IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,382,622
Granted Patent B2
US 12,382,622 · App. 17/815,285 · Granted Aug 5, 2025

Memory structure

Inventor: Jhon-Jhy Liaw (Zhudong Township, TW)
Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
H10B10/125
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,382,622
App. No.
17/815,285
Granted
Aug 5, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A memory structure includes a static random-access memory (SRAM) cell having a cell boundary. The SRAM cell includes a first write-port pull-up (PU) transistor and a second write-port PU transistor, a first write-port pull-down (PD) transistor, a second write-port PD transistor, a first write-port pass-gate (PG) transistor, a second write-port PG transistor, a first read-port PD transistor, a second read-port PD transistor, a first read-port PG transistor, and a second read-port PG transistor respectively including nanostructures that are vertically stacked from each other. The memory structure further includes a write bit-line conductor and a write bit-line-bar conductor in a first metal layer under the SRAM cell, wherein the write bit-line conductor is electrically connected to a source/drain feature of the first write-port pass-gate transistor and the write bit-line-bar conductor is electrically connected to a source/drain feature of the second write-port pass-gate transistor.

Claims (52)

1. A memory structure, comprising:

a first write-port pull-up (PU) transistor and a second write-port PU transistor arranged in a first direction;

a first write-port pull-down (PD) transistor, a second write-port PD transistor, a first write-port pass-gate (PG) transistor, and a second write-port PG transistor arranged in the first direction;

a first read-port PD transistor, a second read-port PD transistor, a first read-port PG transistor, and a second read-port PG transistor arranged in the first direction;

a first source/drain contact extending in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, wherein the first source/drain contact is under and electrically connected to a source/drain feature of the first write-port PG transistor;

a second source/drain contact extending in the second direction, wherein the second source/drain contact is under and electrically connected to a source/drain feature of the second write-port PG transistor;

a write bit-line conductor extending in the first direction, wherein the write bit-line conductor is under and electrically connected to the first source/drain contact; and

a write bit-line-bar conductor extending in the first direction, wherein the write bit-line-bar conductor is under and electrically connected to the second source/drain contact.

2. The memory structure of claim 1 , further comprising:

a VSS conductor extending in the first direction, wherein the VSS conductor is under and electrically connected to a source/drain feature shared by the first write-port PD transistor and the second write-port PD transistor and a source/drain feature shared by the first read-port PD transistor and the second read-port PD transistor.

3. The memory structure of claim 2 , wherein the VSS conductor is between the write bit-line conductor and the write bit-line-bar conductor.

4. The memory structure of claim 1 , further comprising:

a first read bit-line conductor and a second read bit-line conductor extending in the first direction, wherein the first read bit-line conductor is over and electrically connected to a source/drain feature of the first read-port PG transistor and the second read bit-line conductor is over and electrically connected to a source/drain feature of the second read-port PG transistor.

5. The memory structure of claim 1 , further comprising:

a first read word-line conductor and a second read word-line conductor extending in the second direction, wherein the first read word-line conductor is over and electrically connected to a gate structure of the first read-port PG transistor and the second read word-line conductor is over and electrically connected to a gate structure of the second read-port PG transistor.

6. The memory structure of claim 1 , further comprising:

a write word-line conductor extending in the second direction, wherein the write word-line conductor is over and electrically connected to a gate structure of the first write-port PG transistor and a gate structure of the second write-port PG transistor.

7. The memory structure of claim 1 , further comprising:

a write word-line conductor extending in the second direction, wherein the write word-line conductor is under and electrically connected to a gate structure of the first write-port PG transistor and a gate structure of the second write-port PG transistor.

8. The memory structure of claim 1 , further comprising:

a VDD conductor extending in the first direction, wherein the VDD conductor is over and electrically connected to a source/drain feature shared by the first write-port PU transistor and the second write-port PU transistor.

9. A memory structure, comprising:

a static random-access memory (SRAM) cell having a cell boundary with a rectangular shape, wherein the SRAM cell comprises:

a first write-port pull-up (PU) transistor and a second write-port PU transistor arranged in a first direction;

a first write-port pull-down (PD) transistor, a second write-port PD transistor, a first write-port pass-gate (PG) transistor, and a second write-port PG transistor arranged in the first direction; and

a first read-port PD transistor, a second read-port PD transistor, a first read-port PG transistor, and a second read-port PG transistor arranged in the first direction; and

a first metal layer under the SRAM cell, wherein the first metal layer comprises a write bit-line conductor and a write bit-line-bar conductor extending in the first direction and arranged in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction,

wherein the write bit-line conductor is electrically connected to a source/drain feature of the first write-port pass-gate transistor and the write bit-line-bar conductor is electrically connected to a source/drain feature of the second write-port pass-gate transistor.

