Apparatus and method for hierarchical decoding of dense memory arrays using multiple levels of multiple-headed decoders

1. An integrated circuit comprising:

a memory array comprising array lines of first and second types coupled to memory cells;

a first hierarchical decoder circuit for decoding address information and selecting one or more array lines of the first type, said first hierarchical decoder circuit comprising at least two hierarchical levels of multi-headed decoder circuits.

2. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 1 wherein the memory array comprises a three-dimensional memory array having at least two memory planes, said memory array comprising:

a respective plurality of array lines of the first type on each of at least one array line layer; and

a respective plurality of array lines of the second type on each of at least one array line layer.

3. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 2 wherein the integrated circuit further comprises a second hierarchical decoder circuit for decoding address information and selecting array lines of the second type, said second hierarchical decoder circuit comprising at least two hierarchical levels of multi-headed decoder circuits.

4. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 1 embodied in computer readable descriptive form suitable for use in design, test or fabrication of the integrated circuit.

5. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 1 wherein the first hierarchical decoder circuit comprises:

a first-level decoder circuit for decoding a plurality of address signal inputs and generating a plurality of first-level decoded outputs;

a plurality of second-level multi-headed decoder circuits, each respective one coupled to a respective first-level decoded output, each for providing a respective plurality of second-level decoded outputs; and

a plurality of third-level multi-headed decoder circuits, each respective one coupled to a respective second-level decoded output, each for providing a respective plurality of third-level decoded outputs coupled to the memory array.

6. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 5 wherein each respective one of the second-level multi-headed decoder circuits comprises a respective plurality of second-level driver circuits, each second-level driver circuit comprising:

an input coupled to the respective one of the first-level decoded outputs; and

an output coupled to the corresponding one of the respective plurality of second-level decoded outputs;

each second-level driver circuit for coupling its output to an associated one of a plurality of first bias nodes at times when the first-level decoded output coupled to its input is selected, and otherwise for coupling its output to an associated one of a plurality of second bias nodes.

7. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 6 wherein the first hierarchical decoder circuit further comprises:

a first plurality of second-level bias circuits for respectively generating a suitable condition on the plurality of first bias nodes; and

a second plurality of second-level bias circuits for respectively generating a suitable condition on the plurality of second bias nodes.

8. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 7 wherein:

the suitable condition on at least one of the first bias nodes is at times a selected second-level decoded output bias condition; and

the suitable condition on at least another one of the first bias nodes is at times an unselected second-level decoded output bias condition.

9. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 8 wherein the second-level driver circuits respectively comprise:

a first transistor circuit for coupling the output of the driver circuit to the associated one of the plurality of first bias nodes when the first-level decoded output coupled to the input is selected; and

a second transistor circuit for coupling the output of the driver circuit to the associated one of the plurality of second bias nodes when the first-level decoded output coupled to the input is unselected.

10. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 9 wherein the first transistor circuit comprises two parallel-connected transistor devices of opposite conductivity type.

11. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 9 wherein the second transistor circuit comprises at least two parallel-connected transistor devices controlled by separate signals.

12. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 6 wherein each respective one of the third-level multi-headed decoder circuits comprises a respective plurality of third-level driver circuits, each third-level driver circuit comprising:

an input coupled to the respective one of the second-level decoded outputs; and

an output coupled to the corresponding one of the respective plurality of third-level decoded outputs;

each third-level driver circuit for coupling its output to an associated one of a plurality of third bus lines at times when the second-level decoded output coupled to its input is selected, and otherwise for coupling its output to an associated one of a plurality of fourth bias nodes.

13. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 12 wherein the first hierarchical decoder circuit further comprises:

a first plurality of third-level bias circuits for respectively generating at times a suitable condition on the plurality of third bus lines; and

a second plurality of third-level bias circuits for respectively generating a suitable condition on the plurality of fourth bias nodes.

14. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 13 wherein:

the suitable condition on at least one of the third bus lines is at times a selected third-level decoded output bias condition; and

the suitable condition on at least another one of the third bias nodes is at times an unselected third-level decoded output bias condition.

15. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 14 wherein the suitable condition on at least one of the third bus lines is at times a floating node condition.

16. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 13 wherein:

the suitable condition on at least one of the fourth bias nodes is at times an unselected third-level decoded output bias condition; and

the suitable condition on at least another one of the fourth bias nodes is at times a floating node condition.

17. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 14 wherein the third-level driver circuits respectively comprise:

a third transistor circuit for coupling the output of the third-level driver circuit to the associated one of the plurality of third bus lines when the second-level decoded output coupled to the input is selected; and

a fourth transistor circuit for coupling the output of the third-level driver circuit to the associated one of the plurality of fourth bias nodes when the second-level decoded output coupled to the input is unselected.

18. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 17 wherein at least one of the third transistor circuit and fourth transistor circuit comprises:

at least two parallel-connected transistor devices of opposite conductivity type and controlled by separate signals.

19. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 5 wherein the second-level decoded outputs traverse at least a portion of a sub-array of the memory array.

20. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 19 wherein the second-level decoded outputs traverse across substantially the entire memory array.

21. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 5 wherein the second-level decoded outputs are driven to a voltage above VDD for at least one of a selected and unselected bias condition.

22. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 5 wherein the third-level decoded outputs comprise array lines of the first type, each coupled to an associated plurality of memory cells in the memory array.

23. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 5 wherein:

the memory array comprises a three-dimensional array having at least two memory planes disposed above a substrate, and further having a respective plurality of array lines of the first type on at least one array line layer, and having a respective plurality of array lines of the second type on at least one array line layer; and

at least one plurality of the second-level and third-level multi-headed decoder circuits is disposed substantially within the lateral extent of the memory array.

24. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 23 wherein the plurality of third-level multi-headed decoder circuits is disposed substantially outside the memory array.

25. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 24 wherein the plurality of second-level multi-headed decoder circuits is disposed substantially beneath the memory array.

26. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 24 wherein:

the first-level decoder circuit is disposed beneath the memory array; and

the third-level driver circuits each respectively consist of two transistor devices.

27. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 24 wherein:

the plurality of second-level multi-headed decoder circuits is disposed substantially outside the memory array;

the third-level decoded outputs comprise bit lines in the memory array, each coupled to an associated plurality of memory cells in the memory array; and

the plurality of third bus lines are respectively coupled to a respective read/write bus.

28. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 27 wherein the memory cells comprise passive element antifuse memory cells.

29. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 25 wherein the third-level decoded outputs comprise word lines in the memory array, each coupled to an associated plurality of memory cells, said memory cells arranged in NAND strings within the array.

30. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 29 comprising NAND string memory cell devices having a charge storage dielectric.

31. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 29 comprising NAND string memory cell devices having a floating gate electrode.

32. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 21 wherein:

the plurality of second-level multi-headed decoder circuits are disposed substantially outside the memory array; and

the plurality of third-level multi-headed decoder circuits are disposed substantially beneath the memory array.

33. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 32 wherein:

the third-level decoded outputs comprise word lines in the memory array, each coupled to an associated plurality of memory cells, said memory cells comprising passive element antifuse memory cells.

34. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 33 wherein:

the memory array comprises individual word lines each comprising a respective word line segment on each of more than one respective word line layer.

35. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 32 wherein:

the plurality of second-level driver circuits within a second-level multi-headed decoder circuit is arranged in groups of such second-level driver circuits, individual second-level driver circuits within a group being respectively coupled to a respective one of the plurality of first bias lines, but together coupled to a respective one of the plurality of second bias lines shared by the group.

36. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 35 wherein at least one of the plurality of second bias lines comprises a ground node.

37. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 33 wherein the integrated circuit further comprises a second hierarchical decoder circuit for decoding address information and selecting bit lines of the memory array, said second hierarchical decoder circuit comprising at least two hierarchical levels of multi-headed decoder circuits.

38. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 37 wherein the second hierarchical decoder circuit comprises:

a first-level decoder circuit for decoding a plurality of address signal inputs and generating a plurality of first-level decoded outputs;

a plurality of second-level multi-headed decoder circuits, each respective one coupled to a respective first-level decoded output, each for providing a respective plurality of second-level decoded outputs, said second-level multi-headed decoder circuits being disposed outside the memory array; and

a plurality of third-level multi-headed decoder circuits, each respective one coupled to a respective second-level decoded output, each for coupling one or more selected bit lines of the memory array to an associated

read/write bus, said third-level multi-headed decoder circuits being disposed outside the memory array.

39. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 37 wherein:

the memory array comprises individual word lines each comprising a respective word line segment on each of more than one respective word line layer.

40. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 12 wherein:

the third-level multi-headed decoder circuits each comprise at least 16 third-level driver circuits.

41. The integrated circuit as recited in claim 40 wherein:

the at least 16 third-level driver circuits of each third-level multi-headed decoder circuit are configured in at least 4 groups of at least 4 driver circuits, each group sharing a common unselected bias line.