IP Library Granted Patent US 9,406,352
Granted Patent B2
US 9,406,352 · App. 14/797,397 · Granted Aug 2, 2016

Semiconductor memory with sense amplifier

Inventor: Hiroyuki Takahashi (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
G11C7/06G11C5/025G11C7/065G11C7/08G11C11/4085G11C11/4091G11C11/4094G11C11/4097H01L27/0207H01L27/105H01L27/10897G11C2207/065
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,406,352
App. No.
14/797,397
Granted
Aug 2, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

In an exemplary aspect, the present invention provides a semiconductor memory device including sense amplifiers that drive bit lines to which memory cells are connected, and driver transistors that supply a power supply to the sense amplifiers, wherein the sense amplifiers are arranged in rows and constitutes a first sense-amplifier row in which transistors of a first conductive type are arranged and a second sense-amplifier row in which transistors of a second conductive type are arranged, and the driver transistors constitutes at least one transistor row including a first driver transistor of the first conductive type corresponding to the first sense-amplifier row and a second driver transistor of the second conductive type corresponding to the second sense-amplifier row between the first sense-amplifier row and the second sense-amplifier row.

Claims (25)

1. A semiconductor memory device, comprising:

a plurality of sense amplifiers, each of the sense amplifiers amplifying a difference in potential between a pair of bit lines;

a plurality of sense amplifier drivers supplying a power supply to the sense amplifiers, each of the sense amplifier drivers having a first driver transistor and a second driver transistor, the first driver transistor having a different conductivity type from the second driver transistor, the first driver transistor and the second driver transistor being alternately arranged in a first direction, and

an element separation boundary arranged between the first driver transistor and the second driver transistor in a second direction which is different from the first direction,

wherein a third direction orthogonal to a direction of gate length of the first driver transistor is parallel to the first direction,

wherein a fourth direction orthogonal to a direction of gate length of the second driver transistor is parallel to the first direction,

wherein the first direction is parallel to the extending direction of word lines.

2. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 1 , wherein the second direction intersects with the first direction.

3. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 1 , wherein the first direction is perpendicular to the second direction.

4. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 1 , wherein the bit lines are extended in the second direction.

5. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 1 , wherein the first driver transistor is coupled between a first power supply voltage line and the sense amplifiers, the second driver transistor is coupled between a second power supply voltage line and the sense amplifiers, and the voltage level of the first power supply voltage line is different from the voltage level of the second power supply voltage line.

6. A semiconductor memory device, comprising:

a plurality of word lines extending in a first direction;

a plurality of sense amplifiers, each of the sense amplifiers amplifying a difference in potential between a pair of bit lines;

a plurality of sense amplifier drivers supplying a power supply to the sense amplifiers, each of the sense amplifier drivers having a first driver transistor and a second driver transistor, the first driver transistor having a different conductivity type from the second driver transistor, and

an element separation boundary,

wherein the first driver transistor is formed in a first region,

wherein the second driver transistor is formed in a second region,

wherein the element separation boundary is formed in a third region between the first and the second region,

wherein the first, the second and the third region are arranged in the first direction, and

wherein a direction orthogonal to a direction of gate length of the first driver transistor is parallel to the first direction,

wherein a direction orthogonal to a direction of gate length of the second driver transistor is parallel to the first direction.

7. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 6 , wherein in the third region, the element separation boundary is arranged in a second direction intersecting with the first direction.

8. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 7 , wherein the bit lines are arranged in the second direction.

9. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 6 , wherein the first driver transistor is coupled between a first power supply voltage line and the sense amplifiers, the second driver transistor is coupled between a second power supply voltage line and the sense amplifiers, and the voltage level of the first power supply voltage line is different from the voltage level of the second power supply voltage line.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF ADDRESS Recorded Nov 29, 2017
From: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
To: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 044928/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 13, 2015
From: TAKAHASHI, HIROYUKI
To: NEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 036067/0664 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 13, 2015
From: NEC ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
To: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 036067/0753 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2008-204060 · Aug 7, 2008 · national
Continuity (6)
Continuation 14576992 · Dec 19, 2014
Continuation 14294796 · Jun 3, 2014
Continuation 13939034 · Jun 27, 2013
Continuation 13596784 · Aug 28, 2012
Continuation 12501705 · Jul 13, 2009
Related Publication 20150318034A1 · Nov 5, 2015