Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
  • G11C—STATIC STORES
  • G11C11/00—Digital stores characterised by the use of particular electric or magnetic storage elements; Storage elements therefor
  • G11C11/21—Digital stores characterised by the use of particular electric or magnetic storage elements; Storage elements therefor using electric elements
  • G11C11/34—Digital stores characterised by the use of particular electric or magnetic storage elements; Storage elements therefor using electric elements using semiconductor devices
  • G11C11/40—Digital stores characterised by the use of particular electric or magnetic storage elements; Storage elements therefor using electric elements using semiconductor devices using transistors
  • G11C11/401—Digital stores characterised by the use of particular electric or magnetic storage elements; Storage elements therefor using electric elements using semiconductor devices using transistors forming cells needing refreshing or charge regeneration, i.e. dynamic cells
  • G11C11/4063—Auxiliary circuits, e.g. for addressing, decoding, driving, writing, sensing or timing
  • G11C11/407—Auxiliary circuits, e.g. for addressing, decoding, driving, writing, sensing or timing for memory cells of the field-effect type
  • G11C11/409—Read-write [R-W] circuits 
  • G11C11/4094—Bit-line management or control circuits

Definitions

• the present invention pertains to semiconductor integrated circuits and in particular to a random access memory which utilizes dynamic memory cells.
• the present invention provides a method for operating a dynamic random access memory in the following steps.
• a high or low voltage state is stored in a dynamic memory cell where the high voltage state corresponds to a first data state and the low voltage state corresponds to a second data state.
• the memory cell is then connected to one of a pair of bit lines after the bit lines have been set to an intermediate voltage state.
• the voltage on the bit line is decreased.
• the voltage on the bit line is increased.
• the bit line having the lowest voltage thereon is driven to a low voltage state, and the other of the bit lines is driven to a high voltage state.
• the memory cell is disconnected from the corresponding bit line after the corresponding bit line has been driven to either the low voltage state or the high voltage state.
• the bits lines are connected together to equilibrate the voltages on the bit lines to establish the intermediate voltage state in preparation for a new cycle.
• FIGURE 1 is a schematic illustration of the dynamic random access memory in accordance with the present invention.
• FIGURE 2 is a set of timing diagrams illustrating 0 the various signals which occur in the dynamic random access memory illustrated in FIGURE 1.
• FIGURE 3 is a schematic illustration of the sense amplifier shown in FIGURE 1;
• FIGURE 4 is a schematic illustration of the pull-up circuit shown in FIGURE 1.
• FIGURE 1 A memory address is provided to the memory 10 through a group of address lines 12.
• the address lines 12 are provided to each of a plurality of row decoders such as row decoder 14.
• the address lines 12 are also connected to each of a plurality of column decoders such as decoders 16 and 17.
• the address bits for the selected row line are provided in parallel fashion through lines 12 at one time in the memory cycle and the address bits for the selected column are provided through lines 12 at a later time in the memory cycle. This is illustrated by the address waveform indicated as 0 -A n shown in FIGURE 2.
• the row address bits select a row decoder such as 14 which in turn activates a row line 18.
• the row line 18 is connected to a dynamic memory cell 22 which comprises an access transistor 24 and a storage capacitor 26.
• the gate terminal of transistor 24 is connected to the row line 18 and the source terminal of the access transistor is connected to a first terminal of capacitor 26.
• the remaining terminal of capacitor 26 is connected to a ground node 28.
• the drain terminal of access transistor 24 is connected to a bit line 30.
• a row line 20 is charged by a row decoder 21 and is connected to a dynamic memory cell 32 which comprises an access transistor 34 and a storage capacitor 36.
• the gate terminal of transistor 34 is connected to the row line 20 and the source terminal thereof is connected to a first terminal of the capacitor 36.
• the remaining terminal of capacitor 36 is connected to the ground node 28.
• the drain terminal of transistor 34 is connected to a bit line 38.
• the memory 10 includes an equilibration circuit whic comprises transistors 50 and 52 wherein transistor 50 has the source and drain terminals thereof connected between bit line 30 and latch node 46 and transistor 52 has the source and drain terminals thereof connected between bit line 38 and the latch node 46.
• the gate terminals of transistors 50 and 52 are connected to a node 54 which receive an equilibration signal E.
• the equilibration signal E is illustrated in FIGURE 2 as waveform 56.
• the transistors 50 and 52 are turned on thereby connecting the bit lines 30 and 38 to node 46.
