Method for programming a bipolar resistive switching memory device

• US 10,566,055 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2014
• Issued: 02/18/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission)
• Original Assignee: Commissariat a L'Energie Atomique (French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission)
• Inventors: Onkaraiah, Santhosh, Belleville, Marc, Clermidy, Fabien
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Michael T
• Application Number:
  US14/764,790
• Publication Number:
  US 20150371705A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,210 Days
• Field of Search: 365148, 365189011
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/0007 comprising metal oxide memory material, e.g. perovskites
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/0011 comprising conductive bridging RAM [CBRAM] or programming metallization cells [PMCs]
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/0061 Timing circuits or methods
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/0069 Writing or programming circuits or methods
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 14/009 and the nonvolatile element is a resistive RAM element, i.e. programmable resistors, e.g. formed of phase change or chalcogenide material
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2013/0073 Write using bi-directional cell biasing
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2213/78 Array wherein the memory cells of a group share an access device, all the memory cells of the group having a common electrode and the access device being not part of a word line or a bit line driver
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2213/79 Array wherein the access device being a transistor
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2213/82 Array having, for accessing a cell, a word line, a bit line and a plate or source line receiving different potentials
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 3/356 Bistable circuits

Abstract

An electronic circuit including a bipolar switching memory device including first and second electrodes at terminals of which a programming voltage can be applied, the circuit including: a first mechanism applying, to the first electrode, a data signal having, during a time period d, a constant state 0 or 1; a second mechanism applying, to the second electrode, a control signal that alternates, during time period d, between state 1 and state 0, the control signal being same regardless of the state in which the memory device is programmed; a selection device allowing a current to flow into the memory device during a programming time included in time period d; and a change of state of the control signal taking place during the programming time.

Claims

1. An electronic circuit comprising:

a first bipolar switching memory device comprising first and second electrodes at terminals of which a programming voltage programming the first memory device in a high-resistance or low-resistance state can be applied during a programming operation;

a first circuitry configured to generate a data signal during the programming operation having a first data state which is constant over the programming operation or a second data state which is constant for only a portion of the programming operation less than an entirety of the programming operation, a time period d being defined when said data signal is in the second state during the programming operation, the first and second data states corresponding to states 0 and 1 and being representative of the state in which the first memory device is configured to be programmed, and apply the data signal to the first electrode of the first memory device;

a second circuitry configured to apply, to the second electrode of the first memory device, a control signal that alternates at least once, during time period d, between a state 1 and a state 0, the control signal being applied identically with an identical voltage change when programming the first memory device in the high-resistance state and when programming the first memory device in the low-resistance state;

wherein states 0 and 1 of the data signal and of the control signal correspond to zero and positive electric potentials respectively, forming the programming voltage when one of either the data signal or control signal is in state 0 and the other of either the data signal or control signal is in state 1;

the electronic circuit further comprising a selection device electrically linked to the first memory device and configured to allow a current to flow through the first memory device, the selection device being driven by a selection signal transitioning between state 0 and state 1 after a beginning of time period d and transitioning between state 1 and state 0 before an end of time period d or the selection device being driven by a selection signal transitioning between state 1 and state 0 after the beginning of time period d and transitioning between state 0 and state 1 before the end of time period d, for each of the constant states of 0 and 1 of the data signal;

and wherein the change from one of states 0 or 1 of the control signal to the other of states 0 or 1 of the control signal is controlled during the programming operation.

2. The electronic circuit according to claim 1, wherein the first memory device is a CBRAM or RRAM-type device, the first and second electrodes respectively corresponding to an active electrode and an inert electrode of the first memory device, or vice-versa.

3. The electronic circuit according to claim 1, wherein the control signal is in state 1 during a first part of the time period d and in state 0 during a second part of the time period d, the first part of the time period d corresponding to a duration substantially equal to that of the second part of the time period d.

4. The electronic circuit according to claim 1, wherein the control signal alternates multiple times between states 1 and 0 during the time period d.

5. The electronic circuit according to claim 1, wherein one of the first and second electrodes is electrically linked to the source or to the drain of at least one first selection MOS transistor, forming part of the selection device and configured to be in the ON state during the programming operation.

6. The electronic circuit according to claim 1, wherein the second circuitry includes a first electrically conductive line electrically linked to the second electrode, and wherein the first circuitry includes a second electrically conductive line electrically linked to the first electrode.

7. The electronic circuit according to claim 1, further comprising a second memory device programmed in a complementary state to that in which the first memory device is programmed, wherein the second electrode of the first memory device is electrically linked to one of a first electrode and second electrode of the second memory device, and further comprising third circuitry configured to apply a second data signal to the other of the first electrode and second electrode of the second memory device.

8. The electronic circuit according to claim 7, further comprising a second MOS transistor, an ON or OFF state of which depends on the complementary states in which the first memory device and the second memory device are programmed, and which form a voltage divider bridge, and wherein the second electrode of the first memory device is electrically linked to a gate of the second MOS transistor.

9. The electronic circuit according to claim 7, further comprising a multiplexer, and wherein the first memory device and the second memory device form a memory cell, one output of which is electrically linked to the second electrode of the first memory device and to one of the data inputs of the multiplexer.

