# US 12,002,538 B2 · Memory device with data mergers and aligner

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- Number: US 12,002,538 B2
- Document ID: US12002538B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/777,010
- Filed: 2020-11-17
- Published: 2022-12-15
- Granted: 2024-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2019-11-21
- Applicants: Metacni Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Young Seung Kim; Seung Moon Yoo; Min Chul Jung
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12002538B2

## CPC

- G11C 7/1039: {using pipelining techniques, i.e. using latches between functional memory parts, e.g. row/column decoders, I/O buffers, sense amplifiers}
- G11C 7/1066: {Output synchronization}
- G11C 7/02: with means for avoiding parasitic signals
- G11C 7/1006: {Data managing, e.g. manipulating data before writing or reading out, data bus switches or control circuits therefor}
- G11C 7/106: {Data output latches}
- H03K 5/1534: Transition or edge detectors
- G11C 2207/2254: Calibration
- G11C 2207/2272: Latency related aspects
- 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

A memory device may comprise: a memory cell array in which memory cells are connected in matrix form to word lines and bit lines; a plurality of mergers connected in series to transfer data that is read from a selected memory cell among the memory cells included in the memory cell array and is transformed into one of a direct current form or a pulse form; and an aligner that synchronizes an edge of first output data, output by one of the plurality of mergers, with an edge of a control pulse, thereby delaying the edge of the first output data.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A memory device comprising:
a memory cell array in which memory cells are connected to word lines and bit lines in a matrix form;
a plurality of mergers connected in series to transmit data that is read from a selected memory cell from among the memory cells included in the memory cell array and transformed into one of a direct current form and a pulse form; and
an aligner configured to delay an edge of first output data output by one of the plurality of mergers in synchronization with an edge of a control pulse, wherein first data which is one of data bit ‘0’ and data bit ‘1’ is input to the merger in the direct current form of first logic and second data which is the other of the data bit ‘0’ and the data bit ‘1’ is input to the merger in the pulse form in which the first logic is changed through second logic back to the first logic.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The memory device of claim 1, wherein the merger outputs data by merging output of a previous merger and output of a corresponding sense amplifier.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The memory device of claim 1, wherein when the first data is input, the aligner passes the first data to output the direct current form of the first logic as second output data, and when a first edge changing from the second logic to the first logic, the aligner outputs the first edge with a delay as the second output data in synchronization with a rising edge or a falling edge of the control pulse.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The memory device of claim 1, wherein the aligner includes first and second edge delay units connected in series,
wherein the first edge delay unit receives the first output data and the control pulse as inputs, delays a first edge occurring in the first output data during the control pulse is at the first logic, and outputs the first edge as intermediate data when the control pulse changes from the first logic to the second logic, and
wherein the second edge delay unit receives the intermediate data and an inverted control pulse inverting the control pulse as inputs, delays the first edge occurring in the intermediate data during the inverted control pulse is at the first logic, and outputs the first edge as second output data when the inverted control pulse changes from the first logic to the second logic.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The memory device of claim 4, wherein the first logic is logic high and the second logic is logic low,
wherein the first edge delay unit includes a first NAND gate receiving the first output data and output of a second NAND gate as inputs, the second NAND gate receiving the control pulse and output of the first NAND gate as inputs, and a first NOT gate inverting the output of the first NAND gate to output the intermediate data, and
wherein the second edge delay unit includes a third NAND gate receiving the intermediate data and output of a fourth NAND gate as inputs, the fourth NAND gate receiving the inverted control pulse and output of the third NAND gate as inputs, and a second NOT gate inverting the output of the third NAND gate to output the second output data.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The memory device of claim 5, wherein the second NAND gate further receives an on-off control signal enabling or disabling an operation of the first edge delay unit as the inputs, and
wherein the on-off control signal is input as logic low when a requested address of a memory cell is relatively far from the aligner.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The memory device of claim 1, further comprising:
a plurality of memory cell arrays;
a plurality of first aligner arrays comprising a plurality of aligners each of which is connected to one of the memory cells and a plurality of second mergers each of which is connected a corresponding one of the plurality of aligners; and
a second aligner array comprising a plurality of second aligners each of which is connected to one of the plurality of second mergers included in one among the plurality of first aligner arrays.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The memory device of claim 7, wherein the second aligner delays an edge of second output data output from a corresponding second merger by using a feedback control pulse fed back from the plurality of aligners included in the plurality of first aligner arrays.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The memory device of claim 8, wherein the second aligner receives the second output data and the feedback control pulse as inputs, passes the first data as it is to output the first data as third output data of the direct current form of the first logic when the first data is input as the second output data, delays the first edge occurring in the second output data during an inverted feedback control pulse inverting the feedback control pulse is the first logic, and outputs the first edge as the third output data when the inverted feedback control pulse changes from the first logic to the second logic.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The memory device of claim 9, wherein the second aligner comprises a fourth NOT gate inverting the feedback control pulse to output the inverted feedback control pulse, a fifth NAND gate receiving the second output data and output of a sixth NAND gate as inputs, the sixth NAND gate receiving the inverted feedback control pulse and output of the fifth NAND gate as inputs, and a fifth NOT gate inverting the output of the fifth NAND gate.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The memory device of claim 9, wherein the second merger comprises a seventh NAND gate receiving output of a previous second merger and output of a corresponding aligner as inputs, and a sixth NOT gate inverting output of the seventh NAND gate.