# US 7,079,148 B2 · Non-volatile memory parallel processor

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 7,079,148 B2
- Document ID: US7079148B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 10/625,016
- Filed: 2003-07-23
- Published: 2005-01-27
- Granted: 2006-07-18
- Earliest claimed: 2003-07-23
- Assignees: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
- Inventors: Manish Sharma; Frederick A. Perner
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7079148B2

## CPC

- H10B 61/22: {of the field-effect transistor [FET] type}
- B82Y 10/00: Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
- G06F 15/8007: {single instruction multiple data [SIMD] multiprocessors}
- G11C 7/1006: {Data managing, e.g. manipulating data before writing or reading out, data bus switches or control circuits therefor}
- G11C 14/0036: {and the nonvolatile element is a magnetic RAM [MRAM] element or ferromagnetic cell}
- H10B 12/50: {Peripheral circuit region structures}
- H10B: ELECTRONIC MEMORY DEVICES
- B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B)

## Abstract

The invention includes a parallel processor. The parallel processor includes a plurality of non-volatile memory cells. The parallel processor additionally includes a plurality of processor elements. At least one non-volatile memory cell corresponds with each of the processor elements. The processor elements each access data from at least one corresponding non-volatile memory cell. The processor elements perform processing on the data. The non-volatile memory cells can include magnetic memory cells.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A parallel processor comprising:
a plurality of shared memory cells, each shared memory cell comprising a magnetic memory cell integrated with a DRAM cell, wherein a word line (WL) is connected to the magnetic memory cell and the DRAM cell;
a plurality of processor elements, each processor element being integrated with a shared memory cell, each processor elements accessing data from a corresponding shared memory cell that is integrated with the processor element, and performing processing on the data.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The parallel processor of claim 1, wherein the non-volatile memory cells comprise magnetic memory cells.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The parallel processor of claim 2, wherein each magnetic memory cell is formed adjacent to a substrate, and the corresponding processor element is formed in the substrate proximate and adjacent to the magnetic memory cell.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The parallel processor of claim 3, wherein the corresponding processor element is formed in the substrate most proximate to the magnetic memory cell.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The parallel processor of claim 1, wherein each processor element can access a plurality of magnetic memory cells.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The parallel processor of claim 1, wherein each magnetic memory cell is interfaced with a corresponding one dynamic random access memory (DRAM) cell.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The parallel processor of claim 1, wherein each magnetic memory cell is formed adjacent to a substrate, and the corresponding processor element and DRAM cell are formed in the substrate proximate and adjacent to the magnetic memory cell.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The parallel processor of claim 7, wherein the corresponding processor element and DRAM cell are formed in the substrate most proximate to the magnetic memory cell.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The parallel processor of claim 1, further comprising:
a master processor for receiving processed data from the plurality of processor elements.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The parallel processor of claim 9, wherein the master processor performs additional processing of the data.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The parallel processor of claim 1, further comprising:
an array of image sensors, an image sensor corresponding with each of the magnetic memory cells.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The parallel processor of claim 11, wherein each image sensor receives image data that can be stored in the corresponding magnetic memory cell.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The parallel processor of claim 12, wherein each processing element performs processing on the image data stored in a corresponding magnetic memory cell.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The parallel processor of claim 12, wherein the received image data is additionally stored in at least one DRAM cell integrated with the magnetic memory cell.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The parallel processor of claim 14, wherein each image sensor is formed adjacent to a corresponding magnetic memory cell, and each magnetic memory cell is formed adjacent to a substrate, the substrate comprising a corresponding processor element and DRAM cell formed adjacent to the magnetic memory cell.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The parallel processor of claim 11, wherein each image sensor is formed adjacent to a corresponding magnetic memory cell, and each non-volatile memory element is formed adjacent to a substrate, the substrate comprising a corresponding processor element formed adjacent to the magnetic memory cell.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The parallel processor of claim 11, wherein the image sensor corresponding with a magnetic memory cell is the image sensor most proximate to the magnetic memory cell.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The parallel processor of claim 1, further comprising: an array of display pixels, each display pixel integrated with a magnetic memory cell.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The parallel processor of claim 18, wherein each display pixel displays image data that is stored in the integrated magnetic memory cell.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

The parallel processor of claim 18, wherein each processing element performs processing on the image data stored in the magnetic memory cell.

### Claim 21 (depends on 18)

The parallel processor of claim 18, wherein the received image data is additionally stored in one DRAM cell integrated with the magnetic memory cell.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The parallel processor of claim 21, wherein each display pixel is formed adjacent to a corresponding magnetic memory element, and each magnetic memory element is formed adjacent to a substrate, the substrate comprising a corresponding processor element and DRAM cell formed adjacent to the magnetic memory element.

### Claim 23 (depends on 18)

The parallel processor of claim 18, wherein a display pixel receives image data from a magnetic memory cell, and wherein the display pixel is an LED and a bias current of the LED is dependent upon a resistance of the magnetic memory cell.

### Claim 24 (depends on 18)

The parallel processor of claim 18, wherein each display pixel is formed adjacent to a corresponding non-volatile memory element, and each non-volatile memory element is formed adjacent to a substrate, the substrate comprising a corresponding processor element formed adjacent to the non-volatile memory element.

### Claim 25 (depends on 18)

The parallel processor of claim 18, wherein the display pixel corresponding with a non-volatile memory cell is the display pixel most proximate to that is integrated with the non-volatile memory cell.

### Claim 26 (depends on 1)

The parallel processor of claim 1, wherein the word line (WL) is connected a MRAM controlling transistor of the non-volatile memory and to a DRAM controlling transistor of the dynamic random access memory (DRAM) cell, and wherein a first metallization layer forms conductive contacts to an MRAM gate of the MRAM controlling transistor, a DRAM gate of the DRAM controlling transistor and to a DRAM capacitor, a second metallization layer forms a conductive contact to the non-volatile memory, a third metallization layer forms another conductive contact to the non-volatile memory, and a fourth metallization layer forms a non-volatile memory write word line.

### Claim 27

A method of parallel processing, comprising:
storing data in a plurality of magnetic memory cells;
processing the data with a plurality of processor elements which are integrated with the magnetic memory cells and DRAM cells, each processor element accessing data from the integrated magnetic memory cell and integrated DRAM cell by selecting a word line (WL) connected to the magnetic memory cell and the DRAM cell, and performing processing on the data.

### Claim 28

A computing system comprising:
a central processing unit;
a parallel processor connected to the central processing unit, the parallel processor comprising:
a plurality of processor elements, each processor element being integrated with a magnetic memory cell, each processor elements accessing data from the magnetic memory cell and an integrated DRAM cells, wherein a word line (WL) is connected to the magnetic memory cell and the DRAM cell.