# US 11,114,160 B2 · Memory device for compensating for current of off cells and operating method thereof

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- Number: US 11,114,160 B2
- Document ID: US11114160B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/034,254
- Filed: 2020-09-28
- Published: 2021-01-14
- Granted: 2021-09-07
- Earliest claimed: 2018-06-12
- Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Venkataramana Gangasani; Moo-Sung Kim; Tae-Hui Na; Jun-Ho Shin
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11114160B2

## CPC

- G11C 13/004: {Reading or sensing circuits or methods}
- G11C 13/0004: {comprising amorphous/crystalline phase transition cells}
- G11C 13/0023: {Address circuits or decoders}
- G11C 13/0026: {Bit-line or column circuits}
- G11C 13/0028: {Word-line or row circuits}
- G11C 13/003: {Cell access}
- G11C 13/0033: {Disturbance prevention or evaluation; Refreshing of disturbed memory data}
- G11C 13/0038: {Power supply circuits}
- G11C 2013/0054: {Read is performed on a reference element, e.g. cell, and the reference sensed value is used to compare the sensed value of the selected cell}
- G11C 2207/002: Isolation gates, i.e. gates coupling bit lines to the sense amplifier
- G11C 2213/15: Current-voltage curve
- G11C 2213/72: Array wherein the access device being a diode
- G11C 2213/76: Array using an access device for each cell which being not a transistor and not a diode
- G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B)

## Abstract

A memory device includes a memory cell array including a plurality of memory cells arranged at points where a plurality of word lines and a plurality of bit lines intersect; a sense amplifier configured to amplify, in a read operation mode of the memory device, a voltage difference value between a voltage of a selected word line connected to a selected memory cell of the plurality of memory cells and a reference voltage; and a leakage current compensation circuit connected to a selected word line path between the selected memory cell and the sense amplifier and configured to compensate for a total leakage current generated by unselected memory cells connected to the selected word line in the read operation mode.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A memory device comprising:
a first transistor disposed in an electrical path between a selected memory cell of a plurality of memory cells and a read/write circuit of the memory device; and
a leakage current compensation circuit comprising a second transistor connected to a gate of the first transistor and having characteristics that are the same as characteristics of the first transistor,
wherein the leakage current compensation circuit is configured to cause a current having a same magnitude as a leakage current generated by unselected memory cells connected to a selected word line to which the selected memory cell is connected to flow through the first transistor, in a read operation mode of the memory device that reads data from the selected memory cell.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The memory device of claim 1, wherein the leakage current compensation circuit is configured as a current mirror together with the first transistor.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The memory device of claim 1, further comprising a sense amplifier configured to amplify, in the read operation mode, a voltage difference value between a voltage of a selected word line connected to the selected memory cell and a reference voltage; and
wherein the leakage current compensation circuit is configured to connected to a selected word line path from the selected memory cell to the sense amplifier.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The memory device of claim 3, wherein the plurality of memory cells are arranged at points where a plurality of word lines and a plurality of bit lines intersect,
wherein each of the plurality of word lines comprises a global word line and a plurality of local word lines,
wherein each of the plurality of bit lines comprises a global bit line and a plurality of local bit lines,
wherein one end of the selected memory cell is connected to a selected local word line from among the plurality of local word lines that is connected to a selected global word line from among the plurality of word lines, and
wherein the selected word line path comprises a selected local word line path representing an electrical path from the one end of the selected memory cell to the selected global word line, and a selected global word line path representing an electrical path from the selected global word line to the sense amplifier.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The memory device of claim 4, wherein the leakage current compensation circuit is coupled to a local word line select transistor disposed in the selected local word line path and configured to selectively form an electrical flow path between the selected local word line and the selected global word line.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The memory device of claim 4, wherein the leakage current compensation circuit is coupled to a global word line select transistor disposed in the selected global word line path and configured to selectively form an electrical flow path between the selected global word line and the sense amplifier.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

The memory device of claim 4, wherein the leakage current compensation circuit is connected to a discharge transistor, the discharge transistor connected to one end of the sense amplifier and configured to selectively discharge a charge of the selected local word line.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The memory device of claim 1 wherein the read/write circuit is configured to connect to a memory cell array comprising the plurality of memory cells through a plurality of bit lines.