10. The memory structure of claim 9 , wherein the cell boundary comprises a first boundary in the first direction and a second boundary in the second direction, wherein a ratio of a length of the second boundary to a length of the first boundary is in a range from about 1 to about 1.5.

11. The memory structure of claim 10 , wherein the first metal layer further comprises:

a first VS S conductor lengthwise overlapping the first boundary in a top view and electrically connected to a source/drain feature shared by the first write-port PD transistor and the second write-port PD transistor and a source/drain feature shared by the first read-port PD transistor and the second read-port PD transistor.

12. The memory structure of claim 11 , further comprising:

a second metal layer over the SRAM cell, wherein the second metal layer comprises a second VSS conductor extending in the first direction and electrically connected to the source/drain feature shared by the first write-port PD transistor and the second write-port PD transistor and the source/drain feature shared by the first read-port PD transistor and the second read-port PD transistor.

13. The memory structure of claim 12 , further comprising:

a third metal layer over the second metal layer, wherein the third metal layer comprises a first read word-line conductor and a second read word-line conductor extending in the second direction,

wherein the first read word-line conductor is electrically connected to a gate structure of the first read-port PG transistor and the second read word-line conductor is electrically connected to a gate structure of the second read-port PG transistor.

14. The memory structure of claim 13 , wherein the second metal layer further comprises:

a first read word-line landing pad and a second read word-line landing pad lengthwise overlapping the first boundary in the top view, wherein the first read word-line conductor is electrically connected to the gate structure of the first read-port PG transistor through the first read word-line landing pad and the second read word-line conductor is electrically connected to the gate structure of the second read-port PG transistor through the second read word-line landing pad.

15. The memory structure of claim 10 , wherein the first metal layer further comprises:

a VDD conductor lengthwise overlapping the first boundary in a top view and electrically connected to a source/drain feature shared by the first write-port PU transistor and the second write-port PU transistor.

16. A memory structure, comprising:

a static random-access memory (SRAM) cell having a cell boundary, wherein the SRAM cell comprises:

a first write-port pull-up (PU) transistor and a second write-port PU transistor, a first write-port pull-down (PD) transistor, a second write-port PD transistor, a first write-port pass-gate (PG) transistor, a second write-port PG transistor, a first read-port PD transistor, a second read-port PD transistor, a first read-port PG transistor, and a second read-port PG transistor respectively comprising nanostructures that are vertically stacked from each other; and

a write bit-line conductor and a write bit-line-bar conductor in a first metal layer under the SRAM cell, wherein the write bit-line conductor is electrically connected to a source/drain feature of the first write-port pass-gate transistor and the write bit-line-bar conductor is electrically connected to a source/drain feature of the second write-port pass-gate transistor.

17. The memory structure of claim 16 , wherein the SRAM cell further comprises:

a cell boundary having a first boundary and a second boundary, wherein a ratio of a length of the first boundary to a length of the second boundary is in a range from about 1 to about 1.5.

18. The memory structure of claim 16 , further comprising:

a first read bit-line conductor and a second read bit-line conductor in a second metal layer over the SRAM cell, wherein the first read bit-line conductor is electrically connected to a source/drain feature of the first read-port PG transistor and the second read bit-line conductor is electrically connected to a source/drain feature of the second read-port PG transistor.

19. The memory structure of claim 18 , further comprising:

a write word-line conductor in a third metal layer over the second metal layer, wherein the write word-line conductor is electrically connected to a gate structure of the first write-port PG transistor and a gate structure of the second write-port PG transistor.

20. The memory structure of claim 19 , further comprising:

a write word-line landing pad in the second metal layer and lengthwise overlapping the second boundary in a top view, wherein the write word-line conductor is electrically connected to the gate structure of the first write-port PG transistor and the gate structure of the second write-port PG transistor through the write word-line landing pad.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 27, 2022
From: LIAW, JHON-JHY
To: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
Reel/Frame 060639/0617 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240040763A1 · Feb 1, 2024
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