IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,205,643
Granted Patent B2
US 12,205,643 · App. 18/407,399 · Granted Jan 21, 2025

Memory device having physical unclonable function and memory system including the memory device

Inventors: Jooyong Park (Hwaseong-si, KR); Pansuk Kwak (Goyang-si, KR); Daeseok Byeon (Seongnam-si, KR)
Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
G11C13/0059G11C5/063G11C13/0028G11C13/0038G11C13/004G11C13/0069
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,205,643
App. No.
18/407,399
Granted
Jan 21, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided are memory devices and memory systems. The memory device includes a memory cell array in a first semiconductor layer and including word lines stacked in a first direction, and channel structures passing through the word lines in the first direction; a control logic circuit in a second semiconductor layer located below the first semiconductor layer in the first direction; and a physical unclonable function (PUF) circuit including a plurality of through electrodes passing through the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer, and configured to generate PUF data according to resistance values of the plurality of through electrodes, and generate the PUF data based on a node voltage between through electrodes connected in series, among the plurality of through electrodes.

Claims (68)

1. A memory device comprising:

a memory cell array in a first semiconductor layer and including word lines stacked in a first direction, and channel structures passing through the word lines in the first direction;

a control logic circuit in a second semiconductor layer located below the first semiconductor layer in the first direction; and

a physical unclonable function (PUF) circuit including a plurality of through electrodes passing through the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer in the first direction, and configured to generate PUF data based on a node voltage between through electrodes connected in series, from among the plurality of through electrodes.

2. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein

the first semiconductor layer is divided into a cell region in which the channel structures are arranged, a word line step region, and a peripheral region, and

the plurality of through electrodes include at least one of:

a first through electrode formed in the cell region;

a second through electrode formed in the word line step region; and

a third through electrode formed in the peripheral region.

3. The memory device of claim 2 , wherein the first through electrode, the second through electrode, and the third through electrode have different resistance values.

4. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the PUF circuit includes:

a PUF cell array configured to generate an output voltage by distributing a power supply voltage using the plurality of through electrodes, the PUF cell array includes a plurality of PUF cells;

a reference voltage generator circuit configured to generate a first reference voltage by distributing the power supply voltage; and

a comparison circuit configured to generate the PUF data by comparing the output voltage with the first reference voltage.

5. The memory device of claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of PUF cells includes:

a first resistive element including a through electrode between a power supply voltage terminal to which the power supply voltage is applied and a first node; and

a second resistive element including a through electrode between the first node and a ground voltage terminal to which a ground voltage is applied, a voltage of the first node is supplied to the comparison circuit as the node voltage.

6. The memory device of claim 4 , wherein each of the plurality of PUF cells includes:

a first resistive element including a plurality of through electrodes connected in series between a power supply voltage terminal to which the power supply voltage is applied and a first node, and

a second resistive element including a plurality of through electrodes connected in series between the first node and a ground voltage terminal to which a ground voltage is applied, and wherein a voltage of the first node is supplied to the comparison circuit as the node voltage.

7. The memory device of claim 4 , wherein the reference voltage generator circuit includes:

a first resistive element between a power supply voltage terminal to which the power supply voltage is applied and a first node; and

a second resistive element between the first node and a ground voltage terminal to which a ground voltage is applied, and

wherein a voltage of the first node is supplied to the comparison circuit as the first reference voltage.

8. The memory device of claim 7 , wherein each of the first resistive element and the second resistive element includes at least one through electrode.

9. The memory device of claim 7 , wherein the reference voltage generator circuit is configured to generate a second reference voltage greater than the first reference voltage, and a third reference voltage less than the first reference voltage, and

the comparison circuit is configured to further compare an output voltage of each of the plurality of PUF cells with at least one of the second reference voltage and the third reference voltage.

10. The memory device of claim 9 , wherein the PUF circuit further includes a combinational logic configured to generate validity data representing validity of each of the plurality of PUF cells based on a result of a comparison between the output voltage of each of the plurality of PUF cells and at least one of the second reference voltage and the third reference voltage.

11. The memory device of claim 10 , wherein the combinational logic is further configured to determine a PUF cell, from among the plurality of PUF cells, having an output voltage level greater than or equal to the second reference voltage or less than the third reference voltage, as a valid PUF cell.

12. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of through electrodes are arranged in a cell region, a word line step region, or a peripheral region of the first semiconductor layer, and

the plurality of through electrodes include:

through electrodes passing through the word lines in the first direction,

through electrodes passing through at least some of the word lines in the first direction, or through electrodes passing through an upper insulating layer in the first direction.

