IP Library Granted Patent US 9,916,880
Granted Patent B2
US 9,916,880 · App. 15/474,353 · Granted Mar 13, 2018

Apparatuses, circuits, and methods for biasing signal lines

Inventors: Marco-Domenico Tiburzi (Avezzano, IT); Giulio-Giuseppe Marotta (Contigliano, IT)
Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
G11C7/12G11C5/141G11C5/148G11C7/22G11C8/10G11C11/56
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,916,880
App. No.
15/474,353
Granted
Mar 13, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

Apparatuses, circuits, and methods are disclosed for biasing signal lines in a memory array. In one such example the memory array includes a signal line coupled to a plurality of memory cells and is configured to provide access to the plurality of memory cells responsive to a biasing condition of the signal line. The memory array also includes a signal line driver coupled to the signal line, the signal line driver configured to provide a biasing signal to the signal line and to provide a preemphasis in the biasing signal responsive to a control signal. The control signal is responsive to an operating condition.

Claims (30)

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory array including a signal line coupled to a plurality of memory cells and configured to provide access to the plurality of memory cells responsive to a biasing condition of the signal line; and

a signal line driver coupled to the signal line, the signal line driver configured to provide a biasing signal to the signal line, wherein the biasing signal is preemphasized according to a model of the signal line as a concentrated or a distributed RC network.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a microcontroller coupled to the signal line driver, the microcontroller configured to control the signal line driver and calculate the biasing signal based at least in part on operating conditions of the memory array.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the microcontroller is configured to model the signal line as the concentrated or the distributed RC network to calculate the biasing signal.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the signal line comprises a word line and the signal driver is included in a row decoder.

5. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory array including a plurality of memory cells and a signal line coupled to the plurality of memory cells;

a signal line driver coupled to a signal line of a memory array, the signal line driver configured to provide a biasing signal to the signal line; and

a microcontroller coupled to the signal line driver, the microcontroller configured to control the signal line driver to preemphasize the biasing signal according to a model of the signal line as a concentrated or a distributed RC network.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the microcontroller is configured to calculate electrical parameters of the concentrated RC network or the distributed RC network.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the electrical parameters comprise a calculated resistance or a calculated capacitance.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the concentrated RC network comprises a lumped resistance-capacitance (RC) circuit.

9. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the microcontroller is configured to calculate the biasing signal based at least in part on at least one operating condition of the memory array.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the at least one operating condition of the memory array is determined in an initial setup of the memory array.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the memory array is a cross-point array.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the at least one operating condition comprises a power constraint of the memory array.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the power constraint corresponds to at least one of a sleep mode, a low power mode, or an operation of the memory array in conjunction with a drained battery.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein a duration, magnitude, shape, or combinations thereof of the biasing signal is based on the at least one operating condition.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the operating condition comprises multi-level of programming of at least two memory cells of the plurality of memory cells, the multi-level programming comprising a plurality of states for each level of the at least two memory cells.

16. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the operating condition comprises process variations of the memory array.

17. A method, comprising:

modeling a signal line as a concentrated or a distributed RC network, the signal line coupled to a plurality of memory cells; and

calculating a biasing signal based on the modeled signal line and at least one operating condition; and

preemphasizing the biasing signal based on the calculation of the biasing signal.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein calculating a biasing signal based on the modeled signal line and at least one operating condition comprises calculating the electrical parameters of the signal line, the electrical parameters comprising a calculated resistance or calculated capacitance.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

providing the biasing signal to the signal line to preemphasize signal line during a memory operation.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein providing the biasing signal to the signal line comprises adaptively providing the biasing signal responsive to the at least one operating condition.

Assignments (4)
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 050702/0451 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 13, 2018
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.; MICRON SEMICONDUCTOR PRODUCTS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 047540/0001 →
SUPPLEMENT NO. 4 TO PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 4, 2017
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 042405/0909 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 14989678 · Jan 6, 2016
Continuation 13651093 · Oct 12, 2012
Related Publication 20170206942A1 · Jul 20, 2017