IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,636,893
Granted Patent B2
US 11,636,893 · App. 17/073,621 · Granted Apr 25, 2023

Memory device with multiple row buffers

Inventors: Sean S. Eilert (Penryn, CA); Ameen D. Akel (Rancho Cordova, CA); Shivam Swami (Folsom, CA)
Assignee: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
G11C11/4093G11C11/4082G11C11/4091G11C11/40603
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,636,893
App. No.
17/073,621
Granted
Apr 25, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

An example memory sub-system includes: a plurality bank groups, wherein each bank group comprises a plurality of memory banks; a plurality of row buffers, wherein two or more row buffers of the plurality of row buffers are associated with each bank group; and a processing logic communicatively coupled to the plurality of bank groups and the plurality of row buffers, the processing logic to perform operations comprising: receiving, from a host, a command identifying a row buffer of the plurality of row buffers; and perform an operation with respect to the identified row buffer.

Claims (47)

1. A memory sub-system, comprising:

a plurality of bank groups, wherein each bank group comprises a plurality of memory banks;

a plurality of row buffers, wherein two or more row buffers of the plurality of row buffers are shared between two or more memory banks of a bank group of the plurality of bank groups;

a processing logic communicatively coupled to the plurality of bank groups and the plurality of row buffers, the processing logic to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a host, a command identifying a row of a certain memory bank;

identifying, among the plurality of row buffers, a row buffer associated with the row by row buffer assignment metadata, wherein the row buffer assignment metadata comprises, for each row buffer of the plurality of row buffers, a corresponding tag identifying a row that is temporarily associated with the row buffer; and

perform a memory access operation using the row buffer.

2. The memory sub-system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of bank groups are comprised by a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) device.

3. The memory sub-system of claim 1 , wherein a first row buffer of the plurality of row buffers and a second row buffer of the plurality of row buffers are exclusively associated with a first bank group of the plurality of bank groups.

4. The memory sub-system of claim 1 , wherein the command is an activate command further specifying a row of a certain memory bank, and wherein performing the memory access operation comprises:

copying data from the row to the row buffer.

5. The memory sub-system of claim 1 , wherein the command is a read command further specifying a column address, and wherein performing the memory access operation comprises:

reading data from a location of the row buffer, wherein the location is identified by the column address.

6. The memory sub-system of claim 1 , wherein the command is a write command further specifying a column address and a data item, and wherein performing the memory access operation comprises:

writing the data item to a location of the row buffer, wherein the location is identified by the column address.

7. The memory sub-system of claim 1 , wherein the command is a precharge command further specifying the row buffer, and wherein performing the memory access operation comprises:

copying data from the row buffer to a row associated with the row buffer.

8. A memory sub-system, comprising:

a plurality of bank groups, wherein each bank group comprises a plurality of memory banks;

a plurality of row buffers, wherein two or more row buffers of the plurality of row buffers are associated with each bank group;

a processing logic communicatively coupled to the plurality of bank groups and the plurality of row buffers, the processing logic to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a host, a command identifying a row of a certain memory bank;

identifying, among the plurality of row buffers, a row buffer associated with the row by row buffer assignment metadata, wherein the row buffer assignment metadata comprises, for each row buffer of the plurality of row buffers, a corresponding tag identifying a row that is temporarily associated with the row buffer; and

performing a memory access operation using the row buffer.

9. The memory sub-system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of bank groups are comprised by a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) device.

10. The memory sub-system of claim 8 , wherein a first row buffer of the plurality of row buffers and a second row buffer of the plurality of row buffers are exclusively associated with a first bank group of the plurality of bank groups.

11. The memory sub-system of claim 8 , wherein a first row buffer of the plurality of row buffers and a second row buffer of the plurality of row buffers are exclusively associated with a first memory bank of the plurality of memory banks associated with a first bank group.

12. The memory sub-system of claim 8 , wherein the command is an activate command, and wherein performing the memory access operation comprises:

copying data from the row to the row buffer.

13. The memory sub-system of claim 8 , wherein the command is a read command further specifying a column address, and wherein performing the memory access operation comprises:

reading data from a location of the row buffer, wherein the location is identified by the column address.

14. The memory sub-system of claim 8 , wherein the command is a write command further specifying a column address and a data item, and wherein performing the memory access operation comprises:

writing the data item to a location of the row buffer, wherein the location is identified by the column address.

15. The memory sub-system of claim 8 , wherein the command is a precharge command, and wherein performing the memory access operation comprises:

copying data from the row buffer to the row.

16. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a memory sub-system comprising a plurality of memory banks grouped into a plurality of bank groups, a command from a host, the command identifying a row of a certain memory bank of the plurality of memory banks;

identify, among a set of row buffers associated with the memory bank, a row buffer associated with the row by row buffer assignment metadata, wherein the row buffer assignment metadata comprises, for each row buffer of the set of row buffers, a corresponding tag identifying a row that is temporarily associated with the row buffer; and

perform a memory access operation using the row buffer.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the command is an activate command, and wherein performing the memory access operation comprises:

copying data from the row to the row buffer.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the command is a read command further specifying a column address, and wherein performing the memory access operation comprises:

reading data from a location of the row buffer, wherein the location is identified by the column address.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the command is a precharge command, and wherein performing the memory access operation comprises:

copying data from the row buffer to the row.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the command is a write command further specifying a column address and a data item, and wherein performing the memory access operation comprises:

writing the data item to a location of the row buffer, wherein the location is identified by the column address.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 19, 2020
From: EILERT, SEAN S.; AKEL, AMEEN D.; SWAMI, SHIVAM
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 054096/0135 →
Continuity (1)
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