### Claim 9

A memory device comprising:
a memory cell array comprising a plurality of memory cells arranged at points where a plurality of word lines and a plurality of bit lines intersect; and
a leakage current compensation circuit connected to a selected word line path from a selected memory cell of the plurality of memory cells to a sense amplifier, and configured to compensate for a total leakage current generated by unselected memory cells connected to the selected word line in a read operation mode of the memory device,
wherein the leakage current compensation circuit is electrically connected to the selected word line path in a precharge period in which a selected bit line connected to the selected memory cell from among the plurality of bit lines is precharged.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The memory device of claim 9, wherein the leakage current compensation circuit is configured to drive a current of a value obtained by multiplying a number of bit lines crossing the selected word line from among the plurality of bit lines by a second current value indicating a leakage current value flowing through each of the unselected memory cells in the selected word line path, to compensate for the total leakage current.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The memory device of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of word lines comprises a global word line and a plurality of local word lines,
wherein one end of the selected memory cell is connected to a selected local word line from among the plurality of local word lines that is connected to a selected global word line from among the plurality of word lines, and
wherein the selected word line path comprises a selected local word line path representing an electrical path from the one end of the selected memory cell to the selected global word line, and a selected global word line path representing an electrical path from the selected global word line to the sense amplifier.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The memory device of claim 11, wherein the leakage current compensation circuit is coupled to a local word line select transistor disposed in the selected local word line path and configured to selectively form an electrical flow path between the selected local word line and the selected global word line.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The memory device of claim 12, wherein each of the plurality of bit lines comprises a global bit line and a plurality of local bit lines,
wherein the local word line select transistor is turned on based on a local word line selection signal input to a gate of the local word line select transistor in a word line precharge period in which the selected local word line is precharged, and is connected to the leakage current compensation circuit in a bit line precharge period in which a selected local bit line from among the plurality of local bit lines is precharged.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The memory device of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of memory cells
comprises a phase change material (PCM) that has a resistance value that changes according to a state of the phase change material.

### Claim 15

A memory device comprising a plurality of tiles, wherein each of the plurality of tiles comprises:
a memory cell array comprising a plurality of memory cells connected to intersections between a plurality of word lines and a plurality of bit lines;
a sense amplifier configured to amplify a voltage difference value between a voltage of a selected word line of the plurality of word lines and a reference voltage, in a read operation mode of the memory device, the selected word line coupled to a selected memory cell of the plurality of memory cells;
a discharge transistor connected to one end of the sense amplifier and configured to discharge a charge of the selected word line in the read operation mode of the memory device; and
a leakage current compensation circuit coupled to the discharge transistor and configured to compensate for a first current value generated by off cells of the plurality of memory cells in the read operation mode of the memory device, the off cells connected to the selected word line.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The memory device of claim 15, wherein the leakage current compensation circuit is configured such that the current of the first current value flows through the discharge transistor.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The memory device of claim 16, wherein the leakage current compensation circuit comprises a current mirror including a transistor corresponding to the discharge transistor.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The memory device of claim 15, wherein the plurality of word lines comprise a plurality of local word lines connected to each of a plurality of global word lines,
wherein the memory device further comprises a local word line selection signal control circuit configured to fully or partially turn on a local word line select transistor disposed on a selected local word line from among the plurality of local word lines, the selected local word line coupled to the selected memory cell.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The memory device of claim 15, further comprising a selection logic circuit configured to selectively form an electrical flow path between the selected word line path and the leakage current compensation circuit based on an address of the selected memory cell input from outside of the memory device in the read operation mode.