IP Library Granted Patent US 9,093,138
Granted Patent B2
US 9,093,138 · App. 14/194,774 · Granted Jul 28, 2015

Non-volatile semiconductor memory device

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 9,093,138
App. No.
14/194,774
Granted
Jul 28, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

A non-volatile semiconductor memory device includes a plurality of non-volatile memory elements, and a plurality of input/output circuits, each of which is connected to one of the non-volatile memory elements, and is configured to output first data from a corresponding non-volatile memory element synchronously with a first data strobe signal, and to input second data to a corresponding non-volatile memory element synchronously with a second data strobe signal. The second data strobe signal is delayed with respect to the first data strobe signal.

Claims (36)

1. A non-volatile semiconductor memory device, comprising:

a plurality of non-volatile memory elements including a first non-volatile memory element and a second non-volatile memory element; and

a plurality of input/output circuits including a first input/output circuit, which is a peripheral circuit of the first non-volatile memory element, and a second input/output circuit, which is a peripheral circuit of the second non-volatile memory element, wherein

the first input/output circuit is configured to generate a first data strobe signal upon receiving a copy command that designates an address of the first non-volatile memory element as a copy source address and to output data from the first non-volatile memory element synchronously with the first data strobe signal, and

the second input/output circuit is configured to receive the first data strobe signal, to generate a delayed, second data strobe signal from the first data strobe signal, and to input the data to the second non-volatile memory element synchronously with the second data strobe signal.

2. The non-volatile semiconductor memory device of claim 1 , wherein the non-volatile memory elements are commonly connected to a data bus through which the data being copied are transmitted between the first and second non-volatile memory elements.

3. The non-volatile semiconductor memory device of claim 2 , wherein the non-volatile memory elements are commonly connected to a data strobe signal bus and the first data strobe signal is output to the data strobe signal bus.

4. The non-volatile semiconductor memory device of claim 3 , wherein each of the input/output circuits is configured to receive the first data strobe signal from the data strobe signal bus, and to generate the second a delayed data strobe signal therefrom.

5. The non-volatile semiconductor memory device of claim 4 , wherein each of the input/output circuits includes a delay switch having first and second positions, the delayed data strobe signal being generated from the first data strobe signal when the delay switch is in the second position.

6. The non-volatile semiconductor memory device of claim 1 , wherein the second data strobe signal is delayed by one-quarter cycle with respect to the first data strobe signal.

7. A method of copying data between non-volatile semiconductor memory elements, comprising:

designating source and target non-volatile semiconductor memory elements;

generating a first data strobe signal by the source non-volatile semiconductor memory element and outputting data synchronously with the first data strobe signal from the source non-volatile semiconductor memory element; and

generating a second data strobe signal by the target non-volatile semiconductor memory element and inputting the data synchronously with the second data strobe signal to the target non-volatile semiconductor memory element,

wherein the second data strobe signal is delayed with respect to the first data strobe signal.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first strobe signal is generated in response to receiving a copy command.

9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising delaying the second strobe signal with respect to the first data strobe signal.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein first and second groups of the non-volatile semiconductor memory elements are integrated onto a single chip, and the source and target non-volatile memory elements are in the first group.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:

issuing a read enable signal to the first group; and

reading the data from the source non-volatile memory element synchronously with the first data strobe signal.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising writing the data to the target non-volatile memory element synchronously with the second data strobe signal.

13. The method of claim 7 , wherein first and second groups of the non-volatile semiconductor memory elements are integrated onto a single chip, and the source non-volatile memory element is in the first group and the second non-volatile memory element is in the second group.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein:

a first group of the non-volatile semiconductor memory elements is integrated onto a first chip;

a second group of the non-volatile semiconductor memory elements is integrated onto a second chip;

the source non-volatile memory element is in the first group; and

the target non-volatile memory element is in the second group.

15. A non-volatile semiconductor memory device comprising:

a plurality of non-volatile memory elements including first and second non-volatile memory elements; and

a memory controller that transmits a first command to designate the first non-volatile memory element as a source non-volatile memory element and the second non-volatile memory element as a target non-volatile memory element, wherein

the first non-volatile memory element is configured to generate a first data strobe signal onto a data strobe signal bus and data onto a data bus synchronously with the first data strobe signal in response to a second command from the memory controller, and

the second non-volatile memory element is configured to receive the first data strobe signal from the data strobe signal bus, generate a second data strobe signal that is delayed with respect to the first data strobe signal, and input the data from the data bus synchronously with the second data strobe signal, in response to the second command from the memory controller.

16. The non-volatile semiconductor memory device of claim 15 , wherein the second command causes the second non-volatile memory element to delay the second data strobe signal with respect to the first data strobe signal.

17. The non-volatile semiconductor memory device of claim 16 , wherein the second non-volatile memory element is configured to reset the second data strobe signal in response to a third command from the memory controller.

18. The non-volatile semiconductor memory device of claim 16 , wherein the second data strobe signal is delayed by one-quarter cycle with respect to the first data strobe signal.

Assignments (5)
CHANGE OF NAME AND ADDRESS Recorded Jul 29, 2021
From: K.K PANGEA
To: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 057016/0551 →
MERGER Recorded Jul 29, 2021
From: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
To: K.K PANGEA
Reel/Frame 057016/0586 →
CHANGE OF NAME AND ADDRESS Recorded Jul 29, 2021
From: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
To: KIOXIA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 057016/0611 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 14, 2017
From: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
To: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 043194/0647 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 6, 2014
From: KAMIBEPPU, OSAMU
To: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
Reel/Frame 032830/0248 →