• a pull-up circuit 60 is connected to the bit line 30 through a line 62.
• the pull-up circuit 60 operates in response to precharge signals P, P Q and P-, which are illustrated respectively as waveforms 63, 64 and 66 in FIGURE 2.
• a similar pull-up circuit 68 is connected to bit line 38 through line 70. Pull-up circuits 60 and 68 detect when the voltage on the corresponding bit line is above a preset voltage level and, upon receipt of the precharge signals, pulls the bit line up to the suppl voltage, as described below.
• Each of the bit lines is provided with a column transistor for routing data states into and out of the memory cells.
• Column transistor 74 has the source and drain terminals thereof connected between bit line 30 and an input/output line 76. The gate terminal of column transistor 74 is connected to the column decoder 16.
• a column transistor 80 has the drain and source terminals thereof connected between bit line 38 and an input/output line 82. The gate terminal of column transistor 80 is connected to the column decoder 17 which responds to the same column address as does column decoder 16.
• the column decoders 16 and 17 activate selected column transistors in response to the column address bits received through address lines 12 to transfer data states to and from an addressed memory cell.
• the input/output lines 76 and 82 are connected to an input/output circuit 84 which serves to transfer the data states which are written into and read from the memory cells.
• the data states are received from external circuitry through a data input terminal 86 and transmitted to external circuitry through a data output terminal 87.
• the operation of the dynamic random access memory 10 of the present -invention is now described in reference to FIGURES 1-4. It is assumed that this circuit operates with a 5.0 volt power supply.
• a memory cycle is initiated by a row address strobe (RAS) signal 90 which goes to an active state in a transition from a high level to a low level.
• the row address bits are supplied to the row decoder 14 as indicated by the reference numeral ⁇ 92a.
• the row address bits are received shortly after the RAS signal goes to the active state.
• the row decoder 14 routes the row enable signal 40 to the selected row line.
• the row enable signal 40 goes to the five volt level the access transistor 24 in memory cell 22 is rendered conductive to connect the storage capacitor 26 to the bit line 30.
• the bit lines 30 and 38 have previously been equilibrated to the voltage level of approximately 2.0 volts as shown by waveform 96. If
• bit line 30 would be driven to approximately 2.3 volts as indicated by waveform 96a in FIGURE 2, due to charge sharing between the capacitor 26 and bit line 30. But if the capacitor 26 has previously been discharged to ground the bit line 30 will be pulled to approximately 1.8 volts as indicated by waveform 96b.
• bit line 30 After the memory cell 22 has been connected to the bit line 30 the latch signal L shown as waveform 48 is pulled to ground potential.
• the sense amplifier 44 responds to the latch signal by pulling to ground potential the one of the bit lines connected thereto which is. at the lower voltage. If capacitor 26 has previously been discharged the voltage on bit line 30 will be that shown in waveform 96b where the voltage is pulled to ground potential. But if the storage capacitor 26 has had a high voltage level stored therein, as shown in waveform 96a, bit line- 30 will not be affected by the operation of sense amplifier 44. But if bit line 30 has been elevated in voltage shown by waveform 96a, it exceeds the bit line 38 voltage, show as waveform 98, so that bit line 38 will be pulled to ground as shown by waveform 98a. But if the voltage on bit line 30 had been pulled down by the storage capacitor 26 the equilibration voltage on bit line 38 would not be affected by the sense amplifier 44. This condition is indicated in waveform 98b.
• the precharge signals, P Q and P- are received to activate the pull up circuits 60 and 68.
• the pull up circuits detect which one of the bit lines has a voltage thereon above a preset voltage. One of the bit lines will be at ground potential and the other of the bit lines will be at either the equilibration voltage or at the elevated voltage caused by connecting a storage capacitor having a high voltage stored* therein. The bit line with the high voltage thereon will be pulled up to the supply voltage.
• the column transistors 74 and 80 When one of the bit lines has been driven to the supply voltage and the other bit line has been pulled to ground the column transistors 74 and 80 are turned on to connect the bit lines 30 and 38 to the input/output lines 76 and 82 respectively.
• the voltage states on the bit lines are transferred through the input/output lines to the input/output circuit 84 which has a sense amplifier therein to detect the voltage differential between the input/output lines 76 and 82.
• the sense amplifier in the input/output circuit determines the voltage state which is stored in the memory cell and transfers this voltage state through the data output line 87.
