IP Library Granted Patent US 8,854,865
Granted Patent B2
US 8,854,865 · App. 13/298,235 · Granted Oct 7, 2014

Semiconductor memory device

Inventor: Toshihiko Saito (Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
G11C11/404H01L27/10873H01L28/60H01L27/1085H01L27/108H01L27/1203H01L21/84H01L27/10852H01L28/40
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,854,865
App. No.
13/298,235
Granted
Oct 7, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

To increase a storage capacity of a memory module per unit area, and to provide a memory module with low power consumption, a transistor formed using an oxide semiconductor film, a silicon carbide film, a gallium nitride film, or the like, which is highly purified and has a wide band gap of 2.5 eV or higher is used for a DRAM, so that a retention period of potentials in a capacitor can be extended. Further, a memory cell has n capacitors with different capacitances and the n capacitors are each connected to a corresponding one of n data lines, so that a variety of the storage capacitances can be obtained and multilevel data can be stored. The capacitors may be stacked for reducing the area of the memory cell.

Claims (59)

1. A semiconductor memory device comprising:

a bit line;

a word line;

n data lines (n is a natural number of 2 or more); and

a memory cell including a transistor and n capacitors, the transistor having a channel in an oxide semiconductor film,

wherein:

one of a source and a drain of the transistor is electrically connected to the bit line,

the other of the source and the drain of the transistor is electrically connected to one electrode of each of the n capacitors,

a gate of the transistor is electrically connected to the word line, and

the other electrode of each of the n capacitors is electrically connected to a corresponding one of the n data lines.

2. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 1 , wherein capacitances of the n capacitors are different.

3. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 1 , wherein a capacitance of a k-th capacitor of the n capacitors (k is a natural number of n or less) is 2 k-1 fold of a capacitance of a capacitor with a smallest capacitance.

4. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 3 , wherein the capacitance of the capacitor with the smallest capacitance of the n capacitors is from 0.1 fF to 1 fF, inclusive.

5. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 1 , comprising a plurality of memory cells, wherein the plurality of memory cells are stacked.

6. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 1 ,

wherein an insulating layer is formed over a first capacitor of the n capacitors, and

wherein a second capacitor of the n capacitors is provided over the insulating layer.

7. A semiconductor memory device comprising:

a bit line;

a word line;

a first data line over a first insulating film;

a second data line over a second insulating film over the first data line; and

a memory cell including a transistor, a first capacitor with a first capacitance and a second capacitor with a second capacitance,

wherein one of a source and a drain of the transistor is electrically connected to the bit line,

wherein the other of the source and the drain of the transistor is electrically connected to one electrode of each of the first capacitor and the second capacitor,

wherein the first insulating film is provided over the one electrode of the first capacitor,

wherein the second insulating film is provided over the one electrode of the second capacitor,

wherein a gate of the transistor is electrically connected to the word line,

wherein the other electrode of the first capacitor is provided over the first insulating film and is electrically connected to the first data line,

wherein the other electrode of the second capacitor is provided over the second insulating film and is electrically connected to the second data line, and

wherein a third insulating film is provided between the other electrode of the first capacitor and the one electrode of the second capacitor.

8. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 7 , wherein the first capacitance is smaller than the second capacitance.

9. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 8 , wherein the second capacitance is 2 fold of the first capacitance.

10. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 8 , wherein the first capacitance is from 0.1 fF to 1 fF, inclusive.

11. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 7 , comprising a plurality of memory cells, wherein the plurality of memory cells are stacked.

12. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 7 , further comprising a third capacitor with a third capacitance and a third data line,

wherein the third data line is provided over the first insulating film, and

wherein the third capacitance is larger than the first capacitance and smaller than the second capacitance.

13. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 8 , wherein the second data line is provided over the first data line.

14. A semiconductor memory device comprising:

a bit line;

a word line;

a first insulating film over a first electrode;

a first data line over the first insulating film;

a second insulating film over a second electrode over the first data line;

a second data line over the second insulating film;

a third insulating film between the first data line and the second electrode; and

a semiconductor layer,

wherein the bit line is electrically connected to the semiconductor layer,

wherein the first insulating film covers the semiconductor layer,

wherein the first electrode and the second electrode is electrically connected to the semiconductor layer, and

wherein the word line is overlapping the semiconductor layer interposed with the first insulating film therebetween.

15. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 14 , wherein a first capacitance between the first data line and the first electrode is smaller than a second capacitance between the second data line and the second electrode.

16. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 15 , wherein the second capacitance is 2 fold of the first capacitance.

17. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 15 , wherein the first capacitance is from 0.1 fF to 1 fF, inclusive.

18. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 15 , further comprising a third data line over the first insulating film,

wherein a third capacitance between the third data line and the first electrode is larger than the first capacitance and smaller than the second capacitance.

19. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 14 , wherein the second data line is provided over the first data line.

20. The semiconductor memory device according to claim 14 , wherein the second electrode is electrically connected to the first electrode via a contact hole.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 17, 2011
From: SAITO, TOSHIHIKO
To: SEMICONDUCTOR ENERGY LABORATORY CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 027245/0206 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2010-261470 · Nov 24, 2010 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20120127781A1 · May 24, 2012