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US 8,897,072 B2Granted
Sensing data stored in memory
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorsKoji Sakui, Peter Feeley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods for sensing data stored in memory. A number of embodiments include an array of memory cells, and a controller coupled to the array and configured to sense a page of memory cells coupled to an activated access line by pre-charging only a single subset of a number of data lines coupled to the page, wherein more than two subsets of data lines are coupled to the page and the single subset is coupled to those memory cells storing at least a portion of a single sector of data of the page, and sensing the single subset of the number of data lines to determine the at least a portion of the single sector of data.
Claims35
An apparatus, comprising:
- an array of memory cells;
- and
- a controller coupled to the array and configured to sense a page of memory cells coupled to an access line by:
- pre-charging only a single subset of a number of data lines coupled to the page, wherein:
- more than two subsets of data lines are coupled to the page;
- and
- the single subset is coupled to those memory cells storing at least a portion of a single sector of data of the page;
- activating the access line after pre-charging the single subset of the number of data lines;
- and
- sensing the single subset of the number of data lines to determine the at least a portion of the single sector of data.
7 more elements
A method for operating memory, comprising:
- pre-charging only one subset of a number of data lines coupled to a page of memory cells, wherein:
- the data lines of the one subset include at least two data lines that are adjacent to each other;
- and
- the one subset is coupled to those memory cells storing at least a portion of one sector of data of the page;
- activating an access line coupled to the page of memory cells after pre-charging the one subset of the number of data lines;
- and
- sensing the one subset of the number of data lines to determine the at least a portion of the one sector of data.
4 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- an array of memory cells;
- and
- a controller coupled to the array and configured to sense a page of memory cells coupled to an access line by:
- pre-charging only a first subset of a number of data lines coupled to the page, wherein the first subset is coupled to those memory cells storing at least a portion of a first sector of data of the page;
- activating the access line after pre-charging the first subset of the number of data lines;
- sensing the first subset of the number of data lines to determine the at least a portion of the first sector of data;
- while the access line remains activated, pre-charging only a second subset of the number of data lines, wherein the second subset is coupled to those memory cells storing at least a portion of a second sector of data of the page;
- and
- sensing the second subset of the number of data lines to determine the at least a portion of the second sector of data.
6 more elements
A method for operating memory, comprising
- pre-charging one of a number of subsets of a number of data lines coupled to a page of memory cells, wherein:
- the data lines of each of the number of subsets include at least two data lines that are adjacent to each other;
- and
- each of the number of subsets is coupled to those memory cells storing at least a portion of a different sector of data of the page;
- activating an access line coupled to the page of memory cells after pre-charging the one of the number of subsets of the number of data lines;
- and
- sensing the one of the number of subsets of the number of data lines to determine the at least a portion of the sector of data stored by those memory cells coupled to the one of the number of subsets.
4 more elements
An apparatus, comprising:
- a three-dimensional array of memory cells;
- and
- a controller coupled to the three-dimensional array and configured to sense a page of memory cells coupled to an access line by:
- pre-charging one of a number of subsets of a number of data lines coupled to the page of memory cells, wherein:
- more than two subsets of data lines are coupled to the page;
- and
- each of the number of subsets is coupled to those memory cells storing a different sector of data of the page;
- activating an access line coupled to the page of memory cells after pre-charging the one of the number of subsets of the number of data lines;
- and
- sensing the one of the number of subsets of the number of data lines to determine the sector of data stored by those memory cells coupled to the one of the number of subsets.
7 more elements
A method for operating memory, comprising:
- pre-charging only a first subset of a number of data lines coupled to a page of memory cells in a three-dimensional array of memory cells, wherein the first subset is coupled to those memory cells storing at least a portion of a first sector of data of the page;
- activating an access line coupled to the page of memory cells after pre-charging the first subset of the number of data lines;
- applying a signal to only a first of a number of drain select lines of a level of the three-dimensional array;
- and
- while the signal is applied to only the first of the number of drain select lines:
- sensing the first subset of the number of data lines to determine the at least a portion of the first sector of data;
- pre-charging only a second subset of the number of data lines, wherein the second subset is coupled to those memory cells storing at least a portion of a second sector of data of the page;
- and
- sensing the second subset of the number of data lines to determine the at least a portion of the second sector of data.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.