IP Library Granted Patent US 12,380,929
Granted Patent B2
US 12,380,929 · App. 18/365,771 · Granted Aug 5, 2025

Centralized placement of command and address signals in devices and systems

Inventors: Kazuhiro Yoshida (Tokyo, JP); Kumiko Ishii (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: Lodestar Licensing Group LLC
G11C5/025G11C5/04G11C5/063G11C7/1084G11C7/1087G11C7/109G11C7/225G11C8/18
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,380,929
App. No.
18/365,771
Granted
Aug 5, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Devices are disclosed. A device may include a command and address (CA) interface including a first pair of input circuits arranged in a first direction. The CA interface further including at least one additional pair of input circuits arranged in a second direction relative to the first pair of input circuits. Associated systems are also disclosed.

Claims (39)

1. A device, comprising:

a command and address (CA) interface including:

a first pair of input circuits arranged in a first direction and for receiving a first pair of CA input signals via a first pair of signal lines; and

at least one additional pair of input circuits arranged in a second direction relative to the first pair of input circuits and for receiving at least one additional pair of CA input signals via at least one additional pair of signal lines, wherein each signal line of the first pair of signal lines and the additional pair of signal lines has a substantially equal length from an associated bonding pad to an associated input circuit of either the first pair of input circuits or the at least one additional pair of input circuits.

2. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a bonding pad region and a memory cell region, wherein the CA interface is positioned between the bonding pad region and the memory cell region.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the first pair of input circuits are arranged in a mirror relationship in the first direction.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein each input circuit of the first pair of input circuits comprises:

a buffer circuit operably coupled to one of a number of input signals;

a latch circuit for receiving one or more clock signals; and

a delay circuit arranged between the buffer circuit and the latch circuit.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one additional pair of input circuits comprises a plurality of pairs of input circuits stacked in the second direction.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein a first input circuit and a second input circuit of the first pair of input circuits are arranged in a mirror relationship in the first direction, and wherein a third input circuit and a fourth input circuit of the at least one additional pair of input circuits are arranged in a mirror relationship in the first direction.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the CA interface is positioned between a bonding pad region and a memory cell region in a layout arrangement with the first pair of input circuits and the at least one additional pair of input circuits neighboring each other in a compact region.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one additional pair of input circuits includes a second pair of input circuits and a third pair of input circuits, wherein the CA interface is configured such that the second pair of input circuits are adjacently arranged in a mirror relationship in the first direction and the third pair of input circuits adjacently arranged in a mirror relationship in the first direction.

9. The device of claim 8 , wherein the second pair of input circuits is arranged adjacent to the first pair of input circuits in the second direction, and the third pair of input circuits is arranged adjacent to the second pair of input circuits in the second direction.

10. A system, comprising:

a number of memory devices, each memory device of the number of memory devices comprising a command and address (CA) interface including:

a first pair of input circuits adjacently arranged in a mirror relationship in a first direction and for receiving a first pair of input signals via a first pair of conductors; and

a second pair of input circuits adjacently arranged in a mirror relationship and arranged in a second direction relative to the first pair of input circuits and for receiving a second pair of input signals via a second pair of conductors, each of the first pair of input circuits and the second pair of input circuits for receiving CA input signals including at least one of address information or command information;

wherein each conductor of the first pair of conductors and the second pair of conductors has a substantially equal length from an associated bonding pad to an associated input circuit of either the first pair of input circuits or the second pair of input circuits.

11. The system of claim 10 , the CA interface further comprising a third pair of input circuits adjacently arranged in a mirror relationship and arranged in the second direction relative to the first pair of input circuits.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein at least one input circuit of at least one of the first pair of input circuits or the second pair of input circuits comprise:

a buffer circuit arranged outwards from a center of the mirror relationship; and

latch circuit arranged towards the center of the mirror relationship and configured for receiving one or more clock signals with compact routing.

13. The system of claim 10 , further comprising a clock buffer circuit adjacent to at least one input circuit of either the first pair of input circuits or the second pair of input circuits, the clock buffer circuit configured to supply one or more clock signals to each clock circuit of the first pair of input circuits or the second pair of input circuits.

14. The system of claim 10 , the CA interface further comprising a third pair of input circuits including one input circuit for receiving a chip select signal.

15. A system, comprising:

a controller; and

a memory device operably coupled to the controller and comprising a command and address (CA) interface region including:

a first pair of input circuits arranged in a first direction, each input circuit of the first pair of input circuits for receiving an associated input signal via an associated signal line of a number of signal lines; and

at least one additional pair of input circuits arranged in a second direction relative to the first pair of input circuits, each input circuit of the at least one additional pair of input circuits for receiving an associated input signal via an associated signal line of the number of signal lines, wherein each signal line of the number of signal lines has a substantially equal length from an associated bonding pad to its associated input circuit.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the first pair of input circuits comprises a first input circuit and a second input circuit, the first input circuit and the second input circuit arranged in a mirror relationship in the first direction.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the at least one additional pair of input circuits comprises a third input circuit and a fourth input circuit, the third input circuit and the fourth input circuit arranged in a mirror relationship in the first direction.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein each of two input circuits of the first pair of input circuits comprises:

a buffer circuit for coupling to an associated input signal;

a delay circuit operably coupled to an output of the buffer circuit; and

a latch circuit operably coupled to an output of the delay circuit and configured for receiving one or more clock signals for latching a signal level of the associated input signal.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the two input circuits are positioned in adjacently arranged pairs in a mirror relationship with the latch circuit positioned innermost in the mirror relationship, the buffer circuit positioned outermost in the mirror relationship, and the delay circuit positioned between the buffer circuit and the latch circuit.

20. The system of claim 15 , wherein a first input circuit of the first pair of input circuits is adjacent to a second input circuit of the at least one additional pair of input circuits.

Assignments (1)
LICENSE Recorded Jun 11, 2024
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: LODESTAR LICENSING GROUP LLC
Reel/Frame 067695/0377 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 17448278 · Sep 21, 2021
Continuation 17028558 · Sep 22, 2020
Continuation 16365168 · Mar 26, 2019
Related Publication 20230377611A1 · Nov 23, 2023
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