RAM memory device with NAND type interface
View Patent ↗A random access memory device is disclosed having an interface that is compatible with a NAND FLASH memory device such that the device can be operated with a standard NAND memory device's controller device. This memory device is can store data internally using any random access storage technology including PRAM, MRAM, RRAM, FRAM, OTP-RAM and 3-D memory.
1. An integrated circuit memory device (i) for replacing a NAND memory device comprising a plurality of series-connected memory cells, and (ii) responsive to a NAND-memory controller configured to issue (a) a page program command for transferring a page comprising a plurality of bytes of data into a data buffer of the NAND memory device and, thereafter, transferring the bytes of data from the data buffer simultaneously into memory cells of the NAND memory device in parallelized fashion, and (b) a page read command for transferring a page comprising a plurality of bytes of data simultaneously from memory cells of the NAND memory device into the data buffer of the NAND memory device in parallelized fashion and, thereafter, reading the page of data out of the data buffer, the integrated circuit memory device comprising:
a plurality of memory cells configured in an internal random access architecture; and
a command-based interface comprising circuitry configured to:
(i) receive the page program command and a page comprising a plurality of bytes of data and, thereafter, write unbuffered bytes of data of the page directly into the memory cells in bit-wise, random-access fashion, and
(ii) receive the page read command and, thereafter, read a page comprising a plurality of bytes of unbuffered data directly from the memory cells in bit-wise, random-access fashion.
2. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the plurality of memory cells comprises at least one of a fuseable material, an antifuseable material, a phase-change material, a Chalcogenide material, a resistive change material, a ferroelectric material, a magnetic material, a magneto-resistive material, a magnetic tunnel junction, a spin-transfer torque element, a dual layer oxide, an insulating metal oxide, a conductive metal oxide, or a trapped charge device.
3. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 1 , wherein the integrated circuit memory device is contained in a package that is removable and interchangeable among two or more devices.
4. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 1 , wherein the integrated circuit memory device stores information comprising at least one of text, books, music, audio, photographs, still images, sequences of images, video, or cartography.
5. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 1 , wherein the command-based interface comprises a chip enable input that is inverted from a chip enable input of the NAND memory device.
6. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 1 comprising NMOS transistors and not PMOS transistors.
7. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 6 further comprising PNP transistors.
8. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 1 comprising PMOS transistors and not NMOS transistors.
9. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 8 further comprising NPN transistors.
10. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 1 , wherein (i) the NAND-memory controller is configured to issue error-correction commands and (ii) the command-based interface comprises circuitry configured to receive the error-correction commands and correct errors within the plurality of memory cells.
11. The integrated circuit memory device of claim 10 , wherein the circuitry configured to correct errors is configured for sequential access to the plurality of memory cells along a diagonal path therethrough.