IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,335,391
Granted Patent B1
US 11,335,391 · App. 17/085,084 · Granted May 17, 2022

Memory cell arrangement and method thereof

Inventor: Johannes Ocker (Dresden, DE)
Assignee: FERROELECTRIC MEMORY GMBH
G11C11/221G11C11/2273G11C11/2275H01L27/11507
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,335,391
App. No.
17/085,084
Granted
May 17, 2022
Kind
B1
Abstract

A memory cell arrangement is provided that may include: one or more memory cells, each memory cell of the one or more memory cells including: a field-effect transistor structure; a plurality of first control nodes; a plurality of first capacitor structures, a second control node; and a second capacitor structure including a first electrode connected to the second control node and a second electrode connected to a gate region of the field-effect transistor. Each of the plurality of first capacitor structures includes a first electrode connected to a corresponding first control node of the plurality of first control nodes, a second electrode connected to the gate region of the field-effect transistor structure, and a spontaneous-polarizable region disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode of the first capacitor structure.

Claims (85)

1. A memory cell arrangement, comprising:

one or more memory cells, each memory cell of the one or more memory cells comprising:

a field-effect transistor structure;

a plurality of first control nodes;

a plurality of first capacitor structures, each of the plurality of first capacitor structures comprising a first electrode connected to a corresponding first control node of the plurality of first control nodes, a second electrode connected to a gate region of the field-effect transistor structure, and a spontaneous-polarizable region disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode of the first capacitor structure;

a second control node;

a second capacitor structure comprising a first electrode connected to the second control node and a second electrode connected to the gate region of the field-effect transistor structure; and

a control circuit configured to read a selected first capacitor structure of a selected memory cell of the one or more memory cells; wherein reading the selected first capacitor structure comprises:

providing a read-voltage to a first control-line connected to the first control node of the selected first capacitor structure of the selected memory cell; and

providing a first lever-voltage to a second control-line connected to the second control node of the selected memory cell,

wherein the control circuit is further configured to prevent a disturbance caused by non-selected first capacitor structures of the selected memory cell during reading the selected first capacitor structure of the selected memory cell, wherein prevent the disturbance comprises:

providing a first inhibit-voltage to each first control-line connected to the first control nodes of the non-selected first capacitor structures of the selected memory cell.

2. The memory cell arrangement of claim 1 ,

wherein each of the plurality of first capacitor structures is configured to be in one of at least two memory states.

3. The memory cell arrangement of claim 1 ,

wherein each first capacitor structure of the plurality of first capacitor structures has a respective first capacitance and wherein the second capacitor structure has a second capacitance different from one or more of first capacitances.

4. The memory cell arrangement of claim 1 ,

each memory cell of the one or more memory cells further comprising:

a third control node coupled to a first region and/or second region of the field-effect transistor structure.

5. The memory cell arrangement of claim 1 ,

wherein the one or more memory cells are a plurality of memory cells, the memory cell arrangement further comprising:

a plurality of first control-lines comprising one or more first subsets of first control-lines, each first control-line of a first subset of first control-lines of the one or more first subsets of first control-lines connected to a corresponding first control node of a first subset of memory cells of the plurality of memory cells; and

one or more second control-lines connected to the second control node of each memory cell of a second subset of memory cells of the plurality of memory cells.

6. The memory cell arrangement of claim 5 , further comprising:

one or more third control-lines connected to a third control node of each memory cell of a corresponding first subset of memory cells of the one or more first subsets of memory cells, wherein the third control node is coupled to a first region and/or second region of the respective field-effect transistor structure.

7. The memory cell arrangement of claim 1 ,

wherein the control circuit is further configured to write a selected first capacitor structure of a selected memory cell of a plurality of memory cells;

wherein writing the selected first capacitor structure comprises:

providing a write-voltage to a first control-line connected to the first control node of the selected first capacitor structure of the selected memory cell; and

providing a first lever-voltage to a second control-line connected to the second control node of the selected memory cell.

8. The memory cell arrangement of claim 7 ,

each memory cell of the one or more memory cells further comprising:

a third control node coupled to a first region and/or second region of the field-effect transistor structure;

wherein writing the selected first capacitor structure of the selected memory cell further comprises:

providing a first control-voltage to a third control-line connected to the third control node of the selected memory cell.

9. The memory cell arrangement of claim 7 ,

wherein the control circuit is further configured to prevent a writing of the non-selected first capacitor structures of the selected memory cell during writing the selected first capacitor structure of the selected memory cell, wherein prevent a writing of the non-selected first capacitor structures comprises:

providing a first inhibit-voltage to each of a plurality of first control-lines connected to the first control nodes of the non-selected first capacitor structures of the selected memory cell.

10. The memory cell arrangement of claim 7 ,

wherein the control circuit is further configured to prevent a writing of the first capacitor structures of one or more non-selected memory cells of the plurality of memory cells during writing the selected first capacitor structure of the selected memory cell, wherein prevent a writing of one or more non-selected memory cells comprises:

providing a second lever-voltage to a second control-line connected to the second control node of the non-selected memory cell in the case that the write-voltage is provided to the first control-line connected to the first control node of the non-selected memory cell, wherein a voltage value of the second lever-voltage is different from the voltage value of the first lever-voltage.

