IP Library Granted Patent US 6,952,374
Granted Patent B2
US 6,952,374 · App. 10/699,161 · Granted Oct 4, 2005

Memory device for rapid data access from memory cell

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 6,952,374
App. No.
10/699,161
Granted
Oct 4, 2005
Kind
B2
Abstract

A semiconductor memory device having sense amplifier array blocks between neighboring unit memory cell array blocks in a column direction, the semiconductor memory device includes a first sense amplifier driving line configured by passing the sense amplifiers in a row direction, a second sense amplifier driving line configured by passing the sense amplifiers in a row direction, a plurality of first NMOS transistors, which is disposed in the sense amplifier array block, for locally performing a pull-up operation of the first sense amplifier driving line in response to a first control signal, and a second NMOS transistor, which is disposed in a hole area, for performing a pull-down operation of the second sense amplifier driving line in response to a second control signal.

Claims (20)

1. A semiconductor memory device having sense amplifier array blocks between neighboring unit memory cell array blocks in a column direction, the semiconductor memory device comprising:

a first sense amplifier driving line configured by passing the sense amplifiers in a row direction;

a second sense amplifier driving line configured by passing the sense amplifiers in a row direction;

a plurality of first NMOS transistors, which are disposed in the sense amplifier array block, for locally performing a pull-up operation of the first sense amplifier driving line in response to a first control signal; and

a second NMOS transistor, which is disposed in a hole area, for performing a pull-down operation of the second sense amplifier driving line in response to a second control signal.

2. The semiconductor memory device as recited in claim 1 , wherein the second NMOS transistor has a relatively large size to have a drivability to perform the pull-down operation of the second sense amplifier driving line against a resistance of the second amplifier driving line, and a size of the first NMOS transistor is smaller than that of the second NMOS transistor.

3. The semiconductor memory device as recited in claim 2 , further comprising a third NMOS transistor, which is disposed in the hole area, for performing the pull-up operation of the first sense amplifier driving line in the response to the first control signal.

4. The semiconductor memory device as recited in claim 3 , wherein the third NMOS transistor has a smaller size than the second NMOS transistor.

5. The semiconductor memory device as recited in claim 1 , wherein each first NMOS transistor is disposed for a set of two sense amplifiers in the sense amplifier array block.

6. The semiconductor memory device as recited in claim 1 , wherein a gate extension direction of transistors configuring the sense amplifiers is substantially perpendicular to a gate extension direction of the first NMOS transistors.

7. A semiconductor memory device having sense amplifier array blocks between neighboring unit memory cell array blocks in a column direction, the semiconductor memory device comprising:

a first sense amplifier driving line configured by passing the sense amplifiers in a row direction;

a second sense amplifier driving line configured by passing the sense amplifiers in a row direction;

a plurality of first NMOS transistors, which is disposed in the sense amplifier array block, for locally performing a pull-up operation of the first sense amplifier driving line in response to a first control signal; and

a plurality of second NMOS transistors, which is disposed in the sense amplifier array block, for locally performing a pull-down operation of the second sense amplifier driving line in response to a second control signal.

8. The semiconductor memory device as recited in claim 7 , further comprising a third NMOS transistor, which is disposed in the hole area, for performing the pull-up operation of the first sense amplifier driving line in the response to the first control signal.

9. The semiconductor memory device as recited in claim 8 , further comprising a fourth NMOS transistor, which is disposed in the hole area, for performing the pull-down operation of the second sense amplifier driving line in the response to the second control signal.

10. The semiconductor memory device as recited in claim 9 , wherein the third and fourth NMOS transistor have a smaller size than the first and second NMOS transistor, respectively.

11. The semiconductor memory device as recited in claim 9 , wherein one first NMOS transistor and one second NMOS transistor are disposed for a set of two sense amplifier in the sense amplifier array block.

12. The semiconductor memory device as recited in claim 7 , wherein a gate extension direction of transistors configuring the sense amplifiers is substantially perpendicular to a gate extension direction of the first and second NMOS transistors.

Assignments (3)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNEE IS HYNIX SEMICONDUCTOR INC. NOT HYNIX-SEMICONDUCTOR INC. THERE IS NO HYPHEN IN THE NAME. PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 67328 FRAME 814. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE CHANGE OF NAME. Recorded May 14, 2024
From: HYNIX SEMICONDUCTOR INC.
To: SK HYNIX INC.
Reel/Frame 067412/0482 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 9, 2024
From: SK HYNIX INC.
To: MIMIRIP LLC
Reel/Frame 067369/0832 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 6, 2024
From: HYNIX-SEMICONDUCTOR INC.
To: SK HYNIX INC.
Reel/Frame 067328/0814 →