# US 2022/0045080 A1 · Page buffer circuit and memory device including the same

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- Number: US 2022/0045080 A1
- Document ID: US20220045080A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/219,299
- Filed: 2021-03-31
- Published: 2022-02-10
- Earliest claimed: 2020-08-10
- Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Yongsung CHO; Inho KANG; Ansoo PARK; Jeunghwan PARK; Dongha SHIN; Jeawon JEONG
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20220045080A1

## CPC

- G11C 5/025: {Geometric lay-out considerations of storage- and peripheral-blocks in a semiconductor storage device (geometrical lay-out of the components in integrated circuits, geometrical lay-out of the components in integrated circuits H10D89/10)}
- H10B 43/40: characterised by the peripheral circuit region
- G06F 3/0656: {Data buffering arrangements}
- G11C 7/02: with means for avoiding parasitic signals
- G11C 16/26: Sensing or reading circuits; Data output circuits
- H10B 41/27: the channels comprising vertical portions, e.g. U-shaped channels
- H10B 43/27: the channels comprising vertical portions, e.g. U-shaped channels
- H10B 43/35: with cell select transistors, e.g. NAND
- G11C 5/10: for interconnecting capacitors
- G11C 2207/105: Aspects related to pads, pins or terminals
- G11C 2216/02: Structural aspects of erasable programmable read-only memories
- G11C 2216/30: Reduction of number of input/output pins by using a serial interface to transmit or receive addresses or data, i.e. serial access memory
- G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B)
- H10B: ELECTRONIC MEMORY DEVICES
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

A memory device includes: a memory cell array including a plurality of memory cells; and a page buffer circuit provided in a page buffer region including a main region and a cache region provided in a first horizontal direction, and including a first page buffer unit and a second page buffer unit adjacent to each other in a second horizontal direction in the main region. A first sensing node of the first page buffer unit includes a first lower metal pattern, and a first upper metal pattern, and electrically connected to the first lower metal pattern. A second sensing node of the second page buffer unit includes a second lower metal pattern, and a second upper metal pattern, electrically connected to the second lower metal pattern, and not adjacent to the first upper metal pattern in the second horizontal direction.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A memory device comprising:
a memory cell array including a plurality of memory cells; and
a page buffer circuit connected to the memory cell array, the page buffer circuit being provided in a page buffer region, the page buffer region including a main region and a cache region arranged in a first horizontal direction, and the page buffer circuit comprising a first page buffer unit and a second page buffer unit arranged in the main region in a second horizontal direction,
wherein the first page buffer unit comprises a first sensing node, and the second page buffer unit comprises a second sensing node,
wherein the first sensing node comprises:
a first lower metal pattern provided in a lower metal layer; and
a first upper metal pattern provided in an upper metal layer provided above the lower metal layer in a vertical direction, and the first upper metal pattern electrically connected to the first lower metal pattern, and
wherein the second sensing node comprises:
a second lower metal pattern provided in the lower metal layer; and
a second upper metal pattern provided in the upper metal layer, the second upper metal pattern electrically connected to the second lower metal pattern, and the second upper metal pattern not adjacent to the first upper metal pattern in the second horizontal direction.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The memory device of claim 1, wherein the page buffer circuit further comprises a first cache latch and a second cache latch provided in the cache region, and
wherein the first cache latch and the second cache latch are adjacent to each other in the second horizontal direction and are respectively connected to the first page buffer unit and the second page buffer unit, and adjacent to each other in the second horizontal direction.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The memory device of claim 1, wherein the first and second lower metal patterns extend in a same direction as the first and second upper metal patterns.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The memory device of claim 3, wherein the first and second page buffer units are connected to the plurality of memory cells through first and second bit lines, respectively, and
the first and second bit lines extend in a same direction as the first and second lower metal patterns and the first and second upper metal patterns.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The memory device of claim 1, wherein the upper metal layer comprises:
a first power supply pattern provided above the first page buffer unit;
the first upper metal pattern provided above the first page buffer unit, and adjacent to the first power supply pattern in the second horizontal direction;
the second upper metal pattern provided above the second page buffer unit; and
a second power supply pattern provided above the second page buffer unit, and adjacent to the second upper metal pattern in the second horizontal direction.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The memory device of claim 1, wherein the upper metal layer comprises:
an internal signal pattern provided above the first page buffer unit;
a first power supply pattern provided above the first page buffer unit, and adjacent to the internal signal pattern in the second horizontal direction; and
the first and second upper metal patterns provided above the second page buffer unit.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The memory device of claim 1, wherein the upper metal layer comprises:
a first power supply pattern provided above the first page buffer unit;
a second power supply pattern provided above the second page buffer unit; and
the first and second upper metal patterns arranged in the first horizontal direction between the first and second power supply patterns.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The memory device of claim 1, wherein the upper metal layer comprises:
an internal signal pattern provided above the first page buffer unit;
the first and second upper metal patterns provided above the second page buffer unit, and arranged in the first horizontal direction; and
a power supply pattern provided between the internal signal pattern and the first and second upper metal patterns.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The memory device of claim 1,
wherein the upper metal layer comprises:
a first power supply pattern;
the first upper metal pattern provided adjacent to the first power supply pattern in the second horizontal direction;
a second power supply pattern provided adjacent to the first upper metal pattern in the second horizontal direction;
the second upper metal pattern provided adjacent to the second power supply pattern in the second horizontal direction; and
a third power supply pattern provided adjacent to the second upper metal pattern in the second horizontal direction, and
wherein the first to third power supply patterns and the first and second upper metal patterns extend in the first horizontal direction.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The memory device of claim 1,
wherein the upper metal layer comprises:
a first internal signal pattern on a first track;
the first upper metal pattern on a second track;
a second internal signal pattern on a third track;
a third internal signal pattern on a fourth track; and
the second upper metal pattern on a fifth track, and
wherein the first, second and third internal signal patterns and the first and second upper metal patterns extend in the first horizontal direction.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The memory device of claim 10,
wherein the upper metal layer further comprises:
a first power supply pattern on the first track; and
a second power supply pattern on the third track, and
wherein the first power supply pattern, the first upper metal pattern, and the second power supply pattern are adjacent to each other in the second horizontal direction.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The memory device of claim 1, wherein the first and second lower metal patterns are not adjacent to each other in the second horizontal direction.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The memory device of claim 1,
wherein the lower metal layer comprises:
a first power supply pattern;
the first lower metal pattern provided adjacent to the first power supply pattern in the second horizontal direction;
a second power supply pattern provided adjacent to the first lower metal pattern in the second horizontal direction; and
the second lower metal pattern provided adjacent to the second power supply pattern in the second horizontal direction, and
wherein the first and second power supply patterns and the first and second lower metal patterns extend in the first horizontal direction.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The memory device of claim 1, wherein the first page buffer unit comprises a first dynamic latch connected to the first sensing node, the first dynamic latch including a first dynamic node,
wherein the second page buffer unit comprises a second dynamic latch connected to the second sensing node, the second dynamic latch including a second dynamic node, wherein the first dynamic node of the comprises:
a third lower metal pattern provided in the lower metal layer; and
a third upper metal pattern provided in the upper metal layer and electrically connected to the third lower metal pattern, and
wherein the second dynamic node comprises:
a fourth lower metal pattern provided in the lower metal layer; and
a fourth upper metal pattern provided in the upper metal layer and electrically connected to the fourth lower metal pattern.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The memory device of claim 14, wherein the first upper metal pattern and the third upper metal pattern are arranged in the first horizontal direction,
the second upper metal pattern and the fourth upper metal pattern are arranged in the first horizontal direction, and
the third upper metal pattern and the fourth upper metal pattern are not adjacent to each other in the second horizontal direction.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The memory device of claim 14, wherein the first to fourth upper metal patterns are arranged in the first horizontal direction.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The memory device of claim 14, wherein the first upper metal pattern and the third upper metal pattern are arranged in the first horizontal direction,
the second upper metal pattern and the fourth upper metal pattern are arranged in the first horizontal direction, and
the third upper metal pattern and the fourth upper metal pattern are adjacent to each other in the second horizontal direction.

