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US 8,014,186 B2Granted
Ferroelectric memory device and operating method for the same
AssigneeRohm Co., Ltd.
InventorsHiromitsu Kimura, Takaaki Fuchikami, Yoshikazu Fujimori
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A ferroelectric memory device includes: a plurality of memory banks configured to include a memory cell array composed of a ferroelectric memory; a cache bank configured to be bus-connected with the memory banks, and for copying data stored in the memory banks; and a memory bank/cache control sequencer for accessing and refreshing to the memory banks and the cache bank, wherein a random access control to the ferroelectric memory is possible during each memory cycle without delay of refresh operation.
Claims19
A ferroelectric memory device comprising:
- a plurality of memory banks configured to include a memory cell array composed of a ferroelectric memory;
- a cache bank configured to be bus-connected with the memory banks, and for copying data stored in the memory banks;
- and
- a memory bank/cache control sequencer for accessing and refreshing to the memory banks and the cache bank,
- wherein a random access control to the ferroelectric memory is possible during each memory cycle without delay of refresh operation, and
- wherein the ferroelectric memory includes:
- a plurality of bit lines placed at a column direction;
- a plurality of word lines which intersects perpendicularly with the bit lines and are placed at a row direction;
- a plurality of plate lines which intersects perpendicularly with the bit lines and are placed at a row direction;
- a bit line control line which intersects perpendicularly with the bit lines and is placed at a row direction;
- a ferroelectric capacitor placed at an intersection of a plurality of the bit lines, a plurality of the word lines, and the plate line, an electrode of one side of the ferroelectric capacitor being connected to the plate line;
- a ferroelectric memory cell composed of a memory cell transistor by which one side of one of a source and a drain is connected to the electrode of another side of the ferroelectric capacitor, another side of one of the source and the drain is connected to the bit line, and a gate is connected to the word line;
- a load capacitor placed at an intersection of a plurality of the bit lines and the bit line control line, an electrode of one side of the load capacitor being connected to ground potential;
- and a load capacitor adjustment cell composed of a load capacitor adjustment transistor by which one side of one of a source and a drain is connected to the electrode of another side of the load capacitor, another side of one of the source and the drain is connected to the bit line, and a gate is connected to the bit line control line.
11 more elements
An operating method for a ferroelectric memory device comprising a plurality of memory banks configured to include a memory cell array composed of a ferroelectric memory;
- a cache bank configured to be bus-connected with the memory banks, and for copying data stored in the memory banks;
- and a memory bank/cache control sequencer for accessing and refreshing to the memory banks and the cache bank, wherein a random access control to the ferroelectric memory is possible during each memory cycle without delay of refresh operation, and wherein the ferroelectric memory includes:
- a plurality of bit lines placed at a column direction;
- a plurality of word lines which intersects perpendicularly with the bit lines and are placed at a row direction;
- a plurality of plate lines which intersects perpendicularly with the bit lines and are placed at a row direction;
- a bit line control line which intersects perpendicularly with the bit lines and is placed at a row direction;
- a ferroelectric capacitor placed at an intersection of a plurality of the bit lines, a plurality of the word lines, and the plate line, an electrode of one side of the ferroelectric capacitor being connected to the plate line;
- a ferroelectric memory cell composed of a memory cell transistor by which one side of one of a source and a drain is connected to the electrode of another side of the ferroelectric capacitor, another side of one of the source and the drain is connected to the bit line, and a gate is connected to the word line;
- a load capacitor placed at an intersection of a plurality of the bit lines and the bit line control line, an electrode of one side of the load capacitor being connected to ground potential;
- and a load capacitor adjustment cell composed of a load capacitor adjustment transistor by which one side of one of a source and a drain is connected to the electrode of another side of the load capacitor, another side of one of the source and the drain is connected to the bit line, and a gate is connected to the bit line control line, the method comprising:
- copying data currently held at one of the memory cell for refresh and a memory block to the cache bank when refreshing;
- using the data stored in the cache bank and continuing the refresh processing when an external access request is sent to the memory block in the refresh processing;
- and
- writing back the data stored in the cache bank to the memory block after completing the refresh.
