Semiconductor memory device including variable resistance element

• US 10,032,509 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2016
• Issued: 07/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kioxia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Toshiba Memory Corporation (Kioxia Corporation)
• Inventors: Ogiwara, Ryu, Takashima, Daisaburo
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Anthan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Siddique, Mushfique
• Application Number:
  US15/065,341
• Publication Number:
  US 20160293253A1
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: 365148, 365163, 365175
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/1673 Reading or sensing circuits or methods
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/2273 Reading or sensing circuits or methods
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/0002 using resistive RAM [RRAM] elements
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/0023 Address circuits or decoders
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/0026 Bit-line or column circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/0028 Word-line or row circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/004 Reading or sensing circuits or methods
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2013/0042 Read using differential sensing, e.g. bit line [BL] and bit line bar [BLB]
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2013/0054 Read is performed on a reference element, e.g. cell, and the reference sensed value is used to compare the sensed value of the selected cell
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2207/002 Isolation gates, i.e. gates coupling bit lines to the sense amplifier
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2207/12 Equalization of bit lines
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2213/79 Array wherein the access device being a transistor
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/12 Bit line control circuits, e.g. drivers, boosters, pull-up circuits, pull-down circuits, precharging circuits, equalising circuits, for bit lines
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 8/08 Word line control circuits, e.g. drivers, boosters, pull-up circuits, pull-down circuits, precharging circuits, for word lines

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell including a variable resistance element, a first circuit including a first resistance element and a first transistor, a first bit line, a second transistor, and a sense circuit. The memory cell and the first circuit are connected to the first bit line. One end and the other end of the second transistor are connected to the first bit line and the sense circuit respectively. During a first operation before reading data of the memory cell a voltage of the first bit line falls to a first voltage and the first and second transistors are turned off in response to a fall of the voltage of the first bit line to the first voltage.

Claims

1. A semiconductor memory device comprising:

a memory cell including a variable resistance element;

a first pulldown circuit including a first resistance element and a first transistor, one end of the first transistor being connected to one end of the first resistance element;

a first bit line connected to the memory cell and the first pulldown circuit;

a second transistor, one end of the second transistor being connected to the first bit line;

a sense circuit connected to the other end of the second transistor, the sense circuit including a first node; and

a sequencer configured to execute reading, the sequencer including a first NOR gate, a first input terminal of the first NOR gate being connected to the first node, a first signal being input into a second input terminal of the first NOR gate, and an output terminal of the first NOR gate being connected to a gate of the first transistor,

wherein;

the sequencer sequentially executes a pulldown operation and a read operation in the reading,

the first signal is set to a first logic level during the pulldown operation, and the first signal is set to a second logic level during the read operation, the first logic level being different from the second logic level, and

during the pulldown operation,

a first voltage is applied to a gate of the second transistor, a voltage of the first bit line falls from a second voltage to a third voltage based on a signal at a third logic level output from the first NOR gate, and

a voltage of the first node changes from a fourth voltage to a fifth voltage in response to a fall of the voltage of the first bit line from the second voltage to the third voltage, and the first NOR gate outputs a signal at a fourth logic level, the fourth logic level being different from the third logic level.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first logic level is lower than the second logic level, and the third logic level is higher than the fourth logic level.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the sense circuit includes a third transistor, one end of the third transistor is connected to a power supply terminal, the other end of the third transistor is connected to the first node, and a gate of the third transistor is connected to the other end of the second transistor.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein:

the sense circuit includes a fourth transistor and a latch circuit, one end of the fourth transistor is connected to the first node, the other end of the fourth transistor is connected to the latch circuit,

the fourth transistor is turned off by a sixth voltage applied to a gate of the fourth transistor during the pulldown operation, and

the fourth transistor is turned on by a seventh voltage applied to the gate of the fourth transistor during the read operation, the seventh voltage being different from the sixth voltage.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein during the pulldown operation, the sixth voltage continues to be applied to the gate of the fourth transistor after the sixth voltage is applied to the gate of the fourth transistor, until the memory cell is selected during the read operation.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the other end of the first resistance element is connected to the first bit line, and the other end of the first transistor is connected to a ground terminal.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the third voltage is substantially the same as a value obtained by subtracting a threshold voltage of the second transistor from the first voltage.

8. The device of claim 1, further comprising a memory cell array being a set of the memory cells, wherein the first pulldown circuit is arranged at an edge portion or in a center portion of the memory cell array.

9. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a first charging circuit connected to the first bit line, and

a second charging circuit connected to the other end of the second transistor,

wherein the sequencer executes a reset operation before the pulldown operation in the reading, and

wherein during the reset operation, the first charging circuit charges the first bit line to the second voltage, and the second charging circuit charges the other end of the second transistor to a sixth voltage, the sixth voltage being higher than or equal to the second voltage.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the second transistor is turned off by a voltage applied to the gate of the second transistor that changes from the first voltage to a sixth voltage in response to the signal at the fourth logic level output from the first NOR gate during the pulldown operation.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the second transistor is turned on by the voltage applied to the gate of the second transistor changes from the sixth voltage to the first voltage in response to the memory cell being selected during the read operation.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein during the pulldown operation, the sixth voltage continues to be applied to the gate of the second transistor after the sixth voltage is applied to the gate of the second transistor in response to a fall of the voltage of the first bit line from the second voltage to the third voltage, until the memory cell is selected during the read operation.

13. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a reference cell including a reference resistance element;

a second pulldown circuit including a second resistance element and a third transistor, a resistance value of the second resistance element being substantially equal to a resistance value of the first resistance element, and one end of the third transistor being connected to one end of the second resistance element;

a second bit line connected to the reference cell and the second pulldown circuit;

a fourth transistor, one end of the fourth transistor being connected to the second bit line, the other end of the fourth transistor being connected to the sense circuit; and

a second NOR gate, a first input terminal of the second NOR gate being connected to a second node, the first signal being input into a second input terminal of the second NOR gate, and an output terminal of the second NOR gate being connected to a gate of the third transistor,

wherein the sense circuit reads data stored in the memory cell from a potential difference between the first and second bit lines.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein:

the variable resistance element can be in one of a high-resistance state and a low-resistance state, and

the resistance value of the first resistance element is greater than or equal to a resistance value of the variable resistance element in the low-resistance state and less than or equal to a resistance value of the variable resistance element in the high-resistance state.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein the resistance value of the first resistance element is approximately equal to a resistance value of the reference resistance element.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein the resistance value of the first resistance element is higher than a resistance value of the reference resistance element.

17. The device of claim 13, wherein the third voltage is substantially the same as a value obtained by subtracting a threshold voltage of the second or fourth transistor from the first voltage.

18. A semiconductor memory device comprising:

a memory cell including a variable resistance element;

a pulldown circuit including a first resistance element and a first transistor, one end of the first transistor being connected to one end of the first resistance element;

a first bit line connected to the memory cell and the first pulldown circuit;

a second transistor, one end of the second transistor being connected to the first bit line;

a reference cell including a reference resistance element;

a second pulldown circuit including a second resistance element and a third transistor, one end of the third transistor being connected to one end of the second resistance element;

a second bit line connected to the reference cell and the second pulldown circuit;

a fourth transistor, one end of the fourth transistor being connected to the second bit line;

a sense circuit, the sense circuit including fifth to eighth transistors, a gate of the fifth transistor being connected to the other end of the second transistor, one end of the sixth transistor being connected to one end of the fifth transistor, a gate of the seventh transistor being connected to the other end of the fourth transistor, and one end of the seventh transistor being connected to one end of the eighth transistor and gates of the sixth and eighth transistors; and

a sequencer including first and second NOR gates, a first input terminal of the first NOR gate being connected to the one end of the fifth transistor, a first signal being input into a second input terminal of the first NOR gate, an output terminal of the first NOR gate being connected to a gate of the first transistor, a first input terminal of the second NOR gate being connected to the one end of the seventh transistor, the first signal being input into a second input terminal of the second NOR gate, and an output terminal of the second NOR gate being connected to a gate of the third transistor.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the sense circuit includes ninth to twelfth transistors, a gate of the ninth transistor being connected to the other end of the second transistor, one end and a gate of the tenth transistor being connected to one end of the ninth transistor, a gate of the eleventh transistor being connected to the other end of the fourth transistor, one end of the twelfth transistor being connected to one end of the eleventh transistor, and a gate of the twelfth transistor being connected to the gate of the tenth transistor.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein:

the sense circuit includes a latch circuit, and

the latch circuit latches data based on a difference between a voltage of the one end of the fifth transistor and a voltage of the one end of the eleventh transistor.