Patent ID: 8545095

Claim:
A semiconductor memory device comprising: a sensing circuit, including: a temperature sensing unit for generating a reference voltage having a constant level, regardless of a temperature fluctuation, and a variable voltage to be changed according to the temperature fluctuation; and a comparison unit for comparing the reference voltage to the variable voltage, detecting an ambient temperature and generating a temperature detecting signal; a control circuit for performing a control operation based on temperature information in the temperature detecting signal; a temperature sensing control unit configured to receive a first enable signal and a period signal and generate a second enable signal for enabling the temperature sensing unit and the comparison unit every period of the period signal and a counter pulse; and a flag signal generating unit for sampling the temperature detecting signal in response to the counter pulse, and generating a flag signal having temperature information, wherein the flag signal is enabled when the temperature detecting signal stays enabled for a period during which the counter pulse is enabled at least twice.