High density memory with reference memory using grouped cells and corresponding operations

1. A memory, comprising:

a data memory comprising a plurality of memory cells on a plurality of bit lines;

a reference memory comprising a plurality of memory cells;

conversion circuitry to convert signals from a group of memory cells including more than one member in the plurality of memory cells in the reference memory into a reference signal; and

a sense amplifier, connected to the conversion circuitry and to a bit line in the plurality of bit lines in the data memory, to sense data stored in a selected memory cell in the data memory in response to comparison of a data signal from the selected memory cell and the reference signal,

wherein the group of memory cells is disposed on a plurality of local reference bit lines,

wherein the local reference bit lines include vertical connectors extending to a reference bit line transistor region,

wherein the reference memory comprises a stack of horizontal word lines in respective levels of the stack and a set of vertical conductors, and the memory cells in the reference memory have horizontal channels between adjacent vertical conductors at the levels of horizontal word lines in the stack, and

wherein the local reference bit lines are disposed in a patterned conductor layer over the stack.

2. The memory of claim 1 , wherein the group of memory cells is disposed on a plurality of local reference bit lines, the plurality of local reference bit lines being connected together for program operations in the reference memory.

3. The memory of claim 1 , wherein the set of vertical conductors includes vertical conductors extending to local reference source lines, and vertical conductors extending to local reference bit lines, and the reference memory includes reference bit line transistors to connect local reference bit lines of the group of memory cells in the conversion circuitry.

4. The memory of claim 1 , wherein the stack is disposed over a circuit level on a substrate, and reference bit line transistors are disposed in a reference bit line transistor region in the circuit level adjacent to the stack.

5. The memory of claim 1 , wherein conversion circuitry comprises a current mirror circuit which produces a reference current in response to combined current from the group of memory cells, and a current-to-voltage converter.

6. The memory of claim 1 , wherein the memory cells in the group of memory cells are disposed on a reference word line, and including a reference word line driver to apply a word line reference voltage to the reference word line, and to apply a deselect voltage to other word lines in the reference memory.

7. The memory of claim 1 , wherein the reference memory comprises a stack structure including a plurality of slices, each slice including a stack of horizontal word lines in respective levels of the stack and a set of vertical conductors, and the memory cells in the reference memory have horizontal channels between adjacent vertical conductors at the levels of horizontal word lines in the stack, and wherein the group of memory cells is disposed in one of the slices of the plurality of slices, and the stack of horizontal word lines includes a reference word line for the group of memory cells, and including a reference word line driver to apply a word line reference voltage to the reference word line, and to apply a deselect voltage to other word lines in the reference memory.

8. A memory, comprising:

a data memory comprising a plurality of memory cells on a plurality of bit lines;

a reference memory comprising a plurality of memory cells;

conversion circuitry to convert signals from a group of memory cells including more than one member in the plurality of memory cells in the reference memory into a reference signal; and

a sense amplifier, connected to the conversion circuitry and to a bit line in the plurality of bit lines in the data memory, to sense data stored in a selected memory cell in the data memory in response to comparison of a data signal from the selected memory cell and the reference signal;

wherein the reference memory comprises a stack structure including a plurality of slices, each slice including a stack of horizontal word lines in respective levels of the stack and a set of vertical conductors, and the memory cells in the reference memory have horizontal channels between adjacent vertical conductors at the levels of horizontal word lines in the stack, and

wherein at least one of the plurality of slices includes the group of memory cells and at least one other one of the plurality of slices is disconnected from the conversion circuit.

9. A memory, comprising:

a data memory comprising a plurality of memory cells on a plurality of bit lines;

a reference memory comprising a plurality of memory cells, the reference memory including inactive memory cells and an active group of memory cells, the active group of memory cells connected to local reference bit lines, and to a reference word line;

conversion circuitry to convert signals on the local reference bit lines from the active group of memory cells into a reference signal; and

a sense amplifier, connected to the conversion circuitry and to a bit line in the plurality of bit lines in the data memory, to sense data stored in a selected memory cell in the data memory in response to a data signal from the selected memory cell and the reference signal,

wherein the reference memory comprises a stack structure including a plurality of slices, each slice including a stack of horizontal word lines in respective levels of the stack, the stack in one of the plurality of slices including a reference word line, and a set of vertical conductors, and memory cells having horizontal channels between adjacent vertical conductors at the levels of horizontal word lines in the stack, and

wherein the active group of memory cells is disposed in a first slice, and memory cells in the other slices having vertical conductors not connected to local reference bit lines.

10. The memory of claim 9 , including a word line driver connected to the reference word line to apply a word line reference voltage and connected to other word lines in the reference memory to apply a deselect voltage.

11. The memory of claim 9 , wherein the conversion circuitry includes a summing node to sum current from the local reference bit lines to form a combined current, and a current mirror circuit to convert the combined current to a reference current having reduced magnitude.

12. The memory of claim 11 , wherein the conversion circuitry includes a current-to-voltage converter to convert the reference current to a reference voltage, and to apply the reference voltage to the sense amplifier.

13. The memory of claim 9 , including a control circuit to program the inactive memory cells to a first threshold state, and to program the active group of memory cells to a second threshold state lower than the first threshold state.

14. The memory of claim 13 , wherein the control circuit applies an incremental step pulse program operation to the active group of memory cells to set the second threshold state.

15. The memory of claim 9 , including a control circuit to program the active group of memory cells using an incremental step pulse program operation.

16. The memory of claim 9 , wherein the reference memory comprises a stack structure including a plurality of slices, each slice including a stack of horizontal word lines in respective levels of the stack and a set of vertical conductors, and the memory cells in the reference memory have horizontal channels between adjacent vertical conductors at the levels of horizontal word lines in the stack, and wherein the active group of memory cells is disposed in one of the slices of the plurality of slices, and the stack of horizontal word lines includes the reference word line for the active group of memory cells, and including a reference word line driver to apply a word line reference voltage to the reference word line, and to apply a deselect voltage to other word lines in the reference memory.

17. The memory of claim 9 , wherein the reference memory comprises a stack structure including a plurality of slices, each slice including a stack of horizontal word lines in respective levels of the stack and a set of vertical conductors, and the memory cells in the reference memory have horizontal channels between adjacent vertical conductors at the levels of horizontal word lines in the stack, and wherein the active group of memory cells is disposed in one of the slices of the plurality of slices, and the stack of horizontal word lines includes the reference word line for the active group of memory cells, and

wherein at least one of the plurality of slices includes the active group of memory cells and at least one other one of the plurality of slices is disconnected from the conversion circuitry.