11. The memory cell arrangement of claim 7 ,

wherein the control circuit is further configured to prevent a writing of the first capacitor structures of one or more non-selected memory cells of the plurality of memory cells during writing the selected first capacitor structure of the selected memory cell, wherein prevent a writing of one or more non-selected memory cells comprises:

providing a second inhibit-voltage to one or more first control-lines connected to the first control nodes of the one or more non-selected memory cells, wherein a voltage value of the second inhibit-voltage [value] is different from the voltage value of the write-voltage.

12. The memory cell arrangement of claim 1 ,

each memory cell of the one or more memory cells further comprising:

a third control node coupled to a first region and/or second region of the field-effect transistor structure;

wherein reading the selected first capacitor structure of the selected memory cell further comprises:

providing a first control-voltage to a third control-line connected to the third control node of the selected memory cell.

13. The memory cell arrangement of claim 1 ,

wherein the control circuit is further configured to prevent a disturbance caused by the first capacitor structures of one or more non-selected memory cells of the one or more memory cells during reading the selected first capacitor structure of the selected memory cell, wherein prevent the disturb comprises:

providing a second lever-voltage to a second control-line connected to the second control node of the non-selected memory cell in the case that the read-voltage is provided to the first control-line connected to the first control node of the non-selected memory cell, wherein the voltage value of the second lever-voltage is different from the voltage value of the first lever-voltage.

14. The memory cell arrangement of claim 1 ,

wherein the control circuit is further configured to prevent a disturbance caused by the first capacitor structures of one or more non-selected memory cells of the one or more memory cells during reading the selected first capacitor structure of the selected memory cell, wherein prevent the disturbance comprises:

providing a second inhibit-voltage to one or more first control-lines connected to the first control nodes of the non-selected memory cell, wherein the voltage value of the second inhibit-voltage [value] is different from the voltage value of the read-voltage.

15. A memory cell arrangement, comprising:

a plurality of word-lines; and

one or more memory cells, each memory cell of the one or more memory cells comprising:

a field-effect transistor structure;

a plurality of control nodes;

a plurality of capacitor structures, each of the plurality of capacitor structures comprising a first electrode connected to a corresponding control node of the plurality of control nodes, a second electrode connected to a gate region of the field-effect transistor structure, and a spontaneous-polarizable region disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode of the capacitor structure,

wherein the first electrode of a first capacitor structure of the plurality of capacitor structures is electrically conductively connected to a first word-line of the plurality of word-lines, and

wherein the first electrode of a second capacitor structure of the plurality of capacitor structures is electrically conductively connected to a second word-line of the plurality of word-lines.

16. The memory cell arrangement of claim 15 ,

wherein the one or more memory cells are a plurality of memory cells in a NOR, AND, or NAND configuration.

17. A method for operating a memory cell, the method comprising:

applying, via a corresponding word-line, a control voltage to a first control node selected from a plurality of first control nodes of a memory cell, each of the plurality of first control nodes being connected to a corresponding first capacitor structure of a plurality of first capacitor structures of the memory cell;

applying, via a corresponding lever-line, a lever voltage to a second control node of the memory cell, the second control node being connected to a second capacitor structure of the memory cell, wherein the memory cell comprises the second capacitor structure in addition to the plurality of first capacitor structures; and,

applying a bit-line voltage to a third control node of the memory cell, the third control node being connected to at least one source/drain region of a transistor of the memory cell.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the control voltage is a write voltage or a read voltage.

19. A memory cell arrangement, comprising:

one or more memory cells, each memory cell of the one or more memory cells comprising:

a field-effect transistor structure;

a plurality of first control nodes;

a plurality of first capacitor structures, each of the plurality of first capacitor structures comprising a first electrode connected to a corresponding first control node of the plurality of first control nodes, a second electrode connected to a gate region of the field-effect transistor structure, and a spontaneous-polarizable region disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode of the first capacitor structure;

a second control node; and, in addition to the plurality of first capacitor structures,

a second capacitor structure comprising a first electrode connected to the second control node and a second electrode connected to the gate region of the field-effect transistor.

20. The memory cell arrangement of claim 19 ,

wherein the plurality of first capacitor structures are a plurality of memory capacitor structures, and

wherein the second capacitor structure is a lever capacitor structure.

21. The memory cell arrangement of claim 19 , further comprising:

one or more lever-lines; and

a plurality of word-lines,

wherein the first electrode of each of the plurality of first capacitor structures is electrically conductively connected to a corresponding word-line of a plurality of word-lines, and

wherein the first electrode of the second capacitor structure is electrically conductively connected to a corresponding lever-line of the one or more lever-lines.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 22, 2020
From: OCKER, JOHANNES
To: FERROELECTRIC MEMORY GMBH
Reel/Frame 054732/0616 →
Cited By (20)
US 12,190,946 US 12,254,914 US 12,262,541 US 12,283,300 US 12,300,297 US 12,324,162 US 12,324,163 US 12,328,878 US 12,336,184 US 12,349,365 US 12,369,326 US 12,376,312 US 12,431,178 US 12,439,606 US 12,462,861 US 12,518,813 US 12,640,199 US 12,660,200 US 12,712,005 US 12,740,066