IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,472,253
Granted Patent B2
US 9,472,253 · App. 14/607,858 · Granted Oct 18, 2016

Semiconductor device including spiral data path

Inventors: Seiji Narui (Tokyo, JP); Chikara Kondo (Tokyo, JP)
Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
G11C7/22G11C5/02G11C5/063G11C7/10H01L25/0657G11C11/4097H01L2224/11H01L2924/0002
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,472,253
App. No.
14/607,858
Granted
Oct 18, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

A semiconductor device disclosed in this disclosure includes a first terminal formed above a first surface of a semiconductor substrate, a second terminal formed above a second surface of the semiconductor substrate opposite to the first surface, a first through substrate via (TSV) penetrating the semiconductor substrate, and a first-in first-out (FIFO) circuit, wherein the first TSV and the FIFO circuit are coupled in series between the first terminal and the second terminal.

Claims (37)

1. A semiconductor device comprising:

first, second, third and fourth chips stacked in this order, each of the first, second, third and fourth chips including first, second, third and fourth terminals formed above a first surface thereof, a memory cell array, and a first in first out (FIFO) circuit;

wherein each of the first, second and third chips includes fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth terminals formed above a second surface opposite to the first surface, the FIFO circuit coupled in series between the first terminal and the eighth terminal, the second terminal coupled to the fifth terminal, the third terminal coupled to the sixth terminal and the fourth terminal coupled to the seventh terminal.

2. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the first, second and third chips includes first, second, third and fourth through substrate vias (TSVs) that penetrate a substrate, wherein the first terminal and the eighth terminal are coupled via the first TSV and the FIFO circuit, the second terminal and the fifth terminal are coupled via the second TSV, the third terminal and the sixth terminal are coupled via the third TSV and the fourth terminal and the seventh terminal are coupled via the fourth TSV.

3. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the first, second and third chips includes a first signal path formed between the second terminal and the fifth terminal being free from a FIFO circuit, a second signal path formed between the third terminal and sixth terminal being free from a FIFO circuit, and a third signal path formed between the fourth terminal and the seventh terminal being free from a FIFO circuit.

4. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the FIFO circuit includes a writing FIFO circuit configured to receive data on the first terminal, and a reading FIFO circuit configured to output data to the first terminal.

5. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 4 , wherein each of the first, second and third chips includes a first selecting circuit configured to provide an output of the writing FIFO circuit to one of the eighth terminal and the memory cell array.

6. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 5 , wherein each of the first, second and third chips includes a second selecting circuit configured to provide one of data on the eighth terminal or data read from the memory cell array to the reading FIFO circuit.

7. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the first, second, third and fourth chips includes first and second control terminals formed above the first terminal, wherein the FIFO circuit is configured to receive data from the first terminal responsive to a first control signal above the first control terminal, and output data to the first terminal responsive to a second control signal on the second control terminal.

8. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 1 , wherein each of the first, second and third chips includes

a first command terminal formed on the first surface,

a second command terminal formed on the second surface,

a command TSV coupled between the first and second command terminals, and

a command circuit coupled to the first and second terminals.

9. A semiconductor device comprising:

a first terminal formed above a first surface of a semiconductor substrate;

a second terminal formed above a second surface of the semiconductor substrate opposite to the first surface;

a first through substrate via (TSV) penetrating the semiconductor substrate; and

a first-in first-out (FIFO) circuit;

wherein the first TSV and the FIFO circuit are coupled in series between the first terminal and the second terminal.

10. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising:

a third terminal formed above the first surface;

a fourth terminal formed above the second surface; and

a second TSV penetrating the substrate;

wherein the third terminal and the fourth terminal are coupled to one another via the second TSV without a FIFO circuit.

11. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 9 , wherein the FIFO circuit includes a writing FIFO circuit configured to receive data on the first terminal, and a reading FIFO circuit configured to output data to the first terminal.

12. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 11 , further comprising a memory cell array and a first selection circuit, the first selection circuit configured to selectively provide an output from the writing FIFO circuit to one of the third terminal and the memory cell array.

13. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 12 , further comprising a second selection circuit configured to selectively provide one of data on the third terminal and data read from the memory cell array to the reading FIFO circuit.

14. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 9 , wherein each of the first and second terminals is a data input output terminal to input and output a data.

15. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising

a first and second control terminals formed above the first surface,

wherein the FIFO circuit is configured to receive data from the first terminal responsive to a first control signal on the first control terminal, and output data to the first terminal responsive to a second control signal on the second control terminal.

16. The semiconductor device as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising

a first command terminal formed above the first surface,

a second command terminal formed above the second surface,

a command TSV coupled between the first and second command terminals, and

a command circuit coupled to the first and second terminals.

Assignments (8)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 12, 2019
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.; MICRON SEMICONDUCTOR PRODUCTS, INC.
Reel/Frame 051028/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 9, 2019
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 050937/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 23, 2018
From: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 047243/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 13, 2018
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.; MICRON SEMICONDUCTOR PRODUCTS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 047540/0001 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REPLACE ERRONEOUSLY FILED PATENT #7358718 WITH THE CORRECT PATENT #7358178 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 038669 FRAME 0001. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SECURITY INTEREST. Recorded Jun 8, 2017
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 043079/0001 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 2, 2016
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 038954/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 12, 2016
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 038669/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 28, 2015
From: NARUI, SEIJI; KONDO, CHIKARA
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 034834/0789 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2014-013713 · Jan 28, 2014 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20150213860A1 · Jul 30, 2015