# US 11,308,017 B2 · Reconfigurable channel interfaces for memory devices

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- Number: US 11,308,017 B2
- Document ID: US11308017B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/858,286
- Filed: 2020-04-24
- Published: 2020-12-03
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2019-05-31
- Assignees: Micron Technology, Inc.
- Applicants: Micron Technology, Inc.
- Inventors: Michael Dieter Richter
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11308017B2

## CPC

- G06F 13/4027: {using bus bridges (G06F13/4022 takes precedence)}
- G06F 13/1668: {Details of memory controller}
- G11C 7/1045: {Read-write mode select circuits}
- G11C 8/12: Group selection circuits, e.g. for memory block selection, chip selection, array selection
- G11C 11/4096: Input/output [I/O] data management or control circuits, e.g. reading or writing circuits, I/O drivers or bit-line switches
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B)

## Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for reconfigurable channel interfaces for memory devices are described. A memory device may be split into multiple logical channels, where each logical channel is associated with a memory array and a command/address (CA) interface. In some cases, the memory device may configure a first CA interface associated with a first channel to forward commands to a first memory array associated with the first channel and a second memory array associated with a second channel. The configuring may include isolating a second CA interface associated with the second channel from the second array and coupling the first CA interface with the second memory array.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method, comprising:
receiving, at a first command/address (CA) interface coupled with a first memory array, a command indicating a configuration of a plurality of CA interfaces including the first CA interface, wherein each CA interface of the plurality of CA interfaces is coupled with a respective memory array of a plurality of memory arrays comprising at least the first memory array;
isolating a second CA interface of the plurality from a second memory array of the plurality of memory arrays based at least in part on receiving the command; and
coupling the first CA interface with the second memory array based at least in part on isolating the second CA interface from the second memory array, wherein the first CA interface is coupled with both the first memory array and the second memory array based at least in part on the configuration.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
deactivating the second CA interface based at least in part on receiving the command at the first CA interface, wherein coupling the first CA interface with the second memory array is based at least in part on deactivating the second CA interface.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2, wherein deactivating the second CA interface comprises:
deactivating a clock associated with the second CA interface based at least in part on receiving the command at the first CA interface.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving, at the first CA interface based at least in part on coupling the first CA interface with the second memory array, a read command for the second memory array; and
retrieving data from the second memory array based at least in part on receiving the read command at the first CA interface.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method of claim 4, further comprising:
retrieving additional data from the first memory array based at least in part on receiving the read command at the first CA interface.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, further comprising:
forwarding the read command from the first CA interface to the first memory array and the second memory array, wherein retrieving the data is based at least in part on forwarding the read command to the second memory array, and wherein retrieving the additional data is based at least in part on forwarding the read command to the first memory array.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
receiving, at the first CA interface, a second command for associating the second CA interface with the second memory array;
isolating the first CA interface from the second memory array based at least in part on receiving the second command; and
coupling the second CA interface with the second memory array based at least in part on isolating the first CA interface from the second memory array.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, further comprising:
activating the second CA interface based at least in part on receiving the second command at the first CA interface.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the command is received after a memory device comprising the first CA interface has performed a boot-up process.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the command is received over one or more dedicated pins of the first CA interface as part of a boot-up process for a memory device comprising the first CA interface.

### Claim 11

An apparatus, comprising:
a first memory array coupled with a first data channel, the first data channel configured to communicate first data between the first memory array and a memory controller;
a second memory array different than the first memory array and coupled with a second data channel, the second data channel configured to communicate second data between the second memory array and the memory controller;
a first command/address (CA) interface coupled with a first control channel and associated with the first memory array;
a second CA interface coupled with a second control channel and associated with the second memory array; and
a selection component coupled with the first CA interface and the second CA interface and configured to selectively couple the second memory array with the first CA interface at a first time and to selectively couple the second memory array with the second CA interface at a second time, wherein the first CA interface is coupled with the first memory array at the first time and the second time.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The apparatus of claim 11, wherein:
commands for the second memory array are received over the first control channel based at least in part on the second memory array being coupled with the first CA interface.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:
a third memory array coupled with a third data channel;
a fourth memory array coupled with a fourth data channel;
a third CA interface coupled with a third control channel and associated with the third memory array; and
a fourth CA interface coupled with a fourth control channel and associated with the fourth memory array, wherein the selection component is coupled with the third CA interface and the fourth CA interface.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first CA interface is coupled with the first memory array, the second memory array, the third memory array, and the fourth memory array using the selection component.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the selection component is further configured to selectively couple the fourth memory array with the third CA interface or the fourth CA interface.

### Claim 16 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the selection component is further configured to selectively couple the third memory array with the first CA interface or the third CA interface and to selectively couple the fourth memory array with the first CA interface or the fourth CA interface.

### Claim 17 (depends on 13)

The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the first memory array, the second memory array, the third memory array, and the fourth memory array or a combination thereof comprise dynamic random access memory (DRAM) memory cells.

