and the refresh window signal generation circuit (120), and configured to: under a condition that the number of the plurality of first refresh commands is n, generate the counting reset signal after the n-th first refresh operation ends; and a first pulse generation sub-circuit (113), coupled to the counting reset signal generation circuit (112) and configured to: under a condition that the number of the plurality of first refresh commands is less than n, generate the first clock signal based on the counting signal; or under a condition that the number of the plurality of first refresh commands is equal to n, generate the second clock signal based on the counting reset signal; wherein the refresh window signal generation circuit (120) comprises: n refresh window sub-signal generation circuits (121), each of the n refresh window sub-signal generation circuits (121) is configured to receive the refresh window reset signal, and sequentially receive a corresponding first refresh command of the plurality of first refresh commands; and wherein the n refresh window sub-signal generation circuits (121) are configured to sequentially output a plurality of refresh window sub-signals based on the plurality of first refresh commands and the refresh window reset signals; and a refresh window sub-signal processing circuit (122), coupled to the n refresh window sub-signal generation circuits (121), and configured to sequentially receive the plurality of refresh window sub-signals, perform a logical operation on the plurality of refresh window sub-signals, and output the refresh window signal; wherein the refresh control circuit (100) is further configured to receive a second refresh command, and wherein the second refresh command is all bank refresh command (All Bank CMD); wherein the refresh control circuit (100) further comprises: a second pulse generation sub-circuit (130), coupled to the refresh window signal generation circuit (120), and configured to receive the refresh window signal and an address command signal, generate a first pulse of a third clock signal under a condition that the first refresh operation or a second refresh operation starts, and output a second pulse of the third clock signal based on a first pulse of the address command signal, to output the third clock signal; an inner refresh window signal generation circuit (140), configured to generate an inner refresh window signal based on the third clock signal, wherein a first pulse of the inner refresh window signal is generated after the first pulse of the third clock signal and ends before the second pulse of the third clock signal is generated, and a second pulse of the inner refresh window signal is generated after the second pulse of the third clock signal and ends before a pulse of the refresh window signal ends; an address command signal generation circuit (150), configured to generate the first pulse and a second pulse of the address command signal based on a valid level of a pre-charge signal, wherein the first pulse of the address command signal is used to generate the second pulse of the inner refresh window signal and the second pulse of the third clock signal, and the valid level of the pre-charge signal is a valid level generated in response to a falling edge of the inner refresh window signal; and a refresh window reset signal generation circuit (170), configured to receive the pre-charge signal and generate a pulse of the refresh window reset signal based on a falling edge of a second pulse of the pre-charge signal; wherein the refresh control circuit (100) further comprises: a signal selection circuit (180), coupled to the counting circuit (111), a first pulse generation sub-circuit (113), and the second pulse generation sub-circuit (130), and configured to: output the first clock signal or the second clock signal based on the counting signal under a condition that the refresh control circuit (100) performs the first refresh operation; or output the third clock signal based on the counting signal under a condition that the refresh control circuit (100) performs the second refresh operation; wherein the refresh control circuit (100) further comprises: an address flag signal generation circuit (160), configured to generate a rising edge of an address flag signal based on a first rising edge of the address command signal and generate a falling edge of the address flag signal based on a falling edge of the refresh window signal; and wherein the address generator (200) comprises: an address counter (210), pre-storing the first address, coupled to the signal selection circuit (180), and configured to change the first address to a third address based on the second clock signal, or to change the first address based on the third clock signal and sequentially output a fourth address and a fifth address, wherein the first address, the fourth address, and the fifth address are three consecutive addresses; and an address processing circuit (220), connected to the address counter (210) and the n refresh window sub-signal generation circuits (121), and configured to receive the address flag signal under a condition that the refresh control circuit (100) performs the first refresh operation, obtain the first address, and output the first address before the rising edge of the address flag signal arrives, or output a second address after the rising edge of the address flag signal arrives; wherein the address processing circuit (220) is further configured to: under a condition that the refresh control circuit (100) performs the second refresh operation, sequentially obtain the fourth address and the fifth address, and sequentially output the fourth address and the fifth address based on the plurality of refresh window sub-signals; wherein the address processing circuit (220) comprises: an address operation circuit (221), coupled to the address counter (210), wherein the address operation circuit (221) is configured to perform an addition operation or a subtraction operation on the first address to obtain the second address; and an address selection circuit (222), coupled to the address counter (210), the address operation circuit (221), and the n refresh window sub-signal generation circuits (121), and configured to: in response to receiving the plurality of first refresh commands, output the first address under a condition that the address flag signal is at a low level or output the second address under a condition that the address flag signal is at a high level; or in response to receiving the second refresh commands, sequentially output the fourth address and the fifth address based on the plurality of refresh window sub-signals; wherein the plurality of first refresh commands are same bank refresh commands (Same Bank CMD<0>:Same Bank CMD<n-1>) from which each same bank refresh command (Same Bank CMD) is directed to a bank in each bank group, and each same bank refresh command (Same Bank CMD) will trigger the corresponding bank in each bank group to perform a first refresh operation.
