IP Library Granted Patent US 9,177,612
Granted Patent B2
US 9,177,612 · App. 14/246,680 · Granted Nov 3, 2015

Smart bridge for memory core

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,177,612
App. No.
14/246,680
Granted
Nov 3, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

An apparatus includes a semiconductor device that includes a multi-ported three-dimensional (3D) memory. The multi-ported 3D memory includes multiple memory cells arranged in multiple physical levels above a substrate. The multi-ported 3D memory includes circuitry associated with operation of the multiple memory cells.

Claims (31)

1. An apparatus comprising:

a semiconductor die device including a multi-ported three-dimensional (3D) memory that includes multiple memory cells arranged in multiple physical levels that are monolithically formed above a substrate of the semiconductor die, wherein the semiconductor die that includes the multi-ported 3D memory includes circuitry associated with operation of the multiple memory cells; and

a second semiconductor die that includes a multi-ported memory interface that is connected to the multi-ported 3D memory, the second semiconductor die including a multi-ported static random access memory (SRAM),

wherein the second semiconductor die includes a state machine configured to store data at the multi-ported SRAM and to initiate a data store operation at the multi-ported 3D memory by sending the data and an instruction to the multi-ported 3D memory via the multi-ported memory interface.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second semiconductor die includes first periphery circuitry corresponding to the multi-ported 3D memory and second periphery circuitry corresponding to a second memory, and wherein the second semiconductor die is responsive to a memory controller and configured to initiate a first memory operation at the multi-ported 3D memory and a second memory operation at the second memory.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a silicon substrate.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry associated with operation of the multiple memory cells is configured to be responsive to a write instruction to store data into memory cells of the multi-ported 3D memory and to be responsive to a read instruction to read data from the memory cells of the multi-ported 3D memory.

5. An apparatus comprising:

a first memory die comprising a first three-dimensional (3D) memory that includes multiple memory cells arranged in multiple physical levels that are monolithically formed above a substrate, wherein the first 3D memory includes circuitry associated with operation of the multiple memory cells;

a second memory die comprising a second memory; and

a periphery die coupled to the first memory die and to the second memory die, wherein the periphery die comprises first periphery circuitry corresponding to the first 3D memory and second periphery circuitry corresponding to the second memory, wherein the first periphery circuitry is distinct from the second periphery circuitry, and wherein the periphery die is responsive to a command from a memory controller of a memory controller die that is distinct from each of the first memory die, the second memory die, and the periphery die, and wherein the periphery die is configured to initiate, responsive to the command from the memory controller, a first memory operation at the first 3D memory and a second memory operation at the second memory.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the first 3D memory is a multi-ported 3D memory.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the periphery die is configured to perform the first memory operation substantially concurrently with performing the second memory operation.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the periphery die is configured to receive data from the memory controller, wherein the first memory operation includes storing a first portion of the data to the first 3D memory, and wherein the second memory operation includes storing a second portion of the data to the second memory.

9. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the substrate is a silicon substrate.

10. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the circuitry associated with operation of the multiple memory cells is configured to be responsive to a write instruction to store data into memory cells of the first 3D memory and to be responsive to a read instruction to read data from the memory cells of the first 3D memory.

11. A method comprising:

receiving data at a semiconductor die including a multi-ported three-dimensional (3D) memory that includes multiple memory cells arranged in multiple physical levels that are monolithically formed above a substrate of the semiconductor die, wherein the semiconductor die that includes the multi-ported 3D memory includes circuitry associated with operation of the multiple memory cells, and wherein the data is received from a multi-ported static random access memory (SRAM) of a second semiconductor die that includes a multi-ported memory interface that is coupled to the multi-ported 3D memory; and

storing the data in the multi-ported 3D memory.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the substrate is a silicon substrate.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the circuitry associated with operation of the multiple memory cells is configured to be responsive to a write instruction to store data into memory cells of the multi-ported 3D memory and to be responsive to a read instruction to read data from the memory cells of the multi-ported 3D memory.

14. A method comprising:

receiving a request at a periphery die, the request received from a memory controller of a memory controller die that is coupled to the periphery die; and

in response to the request:

initiating a first memory operation at a first memory die comprising a first three-dimensional (3D) memory that includes multiple memory cells arranged in multiple physical levels that are monolithically formed above a substrate, wherein the first 3D memory includes circuitry associated with operation of the multiple memory cells; and

initiating a second memory operation at a second memory die comprising a second memory,

wherein the periphery die comprises first periphery circuitry corresponding to the first 3D memory and second periphery circuitry corresponding to the second memory, and

wherein the first periphery circuitry is distinct from the second periphery circuitry.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the periphery die is configured to perform the first memory operation substantially concurrently with performing the second memory operation.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the substrate is a silicon substrate.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the circuitry associated with operation of the multiple memory cells is configured to be responsive to a write instruction to store data into memory cells of the first 3D memory and to be responsive to a read instruction to read data from the memory cells of the first 3D memory.

Assignments (5)
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 25, 2025
From: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 071050/0001 →
PARTIAL RELEASE OF SECURITY INTERESTS Recorded Apr 25, 2025
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS AGENT
To: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 071382/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 31, 2024
From: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
To: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 069796/0423 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 25, 2016
From: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES INC
To: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
Reel/Frame 038807/0948 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 7, 2014
From: D'ABREU, MANUEL ANTONIO; SKALA, STEPHEN; PANTELAKIS, DIMITRIS; NAIR, RADHAKRISHNAN; PANCHOLI, DEEPAK
To: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES INC.
Reel/Frame 032618/0406 →