IP Library Granted Patent US 12,224,015
Granted Patent B2
US 12,224,015 · App. 17/236,651 · Granted Feb 11, 2025

Staggered active bitline sensing

Inventors: Ali Khakifirooz (Brookline, MA); Rezaul Haque (El Dorado Hills, CA); Dhanashree Kulkarni (El Dorado Hills, CA); Bayan Nasri (Folsom, CA)
Assignee: Intel Corporation
G11C16/24G11C16/0483G11C16/26
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,224,015
App. No.
17/236,651
Granted
Feb 11, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems, apparatuses and methods may provide for technology that applies a first set of control signals to even bitlines in NAND memory and senses voltage levels of the even bitlines during an even sensing time period. The technology may also apply a second set of control signals to odd bitlines in the NAND memory, and sense voltage levels of the odd bitlines during an odd sensing time period, wherein the second set of control signals are applied after expiration of a stagger time period between the even sensing time period and the odd sensing time period.

Claims (36)

1. A memory chip controller comprising:

one or more substrates; and

logic coupled to the one or more substrates, wherein the logic is at least partly implemented in one or more of configurable or fixed-functionality hardware, and the logic coupled to the one or more substrates is to:

apply a first set of control signals to even bitlines in NAND memory, wherein the first set of control signals are to include an even pre-charge signal that is shared by even pre-charge transistors;

sense voltage levels of the even bitlines during an even sensing time period;

apply a second set of control signals to odd bitlines in the NAND memory; and

sense voltage levels of the odd bitlines during an odd sensing time period, wherein the second set of control signals are applied after expiration of a stagger time period between the even sensing time period and the odd sensing time period, and wherein the even pre-charge signal activates the even pre-charge transistors from a deactivated state during the stagger time period.

2. The memory chip controller of claim 1 , wherein application of the second set of control signals after expiration of the stagger time period is to reduce noise in the even bitlines and the odd bitlines.

3. The memory chip controller of claim 1 , wherein the first set of control signals are to include an even isolation signal that is shared by even isolation transistors.

4. The memory chip controller of claim 3 , wherein the even pre-charge signal is to deactivate the even pre-charge transistors and the even isolation signal is to deactivate the even isolation transistors after the even pre-charge transistors have been deactivated.

5. The memory chip controller of claim 4 , wherein the even pre-charge signal is to activate the even pre-charge transistors before the second set of control signals are applied to the odd bitlines.

6. The memory chip controller of claim 1 , wherein the second set of control signals are to include an odd pre-charge signal that is shared by odd pre-charge transistors and an odd isolation signal that is shared by odd isolation transistors.

7. The memory chip controller of claim 6 , wherein the odd pre-charge signal is to deactivate the odd pre-charge transistors and the odd isolation signal is to deactivate the odd isolation transistors after the odd pre-charge transistors have been deactivated.

8. A computing system comprising:

a system on chip (SoC); and

a solid state drive coupled to the SoC, the solid state drive including NAND memory and a memory chip controller, wherein the memory chip controller includes logic to:

apply a first set of control signals to even bitlines in the NAND memory, wherein the first set of control signals are to include an even pre-charge signal that is shared by even pre-charge transistors,

sense voltage levels of the even bitlines during an even sensing time period,

apply a second set of control signals to odd bitlines in the NAND memory, and

sense voltage levels of the odd bitlines during an odd sensing time period, wherein the second set of control signals are applied after expiration of a stagger time period between the even sensing time period and the odd sensing time period, and wherein the even pre-charge signal activates the even pre-charge transistors from a deactivated state during the stagger time period.

9. The computing system of claim 8 , wherein application of the second set of control signals after expiration of the stagger time period is to reduce noise in the even bitlines and the odd bitlines.

10. The computing system of claim 8 , wherein the first set of control signals are to include an even isolation signal that is shared by even isolation transistors.

11. The computing system of claim 10 , wherein the even pre-charge signal is to deactivate the even pre-charge transistors and the even isolation signal is to deactivate the even isolation transistors after the even pre-charge transistors have been deactivated.

12. The computing system of claim 11 , wherein the even pre-charge signal is to activate the even pre-charge transistors before the second set of control signals are applied to the odd bitlines.

13. The computing system of claim 8 , wherein the second set of control signals are to include an odd pre-charge signal that is shared by odd pre-charge transistors and an odd isolation signal that is shared by odd isolation transistors.

14. The computing system of claim 13 , wherein the odd pre-charge signal is to deactivate the odd pre-charge transistors and the odd isolation signal is to deactivate the odd isolation transistors after the odd pre-charge transistors have been deactivated.

15. A method comprising:

applying a first set of control signals to even bitlines in NAND memory, wherein the first set of control signals are to include an even pre-charge signal that is shared by even pre-charge transistors;

sensing voltage levels of the even bitlines during an even sensing time period;

applying a second set of control signals to odd bitlines in the NAND memory; and

sensing voltage levels of the odd bitlines during an odd sensing time period, wherein the second set of control signals are applied after expiration of a stagger time period between the even sensing time period and the odd sensing time period, and wherein the even pre-charge signal activates the even pre-charge transistors from a deactivated state during the stagger time period.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein application of the second set of control signals after expiration of the stagger time period reduces noise in the even bitlines and the odd bitlines.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the first set of control signals include an even isolation signal that is shared by even isolation transistors.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the even pre-charge signal deactivates the even pre-charge transistors and the even isolation signal deactivates the even isolation transistors after the even pre-charge transistors have been deactivated.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the even pre-charge signal activates the even pre-charge transistors before the second set of control signals are applied to the odd bitlines.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the second set of control signals include an odd pre-charge signal that is shared by odd pre-charge transistors and an odd isolation signal that is shared by odd isolation transistors, and wherein the odd pre-charge signal deactivates the odd pre-charge transistors and the odd isolation signal deactivates the odd isolation transistors after the odd pre-charge transistors have been deactivated.

Assignments (3)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 18, 2025
From: INTEL CORPORATION
To: INTEL NDTM US LLC
Reel/Frame 072293/0842 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 2, 2024
From: INTEL CORPORATION
To: INTEL NDTM US LLC
Reel/Frame 067305/0491 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 19, 2024
From: KHAKIFIROOZ, ALI; HAQUE, REZAUL; KULKARNI, DHANASHREE; NASRI, BAYAN
To: INTEL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 066822/0162 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220343982A1 · Oct 27, 2022
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