### Claim at position 18

18-20. (canceled)

### Claim 21

A memory device comprising:
a first semiconductor layer including a plurality of memory cells respectively connected to a plurality of bit lines extending in a first horizontal direction; and
a second semiconductor layer provided in a vertical direction that is perpendicular to the first semiconductor layer, the second semiconductor layer including a plurality of page buffers,
wherein the plurality of page buffers comprises a first page buffer unit including a first sensing node and a second page buffer unit including a second sensing node,
wherein the first sensing node comprises:
a first lower metal pattern provided in a lower metal layer; and
a first upper metal pattern provided in an upper metal layer provided above the lower metal layer in the vertical direction, and electrically connected to the lower metal pattern,
wherein the second sensing node comprises:
a second lower metal pattern provided in the lower metal layer; and
a second upper metal pattern provided in the upper metal layer,
wherein the second page buffer unit is provided adjacent to the first page buffer unit in a second horizontal direction, and
wherein the first upper metal pattern is not adjacent to the second upper metal pattern in the second horizontal direction.

### Claim 22

(canceled)

### Claim 23 (depends on 21)

The memory device of claim 21, wherein the plurality of page buffers comprise:
a plurality of first page buffer units provided, in the first horizontal direction, in a main region of the second semiconductor layer;
a plurality of second page buffer units provided, in the first horizontal direction, in the main region of the second semiconductor layer, and adjacent to the first page buffer units in the second horizontal direction;
a plurality of first cache latches provided, in the first horizontal direction, in a cache region of the second semiconductor layer, and respectively corresponding to the first page buffer units; and
a plurality of second cache latches provided, in the first horizontal direction, in the cache region of the second semiconductor layer, adjacent to the first cache latches in the second horizontal direction, and respectively corresponding to the second page buffer units, and
wherein the main region and the cache region are adjacent to each other in the first horizontal direction.

### Claim 24

A memory device comprising:
a memory cell region including a plurality of memory cells and a first metal pad; and
a peripheral circuit region including a second metal pad and connected to the memory cell region in a vertical direction through the first metal pad and the second metal pad,
wherein the peripheral circuit region further includes a plurality of page buffers,
wherein the plurality of page buffers comprises a first page buffer unit including a first sensing node and a second page buffer unit including a second sensing node,
wherein the first sensing node comprises:
a first lower metal pattern provided in a lower metal layer; and
a first upper metal pattern provided in an upper metal layer provided above the lower metal layer in the vertical direction, and electrically connected to the lower metal pattern,
wherein the second sensing node comprises:
a second lower metal pattern provided in the lower metal layer; and
a second upper metal pattern provided in the upper metal layer,
wherein the second page buffer unit is provided adjacent to the first page buffer unit in a second horizontal direction, and
wherein the first upper metal pattern is not adjacent to the second upper metal pattern in the second horizontal direction.

### Claim at position 23

25-28. (canceled)