### Claim 18 (depends on 11)

The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the selection component comprises a multiplexer coupled with the first CA interface and the second CA interface.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the selection component further comprises a latching component configured to transmit a selection signal to the multiplexer.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the selection component further comprises a second multiplexer coupled with a third CA interface and a fourth CA interface, wherein the third CA interface is coupled with a third control channel and associated with a third memory array and the fourth CA interface is coupled with a fourth control channel and associated with a fourth memory array, and wherein the latching component is further configured to transmit the selection signal to the second multiplexer.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the selection component further comprises:
a third multiplexer coupled with the first CA interface and the third CA interface;
a fourth multiplexer coupled with the first CA interface and the fourth CA interface; and
a second latching component configured to transmit a second selection signal to the third multiplexer and the fourth multiplexer.

### Claim 22

A method, comprising:
receiving a read command at a command/address (CA) interface coupled with a first control channel, a first memory array, and a second memory array, the first memory array coupled with a first data channel and the second memory array coupled with a second data channel different than the first data channel;
identifying that the read command is for the second memory array;
retrieving a set of data from the second memory array based at least in part on receiving the read command; and
transmitting the set of data over the second data channel based at least in part on retrieving the set of data from the second memory array.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, further comprising:
receiving, over the first control channel, a write command at the CA interface;
receiving, over the second data channel, a second set of data based at least in part on receiving the write command at the CA interface; and
writing the second set of data to the second memory array based at least in part on receiving the write command and the second set of data.

### Claim 24 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, further comprising:
retrieving a second set of data from the first memory array based at least in part on receiving the read command; and
transmitting the second set of data over the first data channel based at least in part on retrieving the second set of data from the first memory array.

### Claim 25 (depends on 22)

The method of claim 22, further comprising:
retrieving a second set of data from a third memory array coupled with a third data channel based at least in part on receiving the read command at the CA interface; and
transmitting the second set of data over the third data channel based at least in part on retrieving the second set of data from the third memory array.

### Claim 26

An apparatus, comprising:
a first memory array coupled with a first data channel and a second memory array coupled with a second data channel; and
a command/address (CA) interface coupled with a first control channel, the first memory array, and the second memory array and configured to receive a write command and identify that the write command is for the second memory array, wherein:
the CA interface is configured to forward the write command to the second memory array over an internal channel; and
the second memory array is configured to receive a set of data over the second data channel based at least in part on the write command and to write the set of data to the second memory array based at least in part on receiving the set of data.

### Claim 27 (depends on 26)

The apparatus of claim 26, wherein:
the CA interface is configured to receive a read command and identify that the read command is for the second memory array; and
the second memory array is configured to retrieve a second set of data based at least in part on the CA interface receiving the read command and to transmit the second set of data over the second data channel coupled with the second memory array based at least in part on the retrieving.

### Claim 28 (depends on 26)

The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising:
a second CA interface coupled with a second control channel and configured to be isolated from the second memory array when the CA interface receives the write command for the second memory array.

### Claim 29 (depends on 28)

The apparatus of claim 28, further comprising:
a third memory array coupled with a third data channel and configured to receive a third set of data over the third data channel based at least in part on the CA interface coupled with the first control channel receiving the write command and to write the third set of data to the third memory array based at least in part on receiving the third set of data; and
a fourth memory array coupled with a fourth data channel and configured to receive a fourth set of data over the fourth data channel based at least in part on the CA interface coupled with the first control channel receiving the write command and to write the fourth set of data to the fourth memory array based at least in part on receiving the fourth set of data.

### Claim 30 (depends on 29)

The apparatus of claim 29, further comprising:
a third CA interface coupled with a third control channel and configured to be isolated from the third memory array when the CA interface coupled with the first control channel receives the write command; and
a fourth CA interface coupled with a fourth control channel and configured to be isolated from the fourth memory array when the CA interface coupled with the first control channel receives the write command.

### Claim 31 (depends on 26)

The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the first memory array is configured to receive a second set of data over the first data channel based at least in part on the CA interface coupled with the first control channel receiving the write command.

### Claim 32

A method, comprising:
determining, by a host device, a size of information associated with an access command for performance by a memory device;
determining a configuration of at least one of a plurality of command/address (CA) interfaces of the memory device based at least in part on determining the size of the information associated with the access command; and
transmitting, to a CA interface of the plurality, a command indicating the configuration.

### Claim 33 (depends on 32)

The method of claim 32, wherein the configuration indicates that the CA interface is coupled with a first memory array and a second memory array and that a second CA interface is deactivated.

### Claim 34 (depends on 32)

The method of claim 32, further comprising:
identifying a quantity of reconfigurable CA interfaces of the memory device based at least in part on determining the size of the information associated with the access command, wherein determining the configuration is based at least in part on identifying the quantity of reconfigurable CA interfaces.

### Claim 35 (depends on 32)

The method of claim 32, further comprising:
transmitting, over a data channel, data with the size based at least in part on transmitting the configuration to the memory device.