# US 11,308,999 B2 · Boost bypass circuitry in a memory storage device

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- Number: US 11,308,999 B2
- Document ID: US11308999B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/128,831
- Filed: 2020-12-21
- Published: 2021-06-17
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2018-07-13
- Assignees: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
- Applicants: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Hidehiro Fujiwara; Yen-Huei Chen
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11308999B2

## CPC

- G11C 7/12: Bit line control circuits, e.g. drivers, boosters, pull-up circuits, pull-down circuits, precharging circuits, equalising circuits, for bit lines
- G11C 5/145: {Applications of charge pumps; Boosted voltage circuits; Clamp circuits therefor (G11C5/141 takes precedence)}
- G11C 7/08: Control thereof
- G11C 7/1063: {Control signal output circuits, e.g. status or busy flags, feedback command signals}
- G11C 7/1069: {I/O lines read out arrangements}
- G11C 7/109: {Control signal input circuits}
- G11C 7/1096: {Write circuits, e.g. I/O line write drivers}
- H03K 19/00384: {in field effect transistor circuits}
- G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B)
- H03K: PULSE TECHNIQUE (measuring pulse characteristics G01R; modulating sinusoidal oscillations with pulses H03C; transmission of digital information H04L; discriminator circuits detecting phase difference between two signals by counting or integrating cycles of oscillation H03D3/04; automatic control, starting, synchronisation or stabilisation of generators of electronic oscillations or pulses where the type of generator is irrelevant or unspecified H03L; coding, decoding or code conversion, in general H03M)

## Abstract

The present disclosure describes various exemplary memory storage devices that can be programmed to bypass one or more memory cells in a bypass mode of operation. The various exemplary memory storage devices can adjust, for example, pull-up or pull-down, the electronic data as the electronic data passes through these exemplary memory storage devices in the bypass mode of operation. In some situations, the various exemplary memory storage devices may introduce an unwanted bias into the electronic data as the electronic data passes through these exemplary memory storage devices in the bypass mode of operation. The various exemplary memory storage devices can pull-down the electronic data and/or pull-up the electronic data as the electronic data is passing through these exemplary memory storage devices in the bypass mode of operation to compensate for this unwanted bias.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A memory storage device, comprising:
a memory cell, coupled to a bitline, configured to be deactivated in a bypass mode of operation;
a write driver configured to provide an input data bit to the bitline in the bypass mode of operation;
switch circuitry configured to couple the bitline to a data line to pass the input data bit on the bitline to the data line in the bypass mode of operation;
boost circuitry configured to adjust a potential level of the input data bit on the data line to be a potential level of the input data bit on the bitline in the bypass mode of operation; and
a sense amplifier configured to read the input data bit on the data line to provide an output data bit in the bypass mode of operation.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The memory storage device of claim 1, wherein the boost circuitry is configured to pull-down a voltage of the input data bit on the data line to be a voltage of the input data bit on the bitline.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The memory storage device of claim 1, wherein the boost circuitry is configured to pull-up a voltage of the input data bit on the data line to be a voltage of the input data bit on the bitline.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The memory storage device of claim 1, wherein the memory cell is further configured to be activated in a read mode of operation,
wherein the switch circuitry is further configured to couple the bitline to the data line to pass a stored data bit from the memory cell to the data line in the read mode of operation,
wherein the sense amplifier is further configured to read the stored data bit on the data line to provide the output data bit in the read mode of operation, and
wherein the boost circuitry and the write driver are further configured to be deactivated in the read mode of operation.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The memory storage device of claim 1, wherein the memory cell is further configured to be activated in a write mode of operation,
wherein the write driver is further configured to provide the input data bit to the bitline for storage into the memory cell in the write mode of operation,
wherein the switch circuitry is further configured to decouple the bitline from the data line in the write mode of operation, and
wherein the boost circuitry and the sense amplifier are further configured to be deactivated in the write mode of operation.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The memory storage device of claim 1, wherein the boost circuitry comprises:
a logical INVERTER gate configured to perform a logical inversion operation on the input data bit on the bitline;
a switching element configured to adjust the potential level of the input data bit on the data line to be a potential level of an output of the logical INVERTER gate; and
one or more logic gates configured to activate or deactivate the switching element based upon a presence of the input data bit on the bitline.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The memory storage device of claim 1, wherein the switch circuitry comprises:
one or more transistors configured to couple the bitline to the data line to pass the input data bit on the bitline to the data line in the bypass mode of operation.

