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US 11,081,165 B2Granted
Memories for decoding memory access addresses for access operations
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorAaron S. Yip
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Memories having block select circuitry having an output that is selectively connected to a plurality of driver circuitries, with each driver circuitry connected to a respective block of memory cells.
Claims22
A memory, comprising:
- an array of memory cells comprising a plurality of blocks of memory cells with each block of memory cells of the plurality of blocks of memory cells comprising a respective plurality of strings of series-connected memory cells;
- a plurality of driver circuitries, each driver circuitry of the plurality of driver circuitries connected to a control gate of each memory cell of the respective plurality of strings of series-connected memory cells of a respective block of memory cells of the plurality of blocks of memory cells;
- and
- block select circuitry having an output, wherein the output of the block select circuitry is selectively connected to each driver circuitry of the plurality of driver circuitries;
- wherein the output of the block select circuitry is configured to provide a same control signal to each connected driver circuitry of the plurality of driver circuitries.
2 more elements
A memory, comprising:
- an array of memory cells comprising a plurality of blocks of memory cells;
- a plurality of driver circuitries, each driver circuitry of the plurality of driver circuitries connected to a respective block of memory cells of the plurality of blocks of memory cells;
- and
- block select circuitry having an output, wherein the output of the block select circuitry is selectively connected to each driver circuitry of the plurality of driver circuitries;
- wherein the output of the block select circuitry is selectively connected to a first driver circuitry of the plurality of driver circuitries in response to a first control signal;
- wherein the output of the block select circuitry is selectively connected to a second driver circuitry of the plurality of driver circuitries in response to a second control signal independent of the first control signal;
- wherein the output of the block select circuitry is selectively connected to a first plurality of control gates of the first driver circuitry in response to the first control signal;
- and
- wherein the output of the block select circuitry is selectively connected to a second plurality of control gates of the second driver circuitry in response to the second control signal.
6 more elements
A memory, comprising:
- an array of memory cells comprising a plurality of blocks of memory cells;
- a plurality of driver circuitries, each driver circuitry of the plurality of driver circuitries connected to a respective block of memory cells of the plurality of blocks of memory cells;
- block select circuitry having an output, wherein the output of the block select circuitry is selectively connected to each driver circuitry of the plurality of driver circuitries;
- a first switch connected between a first current sink and a first driver circuitry of the plurality of driver circuitries;
- and
- a second switch connected between a second current sink and a second driver circuitry of the plurality of driver circuitries;
- wherein the output of the block select circuitry is selectively connected to the first driver circuitry in response to a first control signal;
- wherein the output of the block select circuitry is selectively connected to the second driver circuitry in response to a second control signal independent of the first control signal;
- wherein the first switch is connected to receive a third control signal;
- and
- wherein the second switch is connected to receive a fourth control signal independent of the third control signal.
8 more elements
A memory, comprising:
- an array of memory cells comprising a plurality of blocks of memory cells;
- a plurality of driver circuitries, each driver circuitry of the plurality of driver circuitries connected to a respective block of memory cells of the plurality of blocks of memory cells;
- block select circuitry having an output, wherein the output of the block select circuitry is selectively connected to each driver circuitry of the plurality of driver circuitries;
- a first select line, wherein the first select line is connected to the respective block of memory cells of a first driver circuitry of the plurality of driver circuitries, and connected to the first driver circuitry;
- a second select line, wherein the second select line is connected to the respective block of memory cells of a second driver circuitry of the plurality of driver circuitries, and connected to the second driver circuitry;
- a first switch connected between a first current sink and the first select line;
- and
- a second switch connected between a second current sink and the second select line;
- wherein the output of the block select circuitry is selectively connected to the first driver circuitry in response to a first control signal;
- wherein the output of the block select circuitry is selectively connected to the second driver circuitry in response to a second control signal independent of the first control signal;
- wherein the first switch is connected to receive a third control signal;
- and
- wherein the second switch is connected to receive a fourth control signal independent of the third control signal.
