IP Library Granted Patent US 10,726,905
Granted Patent B2
US 10,726,905 · App. 16/138,346 · Granted Jul 28, 2020

Memory device with improved writing features

Inventors: Martin Brox (Munich, DE); Milena Ivanov (Unterhaching, DE)
Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
G11C11/4076G11C11/4091G11C11/4094
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,726,905
App. No.
16/138,346
Granted
Jul 28, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of performing a write access phase for a memory device and comprising: transferring a write data from a local input and output line to a bit line to write the data into a memory cell via the bit line by activating a column switch provided between the bit line and the local input and output line during a first period; and transferring a read data read out from the memory cell to the local input and output line via the bit line by activating the column switch during a second period; wherein the first period is longer than the second period.

Claims (49)

1. A method comprising:

transferring a write data from a local input and output line to a bit line to write the write data into a memory cell via the bit line by activating a column switch provided between the bit line and the local input and output line during a first period; and

transferring a read data read out from the memory cell to the local input and output line via the bit line by activating the column switch during a second period;

wherein the first period is longer than the second period, wherein the activation of the column switch includes activating a column select pulse signal and subsequent column-select pulse signals partially overlap during a write access phase.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein activating the column select pulse signal includes enabling a sense amplifier coupled to the local input and output line.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said first period is longer for a write access phase only.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein timing control for the write and read access phases thought said sense amplifier is kept different regulating the duration of said column-select pulse signal in the write and read access phases independently.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein a duration of said first period is set to double of said second period.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein a duration of said second period corresponds to a duration of a clock pulse signal.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein a duration of said first period is regulated to correspond to double a clock pulse signal during an access phase.

8. The method of claim 2 , wherein column-select pulse signals pertinent to different columns of a memory matrix partially overlap during a write access phase.

9. A method comprising:

transferring a write data from a local input and output line to a bit line to write the write data into a memory cell via the bit line by activating a column switch provided between the bit line and the local input and output line during a first period; and

transferring a read data read out from the memory cell to the local input and output line via the bit line by activating the column switch during a second period;

wherein the first period is longer than the second period,

wherein the activation of the column switch includes activating a column select pulse signal enabling a sense amplifier coupled to the local input and output line,

wherein the write data to be written of a previous write access phase is enabled to be driven to the sense amplifier when a subsequent column select pulse signal is already rising.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein a time duration of said second period corresponds to a column-to-column delay tCCD while a duration of said first period corresponds to double of a clock pulse signal for a write access phase only.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the memory device is a Double Data Rate x Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (DDRx SDRAM) or a Graphic Double Data Rate x Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (GDDRx SDRAM) or a High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), x is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

12. An apparatus comprising at least a memory cell array including a plurality of memory cells structured in a matrix of bit lines and word lines;

a local I/O line coupled to said bit lines;

a plurality of sense amplifiers provided for the bit lines, respectively;

a plurality of column-select lines provided for the sense amplifiers, respectively, a selected one of the column-select lines receiving a column-select pulse signal enabling a transfer of write data from the local I/O line to the respective sense amplifier;

a timing regulator configured to receive or generate at least a clock pulse signal for regulating a timing access to the apparatus; and

a column-select pulse signal regulator configured to regulate a duration of the column-select pulse signal during a write access phase to a selected one of the memory cells setting a duration longer than said clock pulse signal, wherein the column-select pulse signals generated during the write access phase partially overlap.

13. An apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein said column-select pulse signal regulator receives as inputs a write control signal and a read control signal to select the duration of the column-select pulse signal in case of a write or read access phase.

14. An apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein outputs of said column-select pulse signal regulator are coupled to corresponding sense amplifiers to enable them to receive a corresponding write data to be written.

15. An apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein said column-select pulse signal regulator generates the column-select pulse signal having a duration extended with respect to a duration of said clock pulse signal for the write access phase only.

16. An apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein said column-select pulse signal regulator generates the column-select pulse signal having a duration set to double said clock pulse signal when enabled by said write control signal.

17. An apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein said column-select pulse signal regulator generates the column-select pulse signal having a duration corresponding to a duration of said clock pulse signal when enabled by said read control signal.

18. An apparatus comprising at least a memory cell array including a plurality of memory cells structured in a matrix of bit lines and word lines:

a local I/O line coupled to said bit lines;

a plurality of sense amplifiers provided for the bit lines, respectively;

a plurality of column-select lines provided for the sense amplifiers, respectively, a selected one of the column-select lines receiving a column-select pulse signal enabling a transfer of write data from the local I/O line to the respective sense amplifier;

a timing regulator configured to receive or generate at least a clock pulse signal for regulating a timing access to the apparatus; and

a column-select pulse signal regulator configured to regulate a duration of the column-select pulse signal during a write access phase to a selected one of the memory cells setting a duration longer than said clock pulse signal, wherein the write data to be written of a previous write access phase is enabled to be driven to the sense amplifiers when the subsequent column-select pulse signal is already rising.

19. An apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the time duration of said column-select pulse signal corresponds to a column-to-column delay tCCD for the write access phase only.

20. An apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein a column-select block is provided coupled to the sense amplifiers for generating said column-select pulse signal enslaved to the receipt of a read or write control signal.

21. An apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein said memory cells are a matrix of Double Data Rate x Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (DDRx SDRAM) or a Graphic Double Data Rate x Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory (GDDRx SDRAM) or a High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), x is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

22. An apparatus comprising:

a plurality of memory cells;

a plurality of bit lines coupled to the plurality of memory cells, respectively;

a local input and output line;

a plurality of column switches each coupled between a corresponding one of the plurality of bit lines and the local input and output line, selected one or ones of the column switches being activated during a first period responsive to a write command access and during a second period responsive to a read command access, the first period being longer than the second period; and

a column-select pulse signal regulator configured to generate column-select pulse signals during a write access phase that partially overlap.

23. An apparatus according to claim 22 , further comprising a column-select pulse signal regulator configured to generate a column-select pulse signal having a duration extended with respect to a duration of a clock pulse signal.

24. An apparatus according to claim 23 , wherein said column-select pulse signal regulator generates a column-select pulse signal having a duration set to double said clock pulse signal when enabled by a write control input signal.

25. An apparatus according to claim 23 , wherein the duration of said column-select pulse signal corresponds to a column-to-column delay tCCD for a write access phase only.

26. An apparatus according to claim 22 , wherein said plurality of memory cells are a matrix of Double Data Rate x Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memories (DDRx SDRAMs) or a Graphic Double Data Rate x Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memories (GDDRx SDRAMs) or a High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), x is an integer greater than or equal to 1.

Assignments (5)
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 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 21, 2018
From: BROX, MARTIN; IVANOV, MILENA
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 046940/0794 →