Semiconductor device with stable and appropriate data output timing

Claim 2

A semiconductor device comprising: a timing-stabilization circuit which is driven by a power-supply voltage and adjusts a phase of a synchronization clock signal generated from an external clock signal; an output circuit which outputs data to an exterior of said semiconductor device in synchronism with the synchronization clock signal having the phase thereof adjusted by said timing-stabilization circuit, said output circuit causing a fluctuation in the power-supply voltage when outputting the data to the exterior of said semiconductor device; and a control circuit which suspends the adjustment of the phase of the synchronization clock signal by said timing-stabilization circuit during a time period when said data is output from said output circuit.

Claim 3

The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said timing-stabilization circuit includes a DLL circuit.

Claim 4

The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said timing-stabilization circuit comprises: a first variable-delay circuit which adjusts said phase of said synchronization clock signal; an emulation circuit which includes a second variable-delay circuit having a delay amount thereof set to the same amount as that of said first variable-delay circuit, and emulates a phase relation between said external clock signal and an output timing of the data output from said output circuit; a phase-comparison circuit which checks said phase relation emulated by said emulation circuit; and a delay-control circuit which adjusts said delay a mount of said first variable-delay circuit and said second variable-delay circuit bas ed on a check made by said phase-comparison circuit.

Claim 5

The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 3 , wherein said control circuit supplies a clock signal derived from said external clock signal to said emulation circuit and said phase-comparison circuit to prompt performing of said adjustment of the phase of the synchronization clock signal during a time period when said data is not output from said output circuit, and stops supply of said clock signal derived from said external clock signal to said emulation circuit and said phase-comparison circuit to stop said adjustment of the phase of the synchronization clock signal during said time period when said data is output from said output circuit.

Claim 6

The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein said control circuit learns whether said data is being output from said output circuit based on a signal which instructs outputting of said data to said exterior of said semiconductor device.

Claim 7

The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein said signal which instructs outputting of said data to said exterior of said semiconductor device is set based on an input from said exterior of said semiconductor device.