11 more elements
An operating method for a ferroelectric memory device comprising:
- determining whether a cache memory has target data when the ferroelectric memory device is accessed;
- accessing the cache memory when the cache memory has target data and when being a cache hit;
- accessing a target memory bank in the case of read-out when the cache memory has target data and when being a cache miss;
- and
- writing back the data stored in the cache memory to an original memory bank in the case of write-in when the cache memory has target data and when being a cache miss, and wherein
- the ferroelectric memory device comprises:
- a plurality of memory banks configured to include a memory cell array composed of a ferroelectric memory;
- the cache bank configured to be bus-connected with the memory banks, and for copying data stored in the memory banks;
- a memory bank/cache control sequencer for accessing and refreshing to the memory banks and the cache bank;
- and a cache memory configured to include a determination circuit for determining whether there is any target data when accessed,
- wherein a random access control to the ferroelectric memory is possible during each memory cycle without delay of refresh operation, and
- wherein the ferroelectric memory includes:
- a plurality of bit lines placed at a column direction;
- a plurality of word lines which intersects perpendicularly with the bit lines and are placed at a row direction;
- a plurality of plate lines which intersects perpendicularly with the bit lines and are placed at a row direction;
- a bit line control line which intersects perpendicularly with the bit lines and is placed at a row direction;
- a ferroelectric capacitor placed at an intersection of a plurality of the bit lines, a plurality of the word lines, and the plate line, an electrode of one side of the ferroelectric capacitor being connected to the plate line;
- a ferroelectric memory cell composed of a memory cell transistor by which one side of one of a source and a drain is connected to the electrode of another side of the ferroelectric capacitor, another side of one of the source and the drain is connected to the bit line, and a gate is connected to the word line;
- a load capacitor placed at an intersection of a plurality of the bit lines and the bit line control line, an electrode of one side of the load capacitor being connected to ground potential;
- and a load capacitor adjustment cell composed of a load capacitor adjustment transistor by which one side of one of a source and a drain is connected to the electrode of another side of the load capacitor, another side of one of the source and the drain is connected to the bit line, and a gate is connected to the bit line control line.
17 more elements
An operating method for a ferroelectric memory device comprising a plurality of memory banks configured to include a memory cell array composed of a ferroelectric memory;
- a cache bank configured to be bus-connected with the memory banks, and for copying data stored in the memory banks;
- and a memory bank/cache control sequencer for accessing and refreshing to the memory banks and the cache bank, the method comprising:
- copying data currently held at one of a memory cell for refresh and a memory block to the cache bank when refreshing;
- using the data stored in the cache bank and continuing the refresh processing when an external access request is sent to the memory block in the refresh processing;
- and
- writing back the data stored in the cache bank to the memory block after completing the refresh,
- wherein one of the memory cell for refresh and the memory block is completely independent from an external access request, and can set up a period which can be refreshed regardless of a memory access time.
4 more elements
An operating method for a ferroelectric memory device comprising a plurality of memory banks configured to include a memory cell array composed of a ferroelectric memory;
- a cache bank configured to be bus-connected with the memory banks, and for copying data stored in the memory banks;
- and a memory bank/cache control sequencer for accessing and refreshing to the memory banks and the cache bank, the method comprising:
- copying data currently held at one of a memory cell for refresh and a memory block to the cache bank when refreshing;
- using the data stored in the cache bank and continuing the refresh processing when an external access request is sent to the memory block in the refresh processing;
- and
- writing back the data stored in the cache bank to the memory block after completing the refresh,
- wherein when copying the data stored in one of the memory cell for refresh and the memory block to the cache bank, a period when one of the memory cell for refresh and the memory block is not accessed is used, and the data copy is concealed so that an external access request is not refused by access for the data copy.
4 more elements
An operating method for a ferroelectric memory device comprising a plurality of memory banks configured to include a memory cell array composed of a ferroelectric memory;
- a cache memory;
- a cache bank configured to be bus-connected with the memory banks, and for copying data stored in the memory banks;
- and a memory bank/cache control sequencer for accessing and refreshing to the memory banks and the cache bank, the method comprising:
- copying data currently held at one of a memory cell for refresh and a memory block to the cache bank when refreshing;
- using the data stored in the cache bank and continuing the refresh processing when an external access request is sent to the memory block in the refresh processing;
- and
- writing back the data stored in the cache bank to the memory block after completing the refresh,
- wherein the data accessed once is held in the cache memory, and even when one of the specific memory cell for refresh and the specific memory block is intensively accessed from the outside, the period for the data copy can be set up since the cache memory hits.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.