Patent ID: 6642804
Filing Date: 2003-11-04
Classification: H03K

Abstract:
An oscillator circuit for a refresh timer device of a dynamic semiconductor memory, the oscillator circuit comprising:a capacitor device which is connected between a first node and a first supply potential; a current mirror circuit for supplying a charging current for the capacitor device which is connected via a first transistor device to the first node and which has a current source for supplying a substantially temperature-independent reference current; a second transistor device, which is connected between the first node and the first supply potential; a comparator device with a first input and a second input and an output, the first input being connected to the first node and the second input being connected to a reference potential; and a control signal generating device for generating a control signal for applying to a control terminal on the first transistor device and to a control terminal on the second transistor device; the first and second transistor devices and the control signal being configured in such a way that the capacitor device can be charged via the first node when a potential at the first node is lower than the reference potential, and can be discharged via the first node when the potential at the first node is higher than the reference potential such that the signal at the output oscillates.