  2. The refresh address generation circuit of claim 1, wherein the refresh control circuit (100) is further configured to, when receiving the second refresh command to perform the second refresh operation: each of the n refresh window sub-signal generation circuits (121) is configured to simultaneously receive the second refresh command and the refresh window reset signal, and each of the n refresh window sub-signal generation circuits (121) is configured to generate the same refresh window sub-signal based on the second refresh command and the second refresh window reset signal; and the refresh window sub-signal processing circuit (122) is configured to receive the plurality of refresh window sub-signals, perform an OR logical operation on the plurality of refresh window sub-signals, and output the refresh window signal.
  3. The refresh address generation circuit of claim 1, wherein the address selection circuit (222) comprises: a ninth AND gate (AG9), wherein input terminals of the ninth AND gate (AG9) are respectively connected to the n refresh window sub-signal generation circuits (121); an eleventh inverter (PI11), wherein an input terminal of the eleventh inverter (PI11) is connected to the address flag signal generation circuit (160) to receive the address flag signal; a fourth NOR gate (NOG4), wherein input terminals of the fourth NOR gate (NOG4) are respectively connected to an output terminal of the ninth AND gate (AG9) and an output terminal of the eleventh inverter (PI11); and a multiplexer (21), connected to the address counter (210), the address operation circuit (221), and the fourth NOR gate (NOG4), and configured to: in response to a signal outputted by the fourth NOR gate (NOG4), output the first address or the second address under a condition that the first refresh operation is performed; or output the fourth address or the third address under a condition that the second refresh operation is performed.
  4. The refresh address generation circuit of claim 1, wherein the counting circuit (111) comprises: n first inverters (PI1), wherein each of the first inverters (PI1) is configured to correspondingly receive one of the plurality of first refresh commands; and n first latches (RS1), wherein set terminals of the n first latches (RS1) are respectively connected to one of the first inverters (PI1), reset terminals of the n first latches (RS1) are configured to receive the counting reset signal, output terminals of the n first latches (RS1) are configured to output the counting signal, and the n first latches (RS1) are reset based on the counting reset signal under a condition that the number of the first refresh operations is equal to the preset value; wherein the counting reset signal generation circuit (112) comprises: a first AND gate (AG1), wherein an input terminal of the first AND gate (AG1) is configured to receive the counting signal; a second inverter (PI2), wherein an input terminal of the second inverter (PI2) is connected to the refresh window signal generation circuit (120) to invert the refresh window signal; a second AND gate (AG2), wherein input terminals of the second AND gate (AG2) are respectively connected to an output terminal of the first AND gate (AG1) and an output terminal of the second inverter (PI2); a first delayer (D1), wherein an input terminal of the first delayer (D1) is connected to an output terminal of the second AND gate (AG2); a third inverter (PI3), wherein an input terminal of the third inverter (PI3) is connected to an output terminal of the first delayer (D1); a third AND gate (AG3), wherein input terminals of the third AND gate (AG3) are respectively connected to the output terminal of the second AND gate (AG2) and an output terminal of the third inverter (PI3); and a fourth inverter (PI4), connected to an output terminal of the third AND gate (AG3) to output the counting reset signal; wherein the first pulse generation sub-circuit (113) comprises: a second delayer (D2), wherein an input terminal of the second delayer (D2) is connected to the output terminal of the third AND gate (AG3); a third delayer (D3), wherein an input terminal of the third delayer (D3) is connected to an output terminal of the second delayer (D2); and a first OR gate (OG1), wherein input terminals of the first OR gate (OG1) are respectively connected to the output terminal of the third AND gate (AG3) and an output terminal of the third delayer (D3), wherein an output terminal of the first OR gate (OG1) outputs the first clock signal based on the counting signal under a condition that the number of the plurality of first refresh commands is less than n, or outputs the second clock signal based on the counting reset signal under a condition that the number of the plurality of first refresh commands is equal to n.
