IP Library Granted Patent US 11,942,136
Granted Patent B2
US 11,942,136 · App. 17/887,903 · Granted Mar 26, 2024

Memory device having shared read/write access line for 2-transistor vertical memory cell

Inventors: Karthik Sarpatwari (Boise, ID); Kamal M. Karda (Boise, ID); Durai Vishak Nirmal Ramaswamy (Boise, ID)
Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
G11C11/4023G11C11/409H01L29/22H01L29/7827H10B99/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,942,136
App. No.
17/887,903
Granted
Mar 26, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

Some embodiments include apparatuses and methods operating the apparatuses. One of the apparatuses includes a first data line located over a substrate, a second data line located over the first data line, a third data line located over the second data line and electrically separated from the first and second data lines, and a memory cell coupled to the first, second, and third data lines. The memory cell includes a first material between the first and second data lines and electrically coupled to the first and second data lines; a second material located over the first data line and the first material, the second material electrically separated from the first material and electrically coupled to the third data line; and a memory element electrically coupled to the second material and electrically separated from the first material and first and second data lines.

Claims (40)

1. A method comprising:

applying a first voltage to an access line of a volatile memory device, the access line controlling a first transistor and a second transistor of a memory cell of the volatile memory device during an operation of storing information in a memory element of the memory cell, the memory element directly coupled to a channel region of the second transistor, the first and second transistors having different threshold voltages, the volatile memory device including a first data line coupled to the first transistor, a second data line coupled to the first transistor, and a third data line coupled to the second transistor;

placing each of the first and second data lines in a float condition during the operation; and

applying a second voltage to the third data line during the operation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second voltage is less than the first voltage.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second voltage is equal to the first voltage.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second voltage is greater than the first voltage.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

applying a third voltage to the access line during an additional operation of reading information from the memory cell; and

applying different voltages to the first, second, and third data lines during the additional operation.

6. A method comprising:

applying a first voltage to an access line of a memory device during an operation of reading information from a memory element of a memory cell of the memory device, the memory cell including a first transistor and a second transistor coupled to the access line, the memory element coupled to a channel region of the second transistor, the first and second transistors having different threshold voltages, the memory device including a first data line coupled to the first transistor, a second data line coupled to the first transistor, and a third data line coupled to the second transistor;

applying a second voltage to the first data line during the operation;

applying a third voltage to the second data line during the operation; and

applying a fourth voltage to the third data line during the operation.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the second voltage is less than the first voltage.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the second voltage includes ground potential.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the third voltage is equal to the first voltage.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the third voltage is greater than the second voltage.

11. The method of claim 6 , wherein the third voltage is greater than the fourth voltage.

12. The method of claim 6 , wherein the fourth voltage includes a positive voltage.

13. A method comprising:

applying a first voltage to an access line of a memory device during an operation in a first memory cell of the memory device, the first memory cell including a first transistor coupled to the access line and a second transistor coupled to the access line, the first and second transistors having different threshold voltages;

the memory device including a first data line coupled to the first transistor, a second data line coupled to the first transistor, and a third data line coupled to the second transistor;

the memory device including a second memory cell sharing the access line with the first memory cell, the second memory cell including a first additional transistor coupled to the access line and a second additional transistor coupled to the access line;

the memory device including a first additional data line coupled to the first additional transistor, a second additional data line coupled to the first additional transistor, and a third additional data line coupled to the second additional transistor; and

placing the first additional data line in a float condition during the operation.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

placing the second additional data line in a float condition during the operation.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

applying a second voltage to the first data line during the operation;

applying a third voltage to the second data line during the operation; and

applying a fourth voltage to the third data line during the operation.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the second voltage is less than the first voltage.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the second voltage includes ground potential.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the third voltage is greater than the second voltage.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the third voltage is greater than the fourth voltage.

20. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:

applying a second voltage to the third data line during the operation; and

placing at least one of the first and second data lines in a float condition during the operation.

Continuity (3)
Division 16725643 · Dec 23, 2019
Provisional Application 62785136 · Dec 26, 2018
Related Publication 20220392511A1 · Dec 8, 2022