• bit lines After one of the bit lines has been pulled to ground and the other bit line has been pulled to the supply voltage, the data state in the memory cell has been restored, and the row line 18 is returned to ground to isolate the charge on the storage capacitor.
• the bit lines are then permitted to float.
• the equilibration signal 56 is then applied to the gate terminals of transistors 50 and 52 to render these transistors conductive and connect bit line 30 to bit line 38 through latch node 46. This connection permits the charge on the bit lines to be shared such that the bit lines equilibrate to a voltage approximately midway between the supply voltage and ground. This is indicated, in both of the waveforms 96 and 98 where the waveforms are returned to the equilibration voltage of two volts.
• a representative circuit for the sense amplifier 44 shown in FIGURE 1 is illustrated in FIGURE 3.
• a pass transistor 104 has the source and drain terminals thereof connected between bit line 30 and a node 106.
• a second pass transistor 108 has a source and drain terminals thereof connected between bit line 38 and a node 110. The gate terminals of both transistors 104 and 108 are connected to a high voltage, such as the supply voltage .
• Transistors 104 and 108 are always conductive and function as resistors.
• a transistor 112 has the drain terminal thereof connected to node 106 and the source terminal thereof connected to the latch node 46. The gate terminal of transistor 112 is connected to node 110.
• a transistor 114 has the drain terminal thereof connected to node 110, the source terminal thereof connected to node 46 and the gate terminal thereof connected to node 106.
• the sense amplifier operation occurs after a memory cell has been connected to one of the bit lines, either 30 or 38.
• One of the bit lines is then at a higher voltage than the other bit line. Assume, for example, that bit line 30 is at the higher voltage.
• transistor 114 will be turned on before transistor 112 because the gate to source bias on transistor 114 is greater than the gate to source bias on transistor 112.
• transistor 114 is rendered conductive node 110 will be discharged through transistor 114 into the latch node 46.
• the gate bias on transisto 112 is lowered thus preventing transistor 112 from being rendered conductive.
• a transistor 120 has the drain terminal thereof connected to , the source terminal thereof connected to a node 122 and the gate terminal thereof connected to receive the precharge signal P.
• a transistor 124 has the drain terminal thereof connected to node 122, the source terminal thereof connected to bit line 30 and the gate terminal thereof connected to receive the precharge signal Pg.
• a transistor 126 has the drain terminal thereof connected to receive the precharge signal Pi , the gate terminal thereof connected to node 122 and the source terminal thereof connected to the gate terminal of a transistor 128.
• transistor 120 When the precharge signal P is received transistor 120 is rendered conductive to precharge node 122 to a high voltage state. Once the precharge signal returns to a low voltage level the node 122 is left floating at the high voltage state.
• transistor 124 When the precharge signal P Q goes to approximately 2 volts, transistor 124 is rendered conductive if the bit line 30 is at a sufficiently low voltage state such that there is at least one transistor threshold voltage between the gate and source terminals of transistor 124. If transistor 124 is rendered conductive node 122 is discharged into the bit line 30.
• transistor 124 will not be rendered conductive by the precharge signal PQ , leaving node 122 floating at a high voltage level.
• the P-, signal is then applied to the drain terminal of transistor 126. If node 122 is at a high voltage, transistor 126 is conductive so that the source of transistor 126 follows signal P-. above V cc . This is possible since the channel capacitanc of transistor 126 bootstraps node 122 to a high voltage level.
• the full supply voltage V is applied to the bit line 30, thereby pulling the bit line to the voltage state of V .
• the bit line will be elevated to the supply voltage by operation of the precharge circuit 60, but if the voltage on the bit line 30 is less than a preset level, the precharge circui 60 will have no effect upon the bit line 30.
• the present invention comprises a dynamic random access memory in which bit lines are equilibrated to approximately one half of the supply voltage before a memory cell is connected thereto.
• a sense amplifier detects the voltage difference on the bit lines caused by the connection of the storage capacitor to one of the bit lines and pulls the bit line having a lower voltage thereon to ground.
• a pull up circuit elevates the bit line having the greater voltage thereon. After the voltage state is transferred through input/output lines and after the memory cell is isolated, the bit lines are permitted to float and are

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• 1980
  • 1980-06-02 EP EP19800901815 patent/EP0054022A4/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 1980-06-02 WO PCT/US1980/000673 patent/WO1981003568A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1980-06-02 JP JP50211580A patent/JPH0449194B2/ja not_active Expired
• 1981
  • 1981-06-02 CA CA000378895A patent/CA1169962A/en not_active Expired

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