10. A programmable interconnection system carrying at least one signal applied to one of a plurality of inputs of the programmable interconnection system towards at least one of a plurality of outputs of the programmable interconnection system, comprising:

a plurality of electronic circuits according to claim 1, the electronic circuits comprising bipolar switching memory devices, the programming states of which determine the interconnection states between the inputs and outputs of the programmable interconnection system.

11. A latch device for a retention flip-flop, comprising:

at least two electronic circuits according to claim 1,

wherein the second electrode of the memory device of a first of the two electronic circuits is electrically linked to one of the first and second electrodes of the memory device of a second of the two electronic circuits, such that the same control signal is applied to the second electrode of the memory device of the first electronic circuit and to the one of the first and second electrodes of the memory device of the second electronic circuit, the first electrode of the memory device of the first electronic circuit being electrically linked to an output of a first CMOS inverter via a first MOS transistor, and the other of the first and second electrodes of the memory device of the second electronic circuit being electrically linked to an output of a second CMOS inverter via a second MOS transistor.

12. A differential memory cell, comprising:

at least two electronic circuits according to claim 1,

wherein the second electrode of the memory device of a first of the two electronic circuits is electrically linked to one of the first and second electrodes of the memory device of a second of the two electronic circuits, programmed in a complementary state to that in which the memory device of the first electronic circuit is programmed, a second data signal inverse to that applied to the first electrode of the memory device of the first electronic circuit being applied to the other of the first and second electrodes of the memory device of the second electronic circuit.

17. The electronic circuit according to claim 1, wherein when the data signal is at the state 0, the first memory device is programmed before the control signal alternates between the state 1 and the state 0.

13. A method for programming a first bipolar switching memory device comprising first and second electrodes at the terminals of which a programming voltage programming the first memory device in a high-resistance or low-resistance state can be applied during a programming operation, the method comprising:

generation of a data signal during the programming operation having a first data state which is constant over the programming operation or a second data state which is constant for only a portion of the programming operation less than the entire programming period, a time period d being defined when said data signal is in the second state during the programming operation, the first and second data states corresponding to states 0 and 1 and being representative of the state in which the first memory device is configured to be programmed, and apply the data signal to the first electrode of the first memory device;

application, to the second electrode of the first memory device, of a control signal that alternates at least once, during time period d, between a state 1 and a state 0, the control signal being applied identically with an identical voltage change when programming the first memory device in the high-resistance state and when programming the first memory device in the low-resistance state;

wherein states 0 and 1 of the data signal and of the control signal correspond to zero and positive electric potentials respectively, forming the programming voltage when one of either the data signal or control signal is in state 0 and the other of either the data signal or control signal is in state 1;

wherein the first memory device is electrically linked to a selection device such that the selection device allows a current to flow through the first memory device, the selection device being driven by a selection signal transitioning between state 0 and state 1 after a beginning of time period d and transitioning between state 1 and state 0 before an end of time period d or the selection device being driven by a selection signal transitioning between state 1 and state 0 after the beginning of time period d and transitioning between state 0 and state 1 before the end of time period d, for each of the constant states of 0 and 1 of the data signal;

and wherein a change from one of states 0 and 1 of the control signal to the other of states 0 and 1 of the control signal is included in the programming operation.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the control signal is in state 1 during a first part of the time period and in state 0 during a second part of the time period d, the first part of the time period d corresponding to a duration substantially equal to that of the second part of the time period d.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the control signal alternates multiple times between states 1 and 0 during the time period d.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein one of the first and second electrodes is electrically linked to a source or to a drain of at least one first selection MOS transistor, forming part of the selection device, the first selection MOS transistor being in the ON state during the programming operation.

18. An electronic circuit, comprising:

a first bipolar switching memory device having first and second electrodes;

a second bipolar switching memory device having third and fourth electrodes, the third electrode being connected to the second electrode at a node;

a first conductive line;

a first transistor having a first active region connected to the node, a second active region connected to the first conductive line, and a first gate;

a second transistor having third and fourth active regions and a second gate, the second gate begin connected to the node; and

circuitry configured to;

generate a control signal and apply the control signal to the first conductive line;

generate a selection signal and apply the selection signal to the gate of the first transistor; and

generate first and second data signals and apply the first and second data signals to the first electrode and the fourth electrode, respectively.

19. The electronic circuit according to claim 18, wherein the circuitry is configured to:

generate the first and second data signals during a programming operation each being held at a constant first data state 0 or a constant second data state 1 during the programming operation, a time period d being defined as when the first and second data signals are both constant at either state 0 and state 1 during the programming operation, and apply the first data signal to the first electrode and apply the second data signal to the fourth electrode;

generate the control signal and apply the control signal to the second electrode, the control signal alternating at least once, during a time period when then second data signal is in a constant state during the programming operation, between a state 0 and a state 1; and

generate the selection signal transitioning between state 0 and state 1 after a beginning of the time period and transitioning between state 1 and state 0 before an end of the time period d or transitioning between state 1 and state 0 after the beginning of the time period and transitioning between state 0 and state 1 before the end of the time period d, for each of the constant states of 0 and 1 of the data signal.