Efficient utilization of memory die area
View Patent ↗Methods, systems, and apparatus that support efficient utilization of die area for cross-point memory architecture are described. A memory array may include active memory cells overlying each portion of the substrate that includes certain types of support circuitry, such as decoders and sense amplifiers. Boundary tiles, which may be portions of an array having a different configuration from other portions of the array, may be positioned on one side of an array of memory tiles. The boundary tiles may include support components to access both memory cells of neighboring memory tiles and memory cells overlying the boundary tiles. Column lines and column line decoders may be integrated as part of a boundary tile. Access lines, such as row lines may be truncated or omitted at or near borders of the memory portion of the memory device.
1. An electronic memory device, comprising:
a substrate layer that comprises a core portion, a boundary portion, and a control circuit portion, wherein the core portion includes a first plurality of decoders having a first configuration, the boundary portion includes a second plurality of decoders having a second configuration different from the first configuration, and the control circuit portion is exclusive of decoders; and
an array of memory cells that overlaps the core portion and at least a part of the boundary portion of the substrate layer, wherein memory cells of the array are coupled with the first plurality of decoders and the second plurality of decoders via a plurality of access lines.
2. The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the second plurality of decoders includes a plurality of column decoders.
3. The device of claim 2 , wherein:
the plurality of column decoders are associated with memory cells of the array that overlap the boundary portion.
4. The device of claim 2 , wherein:
the second plurality of decoders includes a plurality of row decoders.
5. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one decoder of the first plurality of decoders is coupled with a memory cell of the array of memory cells that overlaps the boundary portion.
6. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
at least one decoder of the second plurality of decoders is coupled with a memory cell of the array that overlaps the boundary portion.
7. The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the core portion of the substrate layer comprises a plurality of sections that each include a common configuration of components.
8. The device of claim 7 , wherein:
the boundary portion comprises a plurality of sections that each include a same configuration as other sections of the boundary portion, wherein the sections of the boundary portion have a different configuration from the sections of the core portion.
9. The device of claim 8 , further comprising:
each section of the core portion is defined by a first dimension in a first direction and a second dimension in a second direction that is orthogonal to the first direction; and
each section of the boundary portion is defined by a third dimension in the first direction and a fourth dimension in the second direction, wherein the third dimension is less than the first dimension and the fourth dimension is equal to the second dimension.
10. The device of claim 8 , further comprising:
at least one section of the boundary portion includes a first number of decoders that is less than a second number of decoders included in at least one section the core portion.
11. The device of claim 10 , wherein:
the first number of decoders is less than half of the second number of decoders.
12. The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the array of memory cells includes at least two decks of memory cells, a first deck of memory cells positioned over the core portion and the boundary portion and a second deck of memory cells positioned over the first deck of memory cells.
13. The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the core portion and the boundary portion comprise a CMOS under array (CuA).
14. The device of claim 1 , wherein:
the control circuit portion is exclusive of row decoders and column decoders.
15. An electronic memory device, comprising:
a substrate layer that comprises a core portion, a boundary portion, and a control circuit portion, wherein the core portion includes a first plurality of decoders having a first configuration, the boundary portion includes a second plurality of decoders having a second configuration different from the first configuration and the boundary portion comprises a plurality of column decoders, and the control circuit portion is exclusive of decoders; and
an array of memory cells positioned over at least the core portion of the substrate layer, wherein memory cells of the array of memory cells are coupled with the first plurality of decoders and the second plurality of decoders via a plurality of access lines.
16. The device of claim 15 , wherein:
the plurality of column decoders are configured to assist in accessing memory cells positioned over the boundary portion.
17. The device of claim 16 , further comprising:
a subset of the array of memory cells positioned over the boundary portion of the substrate layer, and wherein the plurality of column decoders are coupled to the subset of the array of memory cells positioned over the boundary portion.
18. An electronic memory device, comprising:
a substrate layer that comprises a core portion, a boundary portion, and a control circuit portion, wherein the core portion includes a first plurality of decoders having a first configuration, the boundary portion includes a second plurality of decoders having a second configuration different from the first configuration, and the control circuit portion is exclusive of decoders;
an array of memory cells that overlaps the core portion and at least a part of the boundary portion of the substrate layer, wherein memory cells of the array are coupled with the first plurality of decoders and the second plurality of decoders via a plurality of access lines;
a controller in electronic communication with the substrate layer and the array of memory cells, wherein the controller is operable to:
identify a region of the array of memory cells to access during an access operation;
determine that the identified region of the array of memory cells includes memory cells positioned over the boundary portion of the substrate layer; and
execute the access operation on the memory cells that are part of the identified region and are positioned over the boundary portion of the substrate layer based at least in part on the determination using decoders of the first plurality or the second plurality.