Scaleable memory systems using third dimension memory
View Patent ↗A non-volatile scalable memory circuit is described, including a bus formed on a substrate that includes active circuitry, metallization layers, and a plurality of high density third dimension memory arrays formed over the substrate. Each memory circuit can include an embedded controller for controlling data access to the memory arrays and optionally a control node that allows data access to be controlled by an external memory controller or by the embedded controller. The memory circuits can be chained together to increase memory capacity. The memory arrays can be two-terminal cross-point arrays that may be stacked upon one another.
1. A memory device, comprising:
memory circuit fabricated on a substrate die and including
a bus,
an input port coupled with the bus and operative to receive a data access request and to communicate the data access request to the bus, and
an output port coupled with the bus and operative to output data access requests from the bus, wherein the output port is operable to be electrically coupled with other memory devices;
at least one memory bank including a plurality of two-terminal memory arrays fabricated directly above and in contact with the substrate die, the plurality of two-terminal memory arrays are electrically coupled with the memory circuitry and wherein the plurality of memory arrays are non-volatile so that stored data is retained in the absence of power;
an embedded controller fabricated on the substrate die with the memory circuitry and operative to control which data access requests received by the input port are passed through the bus to the at least one memory bank and which data access requests received by the incoming bus logic are passed through to the bus to the output port; and
a controller enable node coupled with the embedded controller and operative to allow internal control of the incoming bus logic by the embedded controller when enabled and to allow external control of the incoming bus logic when disabled.
2. The device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the output port is electrically coupled with an input port of another memory device.
3. The device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the output port is electrically coupled with a bus terminator.
4. The device as set forth in claim 3 , wherein the bus terminator is part of another memory device.
5. The device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the bus is a selected one of a serial bus or a parallel bus.
6. An integrated circuit, comprising:
a substrate die having circuitry fabricated on the substrate die, the circuitry including
an embedded controller electrically coupled with a control enable node,
an incoming bus logic electrically coupled with an input port,
an outgoing bus logic electrically coupled with a bus and an output port, the outgoing bus logic including an output enable node,
a memory register having outputs electrically coupled with the incoming bus logic and the output enable node, the memory register configured to store an address and to communicate the address to the bus and to activate the output enable node when the address is a valid address,
a multiplexer having inputs electrically coupled with the control enable node, the embedded controller, and the incoming bus logic and having outputs electrically coupled with the bus and the memory register; and
at least one memory bank electrically coupled with the bus, each memory bank including at least one non-volatile two-terminal cross-point memory array that is fabricated directly above and in contact with the substrate die, each non-volatile two-terminal cross-point memory array is electrically coupled with the bus.
7. The integrated circuit of claim 6 , wherein the bus is a selected one of a serial bus or a parallel bus.
8. The integrated circuit of claim 6 , wherein the at least one non-volatile two-terminal cross-point memory array comprises a stacked cross-point array.
9. The integrated circuit of claim 6 , wherein the at least one non-volatile two-terminal cross-point memory array includes a plurality of two-terminal memory elements and each two-terminal memory element includes a conductive metal oxide material.
10. The integrated circuit of claim 9 , wherein each two-terminal memory element includes a layer of an electronic insulator material in contact with and electrically in series with the conductive metal oxide material.