Device structure for neuromorphic computing system

• US 10,242,737 B1
• Filed: 02/13/2018
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Macronix International Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Macronix International Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Lin, Yu-Yu, Lee, Feng-Min
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tan T.
• Application Number:
  US15/895,369
• Time in Patent Office: 406 Days
• Field of Search: 365 63, 365148, 365158, 365163
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/063 using electronic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/065 Analogue means
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/004 Reading or sensing circuits or methods
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/0069 Writing or programming circuits or methods
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2213/79 Array wherein the access device being a transistor
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 63/30 comprising selection components having three or more electrodes, e.g. transistors
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 63/80 Arrangements comprising multiple bistable or multi-stable switching components of the same type on a plane parallel to the substrate, e.g. cross-point arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/011 Manufacture or treatment of multistable switching devices

Abstract

An array of resistance cells has a number M of rows and a number N of columns of resistance cells. Each cell comprises a transistor having a threshold, representing a weight factor W_nm of the cell, and a resistive element in series with the transistor. Each cell has a cell resistance having a first value when the transistor is on and a second value when the transistor is off. A set of source lines is coupled to the resistance cells in respective columns. A set of bit lines is coupled to the resistance cells in respective rows, signals on the bit lines representing inputs x(m) to the respective rows. A set of word lines is coupled to gates of the transistors in the resistance cells in respective columns. Current sensed at a particular source line represents a sum of products of the inputs x(m) by respective weight factors W_nm.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

an array of resistance cells having a number M of rows and a number N of columns of resistance cells, resistance cells in the array each comprising a transistor having a threshold representing a weight factor W_nm of the cell, and a resistive element in series with the transistor, the cell having a cell resistance having a first value when the transistor is on and a second value when the transistor is off;

a set of source lines coupled to the resistance cells in respective columns of resistance cells;

a set of bit lines coupled to the resistance cells in respective rows of resistance cells, signals on the bit lines in the set of bit lines representing inputs x(m) to the respective rows;

a set of word lines coupled to gates of the transistors in the resistance cells in respective columns of resistance cells, signals on the word lines in the set of word lines selecting respective columns of resistance cells; and

a set of sensing circuits coupled to respective source lines in the set of source lines,

wherein current sensed at a particular source line in the set of source lines represents a sum of products of the inputs x(m) by respective weight factors W_nm.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein a bit line driver applies a predetermined operating bit line to source line voltage, and the sensing circuits have a sensing current range having an upper value, wherein the first values of the resistances in the resistance cells in the array have a resistance value at least as high as a resistance determined by the predetermined operating bit line to source line voltage multiplied by the number M of rows and divided by the upper value in the predetermined sensing current range.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the first value of the cell resistance of the resistance cells in the array is greater than 100 kilo-ohms.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein source lines in the set of source lines include a common source line coupled to resistance cells in two adjacent columns of resistance cells in the array of resistance cells.

5. The device of claim 1, comprising:

contacts connected in series with current carrying terminals of the transistors of the resistance cells and corresponding bit lines, the contacts including interlayer conductors comprising a bulk material having a resistivity, and wherein the resistive elements comprise a layer of higher resistivity material in the contacts, the higher resistivity being higher than the resistivity of bulk material of the interlayer conductors.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the resistive elements comprising the layer of higher resistivity material are disposed in a continuous resistive layer underlying and contacting the bit lines and overlying and contacting upper ends of the interlayer conductors.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the resistive elements comprising the layer of higher resistivity material are disposed in a patterned resistive layer underlying and contacting the bit lines and overlying and contacting upper ends of the interlayer conductors.

8. The device of claim 5, wherein the resistive elements comprising the layer of higher resistivity material are disposed beneath and contacting lower ends of the interlayer conductors in a substrate.

9. The device of claim 5, wherein the resistive elements comprising the layer of higher resistivity material are disposed beneath the bit lines and above the interlayer conductors, the resistive elements having upper ends disposed beneath and contacting the bit lines, and lower ends disposed above and contacting upper ends of the interlayer conductors.

10. The device of claim 1, comprising peripheral circuits including transistors having channel resistivities, wherein the resistive elements in the resistance cells comprise channel regions of the transistors in the resistance cells on a substrate, the channel regions of the transistors in the resistance cells having a channel resistivity that is higher than the channel resistivities of the transistors in the peripheral circuits.

11. A method of manufacturing a memory device, comprising:

forming an array of resistance cells having a number M of rows and a number N of columns of resistance cells, resistance cells in the array each comprising a transistor having a threshold, representing a weight factor W_nm of the cell, and a resistive element in series with the transistor, the cell having a cell resistance having a first value when the transistor is on and a second value when the transistor is off;

forming a set of source lines coupled to the resistance cells in respective columns of resistance cells;

forming a set of bit lines coupled to the resistance cells in respective rows of resistance cells, signals on the bit lines in the set of bit lines representing inputs x(m) to the respective rows;

forming a set of word lines coupled to gates of the transistors in the resistance cells in respective columns of resistance cells, signals on the word lines in the set of word lines selecting respective columns of resistance cells; and

forming a set of sensing circuits coupled to respective source lines in the set of source lines,

wherein current sensed at a particular source line in the set of source lines represents a sum of products of the inputs x(m) by respective weight factors W_nm.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a bit line driver applies a predetermined operating bit line to source line voltage, and the sensing circuits have a sensing current range having an upper value, wherein the first values of the resistances in the resistance cells in the array have a resistance value at least as high as a resistance determined by the predetermined operating bit line to source line voltage multiplied by the number M of rows and divided by the upper value in the predetermined sensing current range.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first value of the cell resistance of the resistance cells in the array is greater than 100 kilo-ohms.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein source lines in the set of source lines include a common source line coupled to resistance cells in two adjacent columns of resistance cells in the array of resistance cells.

15. The method of claim 11, comprising:

forming contacts connected in series with current carrying terminals of the transistors of the resistance cells and corresponding bit lines, the contacts including interlayer conductors comprising a bulk material having a resistivity, and wherein the resistive elements comprise a layer of higher resistivity material in the contacts, the higher resistivity being higher than the resistivity of bulk material of the interlayer conductors.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the resistive elements comprising the layer of higher resistivity material are disposed in a continuous resistive layer underlying and contacting the bit lines and overlying and contacting upper ends of the interlayer conductors.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the resistive elements comprising the layer of higher resistivity material are disposed in a patterned resistive layer underlying and contacting the bit lines and overlying and contacting upper ends of the interlayer conductors.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the resistive elements comprising the layer of higher resistivity material are disposed beneath and contacting lower ends of the interlayer conductors in a substrate.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the resistive elements comprising the layer of higher resistivity material are disposed beneath the bit lines and above the interlayer conductors, the resistive elements having upper ends disposed beneath and contacting the bit lines, and lower ends disposed above and contacting upper ends of the interlayer conductors.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the memory device comprises peripheral circuits including transistors having channel resistivities, and the resistive elements in the resistance cells comprise channel regions of the transistors in the resistance cells on a substrate, the channel regions of the transistors in the resistance cells having a channel resistivity that is higher than the channel resistivities of the transistors in the peripheral circuits.