  5. The refresh address generation circuit of claim 1, wherein the second pulse generation sub-circuit (130) comprises: a seventh delayer (D7), wherein an input terminal of the seventh delayer (D7) is connected to the refresh window signal generation circuit (120) to receive the refresh window signal; a seventh inverter (PI7), wherein an input terminal of the seventh inverter (PI7) is connected to an output terminal of the seventh delayer (D7); a sixth AND gate (AG6), wherein input terminals of the sixth AND gate (AG6) are respectively connected to the refresh window signal generation circuit (120) and an output terminal of the seventh inverter (PI7); an eighth inverter (PI8), wherein an input terminal of the eighth inverter (PI8) is connected to the address flag signal generation circuit (160); a seventh AND gate (AG7), wherein input terminals of the seventh AND gate (AG7) are respectively connected to an output terminal of the eighth inverter (PI8) and the address command signal generation circuit (150); a second NOR gate (NOG2), wherein input terminals of the second NOR gate (NOG2) are respectively connected to an output terminal of the sixth AND gate (AG6) and an output terminal of the seventh AND gate (AG7); and a ninth inverter (PI9), wherein an input terminal of the ninth inverter (PI9) is connected to an output terminal of the second NOR gate (NOG2) and an output terminal of the ninth inverter (PI9) is connected to the signal selection circuit (180); wherein the inner refresh window signal generation circuit (140) comprises: a fourth latch (RS4), wherein a set terminal of the fourth latch (RS4) is connected to the output terminal of the second NOR gate (NOG2) and a reset terminal of the fourth latch (RS4) is connected to the address command signal generation circuit (150), and the fourth latch (RS4) is configured to generate the inner refresh window signal based on the third clock signal; wherein the address command signal generation circuit (150) comprises: a fifth inverter (PI5), wherein an input terminal of the fifth inverter (PI5) is configured to receive the pre-charge signal; a fourth delayer (D4), wherein an input terminal of the fourth delayer (D4) is connected to an output terminal of the fifth inverter (PI5); and a fourth AND gate (AG4), wherein input terminals of the fourth AND gate (AG4) are respectively connected to the output terminal of the fifth inverter (PI5) and an output terminal of the fourth delayer (D4), and the fourth AND gate (AG4) is configured to output the address command signal; wherein the address flag signal generation circuit (160) comprises: a sixth inverter (PI6), wherein an input terminal of the sixth inverter (PI6) is connected to an output terminal of the fourth AND gate (AG4); and a second latch (RS2), wherein a set terminal of the second latch (RS2) is connected to an output terminal of the sixth inverter (PI6), and the second latch (RS2) is configured to output the address flag signal.
  6. The refresh address generation circuit of claim 5, wherein the refresh window reset signal generation circuit (170) comprises: a fifth AND gate (AG5), wherein input terminals of the fifth AND gate (AG5) are configured to respectively receive the address flag signal outputted by the second latch (RS2) and the pre-charge signal; a sixth delayer (D6), wherein an input terminal of the sixth delayer (D6) is connected to an output terminal of the fifth AND gate (AG5); and a tenth inverter (PI10), connected to an output terminal of the sixth delayer (D6) and is configured to output the refresh window reset signal; wherein the refresh window sub-signal generation circuit (121) comprises: a first NOR gate (NOG1), wherein input terminals of the first NOR gate (NOG1) are configured to respectively receive the plurality of first refresh command and the second refresh command; and a third latch (RS3), wherein a set terminal of the third latch (RS3) is connected to an output terminal of the first NOR gate (NOG1), a reset terminal of the third latch (RS3) is connected to an output terminal of the tenth inverter (PI10), and an output terminal of the third latch (RS3) is configured to output the refresh window sub-signal; wherein the refresh window sub-signal processing circuit (122) comprises: a third OR gate (OG3), wherein input terminals of the third OR gate (OG3) are respectively connected to output terminals of a plurality of third latches (RS3), to output the refresh window signal.
