IP Library Granted Patent US 10,497,435
Granted Patent B2
US 10,497,435 · App. 16/130,681 · Granted Dec 3, 2019

Memory device architecture

Inventors: Hernan A. Castro (Shingle Springs, CA); Everado Torres Flores (Folsom, CA); Jeremy M. Hirst (Orangevale, CA)
Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
G11C13/0004G11C5/025G11C5/063G11C13/0023H01L27/2427H01L27/2436H01L27/2463H01L27/2481G11C8/08G11C2213/71G11C2213/77
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,497,435
App. No.
16/130,681
Granted
Dec 3, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

Row electrode drivers and column electrode drivers for a memory device are distributed within a footprint share by a memory cell array.

Claims (18)

1. A method, comprising:

forming a memory array of memory cells occupying a footprint; and

forming a plurality of word line drivers in a circuit level, the plurality of word line drivers within the footprint of the memory array; and

forming a plurality of digit line drivers in the circuit level, the plurality of digit line drivers within the footprint of the memory array,

wherein the circuit level comprises a plurality of word line driver connection points and digit line driver connection points distributed across the footprint.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

forming a plurality of word lines each coupled with and laterally traversing at least one of the plurality of word line drivers at a different vertical level from the plurality of word line drivers.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein each word line driver connection point of the plurality of word line driver connection points is centered along a word line direction within a word line driver region of a plurality of word line driver regions.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

forming a plurality of digit lines each coupled with and laterally traversing at least one of the plurality of digit line drivers at a different vertical level from the plurality of digit line drivers.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein each of the digit line driver connection points is centered along a digit line direction within a digit line driver region of a plurality of digit line driver regions.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least two word line drivers of the plurality of word line drivers are positioned along a first direction and at least two digit line drivers of the plurality of digit line drivers are positioned along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the memory array of memory cells comprises two word lines positioned along a first direction and two digit lines positioned along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein at least one memory cell of the memory array is located at an intersection of a word line and a digit line.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the plurality of word line drivers and the plurality of digit line drivers comprises:

distributing the plurality of word line drivers and the plurality of digit line drivers across the footprint of the memory array in disjointed word line driver regions and disjointed digit line driver regions.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein word line electrodes connecting the plurality of word line drivers to memory cells of the memory array are staggered relative to one another by shifting the word line electrodes relative to one another along their axis of elongation.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein digit line electrodes connecting the plurality of digit line drivers to the memory cells of the memory array are staggered relative to one another by shifting the digit line electrodes relative to one another along their axis of elongation.

Assignments (4)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 15, 2019
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 051041/0317 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 14, 2019
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 050724/0392 →
SUPPLEMENT NO. 12 TO PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 19, 2019
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 048948/0677 →
SUPPLEMENT NO. 3 TO PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 19, 2019
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 048951/0902 →