IP Library Granted Patent US 9,997,232
Granted Patent B2
US 9,997,232 · App. 15/066,831 · Granted Jun 12, 2018

Processing in memory (PIM) capable memory device having sensing circuitry performing logic operations

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,997,232
App. No.
15/066,831
Granted
Jun 12, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

Apparatuses and methods are provided for logic/memory devices. An example apparatus comprises a plurality of memory components adjacent to and coupled to one another. A logic component is coupled to the plurality of memory components. At least one memory component comprises a memory device having an array of memory cells and sensing circuitry coupled to the array. The sensing circuitry includes a sense amplifier and a compute component. Timing circuitry is coupled to the array and sensing circuitry and configured to control timing of operations for the sensing circuitry. The logic component comprises control logic coupled to the timing circuitry. The control logic is configured to execute instructions to cause the sensing circuitry to perform the operations.

Claims (71)

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of memory die adjacent to and coupled to one another;

a logic die coupled to the plurality of memory die,

wherein at least one memory die comprises a memory device, the memory device comprising:

an array of memory cells;

sensing circuitry coupled to the array, the sensing circuitry including a sense amplifier and a compute component; and

timing circuitry coupled to the array and sensing circuitry, the timing circuitry configured to control timing of operations for the sensing circuitry; and

wherein the logic die comprises:

control logic coupled to the timing circuitry, the control logic configured to execute instructions to cause the sensing circuitry to perform the operations; and

switching circuitry configured to:

route memory array requests received from a host; and

route processing in memory (PIM) requests received from the host to perform a logical operation using the sensing circuitry.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the array of memory cells is a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) array;

the timing circuitry is separate from double data rate (DDR) registers used to control read and write DRAM access requests for the array.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the timing circuitry and the control logic are in different clock domains and operate at different clock speeds.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the operations include logical AND, OR, and/or XOR Boolean operations.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control logic includes a reduced instructions set computer (RISC) type controller which is configured to operate on PIM commands.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

the control logic is coupled to a sequencer on the logic die;

the control logic is a microcoded engine; and

wherein the control logic and the sequencer can execute microcode instructions and coordinate PIM operations on the logic die, respectively.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the timing circuitry is coupled to the control logic and is configured to control timing of logical operations using the sensing circuitry.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the logic die and the plurality of memory die comprise:

a plurality of stacked dynamic random access memory (DRAM) memory die coupled to a logic die by through silicon vias (TSVs) to form a PIM device.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of memory die adjacent to and coupled to one another;

a logic die coupled to the plurality of memory die;

wherein each of the plurality of memory die comprise a plurality of partitioned banks, each bank comprising:

an array of memory cells;

sensing circuitry coupled to the array, the sensing circuitry including a sense amplifier and a compute component configured to perform operations; and

timing circuitry coupled to the array and sensing circuitry to control timing of operations for the sensing circuitry; and

wherein the logic die comprises:

a plurality of partitioned logic each partitioned logic coupled to a subset of the plurality of partitioned banks to form a plurality of processing in memory (PIM) devices; and

switching circuitry configured to:

route memory array requests received from a host; and

route PIM requests received from the host to perform a logical operation using the sensing circuitry.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein each partitioned logic is configured to execute instructions to perform operations with the sensing circuitry.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein each of the plurality of partitioned banks comprises a sequencer which has a microcoded engine to coordinate processing in memory (PIM) operations.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein each partitioned logic comprises very large instruction word (VLIW) type controller which is configured to operate on processing in memory (PIM) commands.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein:

each of the plurality of partitioned banks is configured to execute a memory array access request; and

each partitioned logic is configured to execute processing in memory (PIM) commands.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein each of the plurality of partitioned banks is configured to perform logical operations using the sensing circuitry.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the logical operations comprise logical AND, OR and XOR operations using the sensing circuitry.

16. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the logic die comprises an arbitration circuit, wherein the arbitration circuit is configured to:

receive a PIM request from the host;

receive a memory array request from the host; and

schedule execution of the PIM and memory array requests according to a scheduling policy.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the scheduling policy is defined to give priority to memory array requests.

18. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory die, wherein the memory die comprise a plurality of partitioned banks, each bank comprising:

a memory array;

sensing circuitry coupled to the array, the sensing circuitry including sense amplifiers and a compute component configured to perform logical operations; and

a first partitioned logic coupled to the array and sensing circuitry, the first partitioned logic configured to provide timing for the logical operations on the sensing circuitry; and

a logic die, wherein the logic die comprises a second partitioned logic coupled to the first partitioned logic and switching circuitry, and wherein:

the logic die is configured to:

receive processing in memory (PIM) requests from a host;

execute microcode instructions to perform the logical operations; and

apply a scheduling policy between received memory array requests and received PIM requests; and

the switching circuitry is configured to:

route memory array requests received from the host; and

route the PIM requests received from the host to perform the logical operations using the sensing circuitry.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the logic die comprises a plurality of second partitioned logic, each second partitioned logic associated to at least one of the plurality of partitioned banks to form a processing in memory (PIM) device.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the first partitioned logic comprises a state machine to control timing of logical operation on the sensing circuitry.

21. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the first partitioned logic on the memory die is configured to:

retrieve microcode instructions; and

sequence PIM operations.

22. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the second partitioned logic comprises control logic to execute the microcode instructions to perform the logical operations.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 , wherein the logical operations comprise logical AND, OR and XOR operations performed using the sensing circuitry.

24. The apparatus of claim 23 wherein the second partitioned logic comprises control logic to receive and to operate on memory array requests.

Assignments (8)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 28, 2025
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: LODESTAR LICENSING GROUP LLC
Reel/Frame 070662/0790 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 12, 2019
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.; MICRON SEMICONDUCTOR PRODUCTS, INC.
Reel/Frame 051028/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 9, 2019
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 050937/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 23, 2018
From: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 047243/0001 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REPLACE ERRONEOUSLY FILED PATENT #7358718 WITH THE CORRECT PATENT #7358178 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 038669 FRAME 0001. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SECURITY INTEREST. Recorded Jun 8, 2017
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 043079/0001 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 2, 2016
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 038954/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 12, 2016
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 038669/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 10, 2016
From: MURPHY, RICHARD C.
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 037949/0851 →