  7. The refresh address generation circuit (180) of claim 1, wherein the signal selection circuit comprises: a third NOR gate (NOG3), wherein an input terminal of the third NOR gate (NOG3) is configured to receive the counting signal; a second OR gate (OG2), wherein input terminals of the second OR gate (OG2) are respectively connected to the first pulse generation sub-circuit (113) and the second pulse generation sub-circuit (130); and an eighth AND gate (AG8), wherein input terminals of the eighth AND gate (AG8) are respectively connected to an output terminal of the third NOR gate (NOG3) and an output terminal of the second OR gate (OG2), and an output terminal of the eighth AND gate (AG8) is connected to the address generator (200).
  8. A refresh address generation method, applied to the circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 7, used in a same bank refresh mode, and comprising: obtaining a number of first refresh operations performed by the refresh control circuit under a condition that the refresh control circuit receives first refresh commands; under a condition that the number of the first refresh operations performed by the refresh control circuit is less than the preset value, controlling the address generator to maintain an address outputted by the address generator; and under a condition that the number of the first refresh operations performed by the refresh control circuit is equal to the preset value, controlling the address generator to change the address outputted by the address generator.
  9. The refresh address generation method of claim 8, further comprising: under a condition that the refresh control circuit receives the second refresh command, controlling the address generator to output an all bank refresh address.
  10. A memory, comprising the refresh address generation circuit according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202210601863.9 filed on May 30, 2022 and entitled "REFRESH ADDRESS GENERATION CIRCUIT AND METHOD, MEMORY, AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE". TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to the technical field of semiconductors, and in particular, to a refresh address generation circuit and method, a memory, and an electronic device. BACKGROUND As technologies develop and progress, some dynamic random access memories (DRAMs) have a same bank refresh mode in addition to an all bank refresh mode during refreshing. In the same bank refresh mode, a same address in multiple banks needs to be refreshed. This requires an address generation circuit that can implement same bank refreshing. It should be noted that the information disclosed above is merely intended to facilitate a better understanding of the background of the present disclosure, and therefore may include information that does not constitute the prior art known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Related arts can be found in US 2016/005456 A1 and US 2020/194056 A1. US 2016/005456 A1 discloses a semiconductor memory apparatus including a refresh mode control circuit configured to enable a row address increase signal when all banks capable of being designated by a bank address in a refresh operation are all designated. The semiconductor memory apparatus may also include a row address generation circuit configured to increase a value of a row address when the row address increase signal is enabled. US 2020/194056 A1 discloses apparatuses and methods for generating a refresh address locally at a memory bank. The memory bank may include or be associated with a bank logic circuit that latches an initial refresh address from a global row address bus for a first pump of a refresh operation. The bank logic circuit then updates the latched refresh address received to generate a new refresh address for a second pump of the refresh operation. A memory device may include multiple memory banks that share the global row address bus. SUMMARY An objective of the present disclosure is to provide a refresh address generation circuit and method, and a memory, to resolve one or more problems due to defects of the related art at least to some extent. The present disclosure is set out in the appended set of claims. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The foregoing and other features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent by describing exemplary embodiments in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a first refresh address generation circuit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a second refresh address generation circuit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a third refresh address generation circuit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a first refresh window signal generation circuit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an address generator according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;FIG. 6 is a signal timing sequence diagram of a refresh address generation circuit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a first refresh address generation method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; andFIG. 8 is a flowchart of a second refresh address generation method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Exemplary embodiments will be described below comprehensively with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the exemplary embodiments may be implemented in various forms, and should not be construed as being limited to those described herein. On the contrary, these exemplary embodiments are provided to make the present disclosure comprehensive and complete and to fully convey the concept manifested therein to those skilled in the art. Same reference numerals in the figures indicate same or similar parts, and thus their repetitive descriptions will be omitted. The described features, structures, or characteristics may be incorporated into one or more embodiments in any suitable manner. In the following description, many specific details are provided to give a full understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure. However, those skilled in the art will be aware that the technical solutions of the present disclosure may be practiced with one or more of the specific details omitted, or other methods, components, materials, apparatuses, operations, and the like may be used. In other cases, well-known structures, methods, apparatuses, implementations, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of t