IP Library Granted Patent US 12685124
Granted Patent B2
US 12685124 · App. 18/673,345 · Granted Jul 14, 2026

Memory array circuit

Inventors: Chun Shiah (Hsinchu City, TW); Shih-Hsing Wang (Hsinchu, TW); Chao-Chun Lu (Taipei City, TW)
Assignee: Invention and Collaboration Laboratory, Inc.
H10W20/20G11C5/063G11C11/4091G11C11/4096G11C11/4097H10B12/09H10B12/482H10B12/50H10W10/014H10W10/17H10W20/023H10W20/069
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12685124
App. No.
18/673,345
Granted
Jul 14, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A memory array circuit includes a semiconductor substrate, a bitline, a complementary bitline, and a bitline sense amplifier circuit, wherein the bitline sense amplifier circuit includes a first plurality of transistors and a first set of connection lines. The semiconductor substrate has an original surface. The bitline sense amplifier circuit is connected to the bitline and the complementary bitline. Each transistor includes a gate node, a first conductive node, and a second conductive node. The first set of connection lines connects the first conductive nodes of the first plurality of transistors to the bitline and the complementary bitline. The first set of connection lines are under the original surface of the semiconductor substrate.

Claims (39)

1 . A memory array circuit, comprising:

a semiconductor substrate with an original surface;

a bitline and a complementary bitline, wherein the bitline and the complementary bitline are under the original surface of the semiconductor substrate and isolated from the semiconductor substrate; and

a bitline sense amplifier circuit connected to the bitline and the complementary bitline, comprising:

a first plurality of transistors, each transistor comprising a gate node, a first conductive node, and a second conductive node; and

a first set of connection lines connecting the first conductive nodes of the first plurality of transistors to the bitline and the complementary bitline;

wherein the first set of connection lines are under the original surface of the semiconductor substrate.

2 . The memory array circuit of claim 1 , wherein the first set of connection lines are under the original surface of the semiconductor substrate, and at least part of the first set of connection lines are isolated from the semiconductor substrate.

3 . The memory array circuit of claim 1 , further comprising a second set of connection lines connecting the gate nodes of the first plurality of transistors to the bitline and the complementary bitline, wherein the second set of connection lines are above the original surface of the semiconductor substrate.

4 . The memory array circuit of claim 3 , wherein each of the first set of connection lines extends downward from the original surface to the bitline or the complementary bitline, and the bitline or the complementary bitline extends laterally.

5 . The memory array circuit of claim 1 , further comprising an equalization circuit, wherein a third set of connection lines connecting the equalization circuit to the bitline and the complementary bitline is under the original surface of the semiconductor substrate, and each of the third set of connection lines extends downward from the original surface to the bitline or the complementary bitline.

6 . A memory array circuit, comprising:

a semiconductor substrate with an original surface;

a bitline and a complementary bitline; and

a bitline sense amplifier circuit connected to the bitline and the complementary bitline, comprising:

a first plurality of transistors, each transistor comprising a gate node, a first conductive node, and a second conductive node;

a first set of connection lines connecting the first conductive nodes of the first plurality of transistors to the bitline and the complementary bitline; and

a local data line connected to a bitline switch and a local complementary data line connected to a complementary bitline switch, wherein the local data line and the local complementary data line are under the original surface of the semiconductor substrate and isolated from the semiconductor substrate;

wherein the first set of connection lines are under the original surface of the semiconductor substrate.

7 . The memory array circuit of claim 6 , wherein a fourth set of connection lines connecting the bitline switch and the complementary bitline switch to the bitline and the complementary bitline are under the original surface of the semiconductor substrate, and each of the fourth set of connection lines extends downward from the original surface to the bitline or the complementary bitline.

8 . The memory array circuit of claim 6 , wherein the bitline is under the original surface of the semiconductor substrate, and a distance between the original surface of the semiconductor substrate and the local data line is shorter than a distance between the original surface of the semiconductor substrate and the bitline.

9 . The memory array circuit of claim 6 , wherein the first plurality of transistors comprising two PMOS transistors and two NMOS transistors, a fifth set of connection lines connecting second conductive nodes of the two PMOS transistors are under the original surface of the semiconductor substrate, and a sixth set of connection lines connecting second conductive nodes of the two NMOS transistors are under the original surface of the semiconductor substrate.

10 . The integrated circuit of claim 9 , wherein the fifth set of connection lines and the sixth set of connection lines extend laterally.

11 . A memory array circuit, comprising:

a semiconductor substrate with an original surface;

a bitline and a complementary bitline, wherein the bitline and the complementary bitline are under the original surface of the semiconductor substrate; and

a bitline sense amplifier circuit connected to the bitline and the complementary bitline, comprising:

a first plurality of transistors coupled to the bitline and the complementary bitline;

a set of bitline switches coupled to the bitline and the complementary bitline;

a local data line and a local complementary data line coupled to the set of bitline switches; and

an external data line and an external complementary data line coupled to the set of bitline switches through the local data line and the local complementary data line;

wherein the local data line and the local complementary data line are under the original surface of the semiconductor substrate.

12 . The memory array circuit of claim 11 , wherein the first plurality of transistors and the set of bitline switches are disposed between a horizontal pitch between the bitline and the local data line.

13 . The memory array circuit of claim 12 , further comprising an equalization circuit with a second plurality of transistors, and the second plurality of transistors are disposed between the horizontal pitch between the bitline and the local data line.

14 . The memory array circuit of claim 13 , wherein the horizontal pitch between the bitline and the local data line is less than 3.5λ, and λ is a technology node for the memory array circuit.

15 . The memory array circuit of claim 14 , wherein the technology node λ is lower than 30 nm.

16 . The memory array circuit of claim 11 , wherein a length of the bitline is substantially the same as that of the complementary bitline.

17 . The memory array circuit of claim 11 , wherein a first set of connection lines connecting the first plurality of transistors to the bitline and the complementary bitline are under the original surface of the semiconductor substrate; and a second set of connection lines connecting the first plurality of transistors to the bitline and the complementary bitline are above the original surface of the semiconductor substrate.

18 . The memory array circuit of claim 11 , wherein a distance between the original surface of the semiconductor substrate and the local data line is shorter than a distance between the original surface of the semiconductor substrate and the bitline.