Systems, methods and devices for arbitrating die stack position in a multi-bit stack device

• US 20090085608A1
• Filed: 10/02/2007
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Alzheimer, Josh
• Granted Patent: US 7,760,533 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 326/86
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/14 Handling requests for interconnection or transfer

Abstract

Embodiments are described for arbitrating stacked dies in multi-die semiconductor packages. In one embodiment, die identification data for at least two stacked dies are arbitrated to select one of the dies as the primary die and the other as secondary. Each die includes an input/output buffer that drives an output signal to a commonly shared output terminal in response to receiving a die identification data bit as the input signal. Each die also includes an arbitration circuit that generates a control signal in response to the identification bit of one die being mismatched to a corresponding identification bit of the other die. The control signal programs a stack enable fuse in accordance with the arbitration to designate one of the dies as the secondary die.

Claims

1. A stacked die device having a plurality of semiconductor devices, comprising:

an electrical node;

a first semiconductor device having a plurality of terminals, one of which is coupled to the node, the first device having an output buffer configured to generate and provide an output signal to the terminal coupled to the node in response to an input signal, the first device further having an arbitration circuit coupled to the input of the output buffer and the node and configured to compare the logic states of the input signal and the node and generate a signal indicative of a mismatch; and

a second semiconductor device having a plurality of terminals, one of which is coupled to the node, the second device having an output buffer configured to generate and provide an output signal to the terminal coupled to the node in response to an input signal, the second device further having an arbitration circuit coupled to the input of the output buffer and the node and configured to compare the logic states of the input signal and the node and generate a signal indicative of a mismatch.

2. The stacked die device of claim 1 wherein the first and second devices include a plurality of antifuses programmed with an identification code and the devices further include antifuse read circuits configured to generate signals corresponding to the identification code and provide the same the output buffer in response to an antifuse read operation.

3. The stacked die device of claim 1 wherein a plurality of command terminals of the first semiconductor device are coupled to a corresponding command terminal of the second semiconductor device.

4. The stacked die device of claim 1 wherein the arbitration circuits of the first and second devices comprise:

a comparison circuit coupled to the input of the output buffer and the node and configured to compare the logic states of the input signal and the node and generate an output signal having a first logic state in response to detecting a mismatch in logic states and having a second logic state in response to detecting matching logic states; and

a latch circuit coupled to the comparison circuit and configured to generate an output signal indicating a mismatch between the logic states of the input signal in response to the output signal having the first logic state.

5. The stacked die device of claim 1 wherein the first and second devices include antifuses configured to be programmed with stack position information based on the comparison of the arbitration circuit and the first and second devices further include control circuits configured to enable the respective device in response to a combination of command signals in accordance with the stack position information.

6. A semiconductor stacked die device, comprising:

a host die having a first identifier signal, the first die being coupled to an output terminal; and

at least another die stacked over the host die, the at least another die having a second identifier signal and being coupled to the output terminal, each of the dies comprising;

an input/output buffer having an input terminal that receives the identifier signal from the respective die, the input/output buffer operable to drive an output signal to the output terminal in response to receiving the identifier signal; and

an arbitration block coupled to the input/output buffer, the arbitration block operable to receive and compare the identifier signal and the output signal, the arbitration block further operable to generate a control signal responsive to the identifier signal of its host die being mismatched to the identifier signal of the at least another die and the output signal of the at least another die overriding the output signal of the host die at the output terminal.

7. The semiconductor stacked die device of claim 6 wherein the host die and the at least another die provides the respective identifier signal to the input/output buffer responsive to entering a stacked die test mode of operation.

8. The semiconductor stacked die device of claim 7 wherein the stacked die test mode of operation is initialized after the stacked die device has been assembled.

9. The semiconductor stacked die device of claim 6 wherein the control signal is a fuse control signal configured to blow a stack enable fuse that assigns the host die to a secondary die pad configuration.