10 more elements
A memory, comprising:
- an array of memory cells comprising a plurality of blocks of memory cells;
- a plurality of driver circuitries, each driver circuitry of the plurality of driver circuitries connected to a respective block of memory cells of the plurality of blocks of memory cells;
- block select circuitry having an output, wherein the output of the block select circuitry is selectively connected to each driver circuitry of the plurality of driver circuitries;
- and
- a global access line;
- wherein, for each driver circuitry of the plurality of driver circuitries, the output of the block select circuitry is selectively connected to that driver circuitry in response to a respective control signal for that driver circuitry;
- and
- wherein, for each driver circuitry of the plurality of driver circuitries, that driver circuitry is configured to selectively connect the global access line to a local access line of its respective block of memory cells responsive to the output of the block select circuitry when connected to the output of the block select circuitry in response to its respective control signal.
5 more elements
A memory, comprising:
- an array of memory cells comprising a plurality of blocks of memory cells;
- a plurality of driver circuitries, each driver circuitry of the plurality of driver circuitries connected to a respective block of memory cells of the plurality of blocks of memory cells;
- block select circuitry having an output, wherein the output of the block select circuitry is selectively connected to each driver circuitry of the plurality of driver circuitries;
- and
- a controller for access of the array of memory cells, wherein the controller is configured to cause the memory to:
- for each block of memory cells of a plurality of blocks of memory cells, determine whether that block of memory cells is selected for an access operation;
- generate a control signal at the output of the block select circuitry having a first voltage level when at least one block of memory cells of the plurality of blocks of memory cells is selected for the access operation, and having a second voltage level, different than the first voltage level, when no block of memory cells of the plurality of blocks of memory cells is selected for the access operation;
- and
- for each block of memory cells of the plurality of blocks of memory cells, apply the control signal to the respective driver circuitry for that block of memory cells when that block of memory cells is selected for the access operation.
6 more elements
A memory, comprising:
- an array of memory cells comprising a plurality of blocks of memory cells, wherein the plurality of blocks of memory cells comprises a plurality of subsets of blocks of memory cells;
- a plurality of driver circuitries comprising a plurality of subsets of driver circuitries, wherein each subset of driver circuitries of the plurality of subsets of driver circuitries corresponds to a respective subset of blocks of memory cells of the plurality of subsets blocks of memory cells, and wherein each driver circuitry of the plurality of driver circuitries is connected to a respective block of memory cells of its respective subset of blocks of memory cells;
- a plurality of block select circuitries, wherein each block select circuitry of the plurality of block select circuitries corresponds to a respective subset of driver circuitries of the plurality of subsets of driver circuitries and to the respective subset of blocks of memory cells of its respective subset of driver circuitries, wherein each block select circuitry of the plurality of block select circuitries has an output, and wherein the output of each block select circuitry of the plurality of block select circuitries is selectively connected to each driver circuitry of its respective subset of driver circuitries;
- and
- a controller for access of the array of memory cells, wherein the controller is configured to cause the memory to:
- for each block of memory cells of the plurality of blocks of memory cells, determine whether that block of memory cells is selected for an access operation, wherein each block of memory cells of any subset of blocks of memory cells of the plurality of subsets of blocks of memory cells has a respective corresponding block of memory cells for each remaining subset of blocks of memory cells of the plurality of subsets of blocks of memory cells;
- and
- for each subset of blocks of memory cells of the plurality of subsets of blocks of memory cells:
- generate a respective control signal at the output of the respective block select circuitry for that subset of blocks of memory cells having a first voltage level when at least one block of memory cells of that subset of blocks of memory cells is selected for the access operation, and having a second voltage level, different than the first voltage level, when no block of memory cells of that subset of blocks of memory cells is selected for the access operation, wherein the respective control signal for that subset of blocks of memory cells is independent of the respective control signal for each remaining subset of blocks of memory cells of the plurality of subsets of blocks of memory cells;
- and
- for each block of memory cells of that subset of blocks of memory cells, apply the respective control signal for that subset of blocks of memory cells to the respective driver circuitry for that block of memory cells when that block of memory cells, or its corresponding block of memory cells of any remaining subset of blocks of memory cells of the plurality of subsets of blocks of memory cells, is selected for the access operation.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.