Apparatuses and methods including supply current in memory
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorRichard Dodge
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Some embodiments include apparatuses and methods having first conductive lines, second conductive lines, a memory array including memory cells, each of the memory cells coupled between one of the first conductive lines and one of the second conductive lines. At least one of such apparatuses and methods can include a module configured to cause a first current from a first current source and a second current from a second current source to flow through a selected memory cell among the memory cells during an operation of storing information in the selected memory cell. Other embodiments including additional apparatuses and methods are described.
Claims27
An apparatus comprising:
- first conductive lines;
- second conductive lines;
- a memory array including memory cells, each of the memory cells coupled between one of the first conductive lines and one of the second conductive lines;
- and
- a module configured to cause a first current from a first current source and a second current from a second current source to flow through a selected memory cell among the memory cells during an operation of storing information in the selected memory cell.
An apparatus comprising:
- data lines extending in a first direction;
- a first conductive line and second conductive lines extending in a second direction;
- a memory array including switches and memory cells, each of the switches coupled between the first conductive line and one of the data lines, each of the memory cells coupled between one of the second conductive lines and one of the data lines;
- and
- a module configured to:
- access a selected memory cell among the memory cells during an operation to store information in the selected memory cell if the operation is a first operation and to retrieve information from the selected memory cell if the operation is a second operation;
- turn on a selected switch among the switches and pass a current through the selected switch to the selected memory cell during at least a portion of a time interval of the operation if the operation is the first operation;
- and
- turn off the selected switch if the operation is the second operation.
An apparatus comprising:
- a data line;
- a first conductive line and a second conductive line;
- a memory array including a switch coupled between the data line and the first conductive line, and a memory cell coupled between the data line and the second conductive line;
- a first circuit to form a first conductive path from a first node to the data line via the first conductive line and the switch if the memory cell is selected to store information in the memory cell, the first circuit to form a second conductive path from a second node to the first conductive line if the memory cell is not selected to store information in the memory cell;
- and
- a second circuit to form a third conductive path from the data line to a third node via the selected memory cell and the second conductive line if the memory cell is selected to store information in the memory cell, the second circuit to form a fourth conductive path from the second conductive line to a fourth node if the memory cell is not selected to store information in the memory cell.
A method comprising:
- causing a first current from a first current source to flow through a memory cell of a memory array during an operation of storing information in the memory cell;
- and
- causing a second current from a second current source to flow through the memory cell during the operation of storing information in the memory cell.
A method comprising:
- accessing a memory cell during an operation;
- passing a single current through the memory cell if the operation includes retrieving stored information from the memory cell;
- and
- passing multiple currents through the memory cell if the operation includes storing information in the memory cell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.