13. A memory device comprising:

a memory cell region including word lines stacked in a first direction, channel structures passing through the word lines in the first direction, and a first metal pad;

a peripheral circuit region including a second metal pad and connected to the memory cell region in the first direction by the first metal pad and the second metal pad; and

a physical unclonable function (PUF) circuit including a plurality of through electrodes passing through the memory cell region in the first direction, and configured to generate PUF data based on a node voltage between through electrodes connected in series, from among the plurality of through electrodes.

14. The memory device of claim 13 , wherein the memory cell region is divided into a cell region in which the channel structures are arranged, a word line step region, and a peripheral region, and

wherein the plurality of through electrodes include at least one of:

a first through electrode formed in the cell region;

a second through electrode formed in the word line step region; and

a third through electrode formed in the peripheral region.

15. The memory device of claim 13 , wherein the PUF circuit includes:

a PUF cell array configured to generate an output voltage by distributing a power supply voltage using the plurality of through electrodes;

a reference voltage generator circuit configured to generate a first reference voltage by distributing the power supply voltage; and

a comparison circuit configured to output the PUF data by comparing the output voltage with the first reference voltage.

16. The memory device of claim 15 , wherein the PUF cell array includes a plurality of PUF cells, and each of the plurality of PUF cells includes:

a first resistive element including at least one through electrode between a power supply voltage terminal to which the power supply voltage is applied and a first node; and

a second resistive element including at least one through electrode between the first node and a ground voltage terminal to which a ground voltage is applied, and

wherein a voltage of the first node is supplied to the comparison circuit as the node voltage.

17. The memory device of claim 15 , wherein the reference voltage generator circuit includes: a first resistive element between a power supply voltage terminal to which the power supply voltage is applied and a first node; and

a second resistive element between the first node and a ground voltage terminal to which a ground voltage is applied, and

wherein a voltage of the first node is supplied to the comparison circuit as the first reference voltage.

18. The memory device of claim 13 , wherein the memory cell region is formed in a first wafer, and the peripheral circuit region is formed in a second wafer, and

wherein the first metal pad and the second metal pad are connected to each other in a bonded manner.

19. A memory system comprising:

a memory device; and

a memory controller configured to transmit a physical unclonable function (PUF) data request command to the memory device in response to an authentication request received from a host, and generate an authentication key based on PUF data received from the memory device,

wherein the memory device includes:

a memory cell array in a first semiconductor layer and including word lines stacked in a first direction, and channel structures passing through the word lines in the first direction;

a control logic circuit in a second semiconductor layer located below the first semiconductor layer in the first direction; and

a PUF circuit including a plurality of through electrodes passing through the first semiconductor layer and the second semiconductor layer in the first direction, and configured to generate PUF data based on a node voltage between through electrodes connected in series, among the plurality of through electrodes.

20. The memory system of claim 19 , wherein the first semiconductor layer is divided into a cell region in which the channel structures are arranged, a word line step region, and a peripheral region, and

wherein the plurality of through electrodes include at least one of:

a first through electrode formed in the cell region;

a second through electrode formed in the word line step region; and

a third through electrode formed in the peripheral region.

Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2021-0077424 · Jun 15, 2021 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation 17569786 · Jan 6, 2022
Related Publication 20240145002A1 · May 2, 2024
References Cited (23)
US 7679133B2 · Son et al. · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 8553466B2 · Han et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 8559235B2 · Yoon et al. · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 8654587B2 · Yoon et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 9859018B2 · Ghosh et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 10615989B2 · Kreft · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 11044086B2 · Choi et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 11901001B2 · Park · 2024 [cited by examiner]
US 20110233648A1 · Seol et al. · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 20140159040A1 · Dimitrakopoulos et al. · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20150055417A1 · Kim · 2015 [cited by examiner]
US 20150071432A1 · Zhu et al. · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20160148679A1 · Yoshimoto et al. · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20180039581A1 · Hung et al. · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180337793A1 · Park · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20190058603A1 · Lin · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20200084052A1 · O'Connell · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20210184870A1 · Hurwitz · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20220399056A1 · Park · 2022 [cited by examiner]
KR 101169172B1 · 2012 [cited by applicant]
KR 1020170087048A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
KR 102165427B1 · 2020 [cited by applicant]
European Search Report dated Jul. 7, 2022 for corresponding EP Patent Application No. 22153135.3. [cited by applicant]