### Claim 8

Boost circuitry within a memory storage device, comprising:
a first logical INVERTER gate configured to perform a first logical inversion operation on a first input data bit on a first bitline;
a first switching element configured to adjust a voltage of a first output data bit on a first data line to be a potential level of an output of the first logical INVERTER gate;
a second logical INVERTER gate configured to perform a second logical inversion operation on a second input data bit on a second bitline, the second input data bit being a complement of the first input data bit;
a second switching element configured to adjust a voltage of a second output data bit on a second data line to be a potential level of an output of the second logical INVERTER gate, the second output data bit being a complement of the first output data bit; and
one or more logic gates configured to activate or deactivate the first switching element and the second switching element based upon a presence of the first input data bit on the first bitline and the second input bit on the second bitline.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The boost circuitry of claim 8, wherein the one or more logic gates are further configured to:
activate the first switching element and the second switching element in response to detecting the presence of the first input data bit on the first bitline and the second input data bit on the second bitline and in response to a boost enable control signal being at a first logical value; and
deactivate the first switching element and the second switching element in response to not detecting the presence of the first input data bit on the first bitline and the second input data bit on the second bitline or in response to the boost enable control signal being at a second logical value different from the first logical value.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The boost circuitry of claim 8, wherein the first switching element and the second switching element comprise:
n-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (NMOS) field-effect transistors.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The boost circuitry of claim 10, wherein the one or more logic gates comprise:
a first logical NOR gate configured to perform a first logical NOR operation on the first input data bit on the first bitline and the second input data bit on the second bitline to detect the presence of the first input data bit on the first bitline and the second input data bit on the second bitline; and
a second logical NOR gate configured to perform a second logical NOR operation on an output of the first logical NOR gate and a boost enable control signal to activate or to deactivate the first switching element and the second switching element in response thereto.

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The boost circuitry of claim 8, wherein the first switching element and the second switching element comprise:
p-type metal-oxide-semiconductor (PMOS) field-effect transistors.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The boost circuitry of claim 12, wherein the one or more logic gates comprise:
a logical NOR gate configured to perform a logical NOR operation on the first input data bit on the first bitline and the second input data bit on the second bitline to detect the presence of the first input data bit on the first bitline and the second input data bit on the second bitline; and
a logical NAND gate configured to perform a logical NAND operation on an output of the logical NOR gate and a boost enable control signal to activate or to deactivate the first switching element and the second switching element in response thereto.

### Claim 14 (depends on 8)

The boost circuitry of claim 8, wherein the first switching element and the second switching element comprise:
a plurality of transmission gates.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The boost circuitry of claim 14, wherein the one or more logic gates comprise:
a logical NOR gate configured to perform a logical NOR operation on the first input data bit on the first bitline and the second input data bit on the second bitline to detect the presence of the first input data bit on the first bitline and the second input data bit on the second bitline; and
a logical NAND gate configured to perform a logical NAND operation on an output of the logical NOR gate and a boost enable control signal to activate or to deactivate the first switching element and the second switching element in response thereto.

### Claim 16

A method for operating a memory storage device, the method comprising:
deactivating a memory cell of the memory storage device;
providing an input data bit to a bitline of the memory storage device;
coupling the bitline to a data line of the memory storage device to pass the input data bit on the bitline to the data line;
adjusting a potential of the input data bit on the data line to be a potential of the input data bit on the bitline; and
reading the input data bit on the data line to provide an output data bit.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the adjusting comprises:
pulling-down a voltage of the input data bit on the data line to be a voltage of the input data bit on the bitline.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the adjusting comprises:
pulling-up a voltage of the input data bit on the data line to be a voltage of the input data bit on the bitline.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising:
activating the memory cell of the memory storage device;
coupling the bitline to the data line to pass a stored data bit from the memory cell to the data line; and
reading the stored data bit on the data line to provide the output data bit.

### Claim 20 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising:
activating the memory cell of the memory storage device;
decoupling the bitline from the data line; and
providing the input data bit to the bitline for storage into the memory cell.