Patent classifications
G11C11/221
INDUCTIVE ENERGY HARVESTING AND SIGNAL DEVELOPMENT FOR A MEMORY DEVICE
Methods, systems, and devices for inductive energy harvesting and signal development for a memory device are described. One or more inductors may be included in or coupled with a memory device and used to provide current for various operations of the memory device based on energy harvested by the inductors. An inductor may harvest energy based on current being routed through the inductor or based on being inductively coupled with a second inductor through which current is routed. After harvesting energy, an inductor may provide current, and the current provided by the inductor may be used to drive access lines or otherwise as part of executing one or more operations at the memory device. Such techniques may improve energy efficiency or improve the drive strength of signals for the memory device, among other benefits.
STORING MEMORY ARRAY OPERATIONAL INFORMATION IN NON-VOLATILE SUBARRAYS
Methods, systems, and apparatuses for storing operational information related to operation of a non-volatile array are described. For example, the operational information may be stored in a in a subarray of a memory array for use in analyzing errors in the operation of memory array. In some examples, an array driver may be located between a command decoder and a memory array. The array driver may receive a signal pattern used to execute an access instruction for accessing non-volatile memory cells of a memory array and may access the first set of non-volatile memory cells according to the signal pattern. The array driver may also store the access instruction (e.g., the binary representation of the access instruction) at a non-volatile subarray of the memory array.
SENSE AMPLIFIER SCHEMES FOR ACCESSING MEMORY CELLS
A sense component of a memory device in accordance with the present disclosure may selectively employ components having a relatively high voltage isolation characteristic in a portion of the sense component associated with relatively higher voltage signals (e.g., signals associated with accessing a ferroelectric random access memory (FeRAM) cell), and components having a relatively low voltage isolation characteristic in a portion of the sense component associated with relatively lower voltage signals (e.g., input/output signals according to some memory architectures). Voltage isolation characteristics may include isolation voltage, activation threshold voltage, a degree of electrical insulation, and others, and may refer to such characteristics as a nominal value or a threshold value. In some examples the sense component may include transistors, and the voltage isolation characteristics may be based at least in part on gate insulation thickness of the transistors in each portion of the sense component.
ELECTRONIC COMPONENT WITH AT LEAST ONE LAYER OF A FERROELECTRIC OR ANTIFERROELECTRIC MATERIAL
An electronic component with at least one layer of a ferroelectric or antiferroelectric material. The layer may be provided for setting an imprint with a chemical element as a dopant which has a different number of free outer electrons than a non-oxide element of the ferroelectric or antiferroelectric material, and is introduced into the layer in a locally inhomogeneous distribution.
HALF DENSITY FERROELECTRIC MEMORY AND OPERATION
Methods, systems, and devices for operating a ferroelectric memory cell or cells are described. A memory array may be operated in a half density mode, in which a subset of the memory cells is designated as reference memory cells. Each reference memory cell may be paired to an active memory cell and may act as a reference signal when sensing the active memory cell. Each pair of active and reference memory cells may be connected to a single access line. Sense components (e.g., sense amplifiers) associated with reference memory cells may be deactivated in half density mode. The entire memory array may be operated in half density mode, or a portion of the array may operate in half density mode and the remainder of the array may operate in full density mode.
EMBEDDED MEMORY IC'S WITH POWER SUPPLY DROOP CIRCUITRY COUPLED TO FERROELECTRIC CAPACITORS
Integrated circuits with embedded memory that includes ferroelectric capacitors having first conductor structures coupled to an underlying array of access transistors, and second conductors coupled to independent plate lines that are shunted by a metal strap having a pitch similar to that of the capacitors. The independent plate lines may reduce bit-cell disturbs and/or simplify read/write process while the plate line straps reduce series resistance of the plate lines. The metal straps may be subtractively patterned lines in direct contact with the second capacitor conductors, or may be damascene structures coupled to the second capacitor conductors through vias that also have a pitch similar to that of the capacitors.
MEMORY WITH VERTICAL TRANSISTORS AND WRAP-AROUND CONTROL LINES
An example IC device includes a memory cell having a vertical transistor that includes an opening in an insulator material, where sidewall(s) and the bottom of the opening are lined with a channel material and a gate insulator material. The lined opening is at least partially filled with a gate electrode material so that the gate insulator material is between the channel material and the gate electrode material. The IC device further includes a first control line for the memory cell (e.g., a wordline) coupled to the gate electrode material, and a second control line for the memory cell (e.g., a bitline or a plateline) at least partially wrapping around the sidewall of the opening to electrically couple to the channel material at the sidewall. The vertical transistor may be a hysteretic transistor and/or may be further coupled to a hysteretic capacitor.
3D FERROELECTRIC MEMORY CELL ARCHITECTURES
Three-dimensional ferroelectric memory cell architectures are discussed related to improved memory cell performance and density. Such three-dimensional ferroelectric memory cell architectures include groups of vertically stacked transistors accessed by vertical bit lines and horizontal word lines. Groups of such stacks of transistors are arrayed laterally. Adjacent transistor stacks are separated by isolation material or memory structures inclusive of capacitor structures or plate line structures.
Parallel access for memory subarrays
Techniques herein may allow a row of a subarray in a bank of a memory device to be activated before a precharge operation has been completed for a previously opened row of memory cells in the same bank. Each subarray within the bank may be associated with a respective local latching circuit, which may be used to maintain phases at the subarray independent of subsequent commands to the same bank. For example, the latching circuit may internalize timing signals triggered by a precharge command for a first row such that if an activation command is received for a different subarray in the same bank at a time before the precharge operation of the first row is complete, the precharge operation may continue until the first row is closed, as the timing signals triggered by the precharge command may be maintained locally at the subarray using the latching circuit.
Memory cell arrangement and methods thereof
A memory cell arrangement is provided that may include: a plurality of first control lines; a plurality of second control lines; a plurality of third control lines; each of a plurality of memory cell sets includes memory cells and is assigned to a corresponding one of the plurality of first control lines and includes at least a first memory cell subset addressable via the corresponding first control line, a corresponding one of the plurality of second control lines, and the plurality of third control lines, and at least a second memory cell subset addressable via the corresponding first control line, the plurality of second control lines, and a corresponding one of the plurality of third control lines. The corresponding one of the plurality of third control lines addresses the second memory cell subset of each memory cell set of the plurality of memory cell sets.