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US 12,190,939 B2Granted
Memory subword driver circuits and layout
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorKyuseok Lee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In some examples, a subword driver block of a memory device includes a first active region and a second active region adjacent to each other. The first active region forms drains/sources of a first and second transistors in a first region; the second active region forms drains/sources of a third and fourth transistors in a second region, where the first and second regions are adjacent to each other. The first, second, third and fourth transistors are coupled to a common non-active potential via a shared contact overlaid over a merged region between the first and second regions. The first and second active regions may comprise N+ diffusion materials.
Claims19
An apparatus comprising:
- a subword driver block comprising:
- at least first and second active regions extending in a first direction;
- and
- one or more common diffusion regions spaced in the first direction and configured to merge the first and second active regions;
- a gate electrode layer comprising:
- first gate electrode extending in a second direction substantially perpendicularly to the first direction, the first gate electrode overlaid across the first and second active regions in a plan view to form first and second transistors;
- and
- second gate electrode extending in the second direction, the second gate electrode overlaid across the first and second active regions in the plan view to form third and fourth transistors;
- a diffusion contact overlaid on the first active region, the diffusion contact is shared by the second and fourth transistors via a respective common diffusion region of the one or more common diffusion regions;
- a wiring layer comprising a plurality of interconnections extending in the second direction and coupled to respective word lines of a memory cell array;
- and
- a contact wiring coupled to the diffusion contact, wherein the contact wiring is positioned between first and second interconnections of the plurality of interconnections.
9 more elements
An apparatus comprising:
- a subword driver block comprising:
- at least first and second active regions extending in a first direction;
- and
- one or more common diffusion regions spaced in the first direction and configured to merge the first and second active regions;
- a gate electrode layer comprising:
- first gate electrode extending in a second direction substantially perpendicularly to the first direction, the first gate electrode overlaid across the first and second active regions in a plan view to form first and second transistors;
- and
- second gate electrode extending in the second direction, the second gate electrode overlaid across the first and second active regions in the plan view to form third and fourth transistors;
- a diffusion contact overlaid on the first active region, the diffusion contact is shared by the second and fourth transistors via a respective common diffusion region of the one or more common diffusion regions;
- and
- a wiring layer comprising a plurality of interconnections extending in the second direction and coupled to respective word lines of a memory cell array,
- wherein at least one of the plurality of interconnections comprises a bend portion to allow for proper spacing between adjacent interconnections.
9 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a first active region on which a first transistor and a second transistor are formed;
- a second active region adjacent to the first active region on which a third transistor and a fourth transistor are formed;
- a third active region on which a fifth transistor and a sixth transistor are formed;
- a fourth active region adjacent to the third active region on which a seventh transistor and an eighth transistor are formed;
- a plurality of active regions between the second and third active regions, wherein the plurality of active regions are a different type than the first, second, third, and fourth active regions;
- a wiring region comprising a plurality of interconnections extending substantially perpendicular to the active regions and coupled to respective word lines of a memory cell array;
- and
- a contact wiring coupled to a diffusion contact overlaid on at least one active region of the first, second, third, or fourth active regions, wherein the contact wiring is positioned between first and second interconnections of the plurality of interconnections.
5 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a first active region on which a first transistor and a second transistor are formed;
- a second active region adjacent to the first active region on which a third transistor and a fourth transistor are formed;
- a third active region on which a fifth transistor and a sixth transistor are formed;
- a fourth active region adjacent to the third active region on which a seventh transistor and an eighth transistor are formed;
- and
- a plurality of active regions between the second and third active regions, wherein the plurality of active regions are a different type than the first, second, third, and fourth active regions;
- one or more first common diffusion regions configured to merge the first and second active regions;
- and
- first respective diffusion contacts overlaid on the first active region and adjacent to the one or more first common diffusion regions.
6 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a subword driver block comprising a plurality of active regions with a plurality of transistors, and comprising one or more common diffusion regions each configured to merge two active regions of the plurality of active regions;
- a gate electrode layer comprising a plurality of gate electrodes substantially perpendicular to the plurality of active regions, the intersection of the gate electrodes and the active regions forming the plurality of transistors;
- a wiring layer above the active regions and gate electrode layer, the wiring layer comprising a plurality of interconnections coupled to respective word lines of a memory cell array;
- and
- a contact wiring coupled to a diffusion contact on an active region adjacent to a common diffusion region of the one or more common diffusion regions, wherein the contact wiring is positioned between first and second interconnections of the plurality of interconnections.
2 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a subword driver block comprising a plurality of active regions with a plurality of transistors, and comprising one or more common diffusion regions each configured to merge two active regions of the plurality of active regions;
- a gate electrode layer comprising a plurality of gate electrodes substantially perpendicular to the plurality of active regions, the intersection of the gate electrodes and the active regions forming the plurality of transistors;
- a wiring layer above the active regions and gate electrode layer, the wiring layer comprising a plurality of interconnections coupled to respective word lines of a memory cell array, wherein the quantity of the plurality of interconnections is reduced based at least in part on the presence of the one or more common diffusion regions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.