Disclosed are a 3D non-volatile memory, an operating method thereof, and a manufacturing method thereof. The 3D non-volatile memory includes a bit line formed to extend in a vertical direction and horizontal structures contacting the bit line while being formed to extend in a horizontal direction and being space in the vertical direction. Each of the horizontal structures includes a ferroelectric layer contacting the bit line, a middle metal layer surrounded by the ferroelectric layer, a dielectric layer surrounded by the middle metal layer, and a word line surrounded by the dielectric layer.

A semiconductor memory structure includes a semiconductor layer, a conductive layer disposed over the semiconductor layer, a gate penetrating through the conductive layer and the semiconductor layer, and an interposing layer disposed between the gate and the conductive layer and between the gate and the semiconductor layer, wherein a pair of channel regions is formed in the semiconductor layer at two sides of the gate.

Devices and methods for sensing a memory cell are described. The memory cell may include a ferroelectric memory cell. During a read operation, a first switching component may selectively couple a sense component with the memory cell based on a logic state stored on the memory cell to transfer a charge between the memory cell and the sense component. A second switching component, which may be coupled with the first switching component, may down convert a voltage associated with the charge to another voltage that is within an operation voltage of the sense component. The sense component may operate at a lower voltage than a voltage at which the memory cell operates to reduce power consumption in some cases.

Methods, systems, and devices for preventing disturb of untargeted memory cells during repeated access operations of target memory cells are described for a non-volatile memory array. Multiple memory cells may be in electronic communication with a common conductive line, and each memory cell may have an electrically non-linear selection component. Following an access operation (e.g., a read or write operation) of a target memory cell, untargeted memory cells may be discharged by applying a discharge voltage to the common conductive line. The discharge voltage may, for example, have a polarity opposite to the access voltage. In other examples, a delay may be instituted between access attempts in order to discharge the untargeted memory cells.

Methods, systems, and devices for operating a ferroelectric memory cell or cells are described. A ferroelectric memory cell may be used to store a logic state. The capacitance of a digit line of the ferroelectric memory cell may be dynamically increased prior to, and during a portion of, a read operation used to determine a stored logic state of the cell. The capacitance may be increased by leveraging intrinsic capacitance of digit lines of the array—e.g., by shorting one digit line to another digit line. Increasing the capacitance of the digit line may increase the signal on the digit line that is sensed during the read operation.

In an embodiment, a device includes: a pair of dielectric layers; a word line between the dielectric layers, sidewalls of the dielectric layers being recessed from a sidewall of the word line; a tunneling strip on a top surface of the word line, the sidewall of the word line, a bottom surface of the word line, and the sidewalls of the dielectric layers; a semiconductor strip on the tunneling strip; a bit line contacting a sidewall of the semiconductor strip; and a source line contacting the sidewall of the semiconductor strip.

In an embodiment, a device includes: a pair of dielectric layers; a word line between the dielectric layers, sidewalls of the dielectric layers being recessed from a sidewall of the word line; a tunneling strip on a top surface of the word line, the sidewall of the word line, a bottom surface of the word line, and the sidewalls of the dielectric layers; a semiconductor strip on the tunneling strip; a bit line contacting a sidewall of the semiconductor strip; and a source line contacting the sidewall of the semiconductor strip.

In some embodiments, an integrated circuit (IC) device includes an active semiconductor layer, a circuitry formed within the active semiconductor layer, a region including conductive layers formed above the active semiconductor layer, and a memory module formed in the region. The memory device includes a three-dimensional array of memory cells, each adapted to store a weight value, and adapted to generate at each memory cell a signal indicative of a product between the stored weight value and an input signal applied to the memory cell. The memory module is further adapted to transmit the product signals from the memory cell simultaneously in the direction of the active semiconductor layer.

Methods, systems, and devices for sense timing coordination are described. In some systems, to sense the logic states of memory cells, a memory device may generate an activation signal and route the activation signal over a signal line (e.g., a dummy word line) located at a memory array level of the memory device to one or more sense amplifiers. Based on receiving the activation signal, a sense amplifier may latch and determine the logic state of a corresponding memory cell. A first sense amplifier may sense a state of a first memory cell at a first time and a second sense amplifier may sense a state of a second memory cell at a second time in response to the same activation signal due to a propagation delay of the activation signal routed over the signal line (e.g., and corresponding to a propagation delay for activating a word line).

A semiconductor device comprises a first conductive structure extending along a vertical direction and a second conductive structure extending along the vertical direction. The second conductive structure is spaced apart from the first conductive structure along a lateral direction. The semiconductor device further comprises a plurality of third conductive structures each extending along the lateral direction. The plurality of third conductive structures are disposed across the first and second conductive structures. The first and second conductive structures each have a varying width along the lateral direction. The plurality of third conductive structures are configured to be applied with respective different voltages in accordance with the varying width of the first and second conductive structures.