10. The semiconductor stacked die device of claim 9 wherein the first and second identifier signals comprise multiple bits and the arbitration block comprises arbitrating the first and second identifier signals one bit at a time.

11. The semiconductor stacked die device of claim 10 wherein the arbitration block generates the control signal responsive to a clock signal when a bit of the first identifier signal has a logic value that is opposite to the logic value of a corresponding bit of the second identifier signal.

12. The semiconductor stacked die device of claim 6 wherein the host die and the at least another die have the same die configuration and are assembled from the same wafer.

13. The semiconductor stacked die device of claim 12 wherein the at least another die is stacked over the host die using through-wafer interconnects.

14. A plurality of stacked dies in a memory device, each of the stacked die comprising:

an input terminal configured to receive an input signal;

an output terminal coupled to at least another stacked die in the plurality of stacked dies;

an output driver configured to receive the input signal and operable to drive an output signal to the output terminal in response to the input signal; and

an arbitration circuit coupled to the output driver and the input terminal, the arbitration circuit having a logic gate and a latch circuit, the logic gate of the arbitration circuit operable to compare the input signal and the output signal, and further operable to enable the latch circuit to latch a stack control signal when the drive strength of the output driver is less than the driver strength of an output driver of the at least another stacked die.

15. The memory device of claim 14 wherein the output driver comprises a pull-up portion and a pull-down portion, the pull-down portion of the output driver having a drive strength that is greater than the pull-up portion.

16. The memory device of claim 15 wherein the pull-up portion of the output driver is deactivated by a load circuit.

17. The memory device of claim 16 wherein the load circuit comprises an on-die termination circuit.

18. The memory device of claim 14 wherein the arbitration circuit is enabled when the memory device is in a test mode of operation after the device has been packaged.

19. The memory device of claim 18 wherein the logic gate comprises an XOR gate and the latch circuit comprises a NAND latch, the XOR gate being configured to trigger the NAND latch when the input signals of the XOR gate are different.

20. The memory device of claim 19 wherein the stack control signal enables a stack enable fuse to be blown, wherein the blown stack enable fuse assigns pins of the respective die secondary to the at least another stacked die in the plurality of stacked dies.

21. A processor-based system comprising:

a data input device;

a data output device;

a plurality of buses to and from the data input, output and storage devices;

processor circuitry coupled to the data input, output and storage devices, the processor circuitry operable to process data to and from the data input and output devices on the plurality of buses; and

at least one multi-die memory device comprising;

a host die having a first input signal, the first die being coupled to the processor circuitry and to an output terminal coupled to at least one of the plurality of buses; and

at least another die stacked on top of the host die, the at least another die having a second input signal and being coupled to the processor circuitry and to the output terminal of the host die, each of the dies comprising;

an input/output buffer having an input terminal to receive the input signal from the respective die, the input/output buffer operable to drive a first output signal to the output terminal responsive to receiving the first input signal; and

an arbitration circuit coupled to the input/output buffer, the arbitration circuit, responsive to a test mode of operation, configured to receive the respective first input signal and the first output signal, the arbitration circuit operable to compare the received signals and generate a fuse control signal responsive to the first input signal of the host die being mismatched to the second input signal of the at least another die and the second output signal of the at least another die overriding the first output signal of the host die at the output terminal.

22. The processor-based system of claim 21 wherein the fuse control signal blows a stack enable fuse, wherein the blown stack enable fuse assigns pins of the respective host die secondary to the at least another stacked die.

23. The processor-based system of claim 21 wherein the at least one multi-die memory device comprises a multi-die flash memory device.

24. A method of programming pins of at least two semiconductor dies, comprising:

driving a first output signal at a first drive strength in response to receiving a first input signal;

driving a second output signal at a second drive strength in response to receiving a second input signal;

arbitrating between the first and second input signals to determine which of the first and second output signals is generated from the stronger drive strength; and

latching a fuse control signal to program a stack enable fuse that designates a primary die assignment and a secondary die assignment based on the arbitration.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein arbitrating between the first and second input signals occurs after the at least two semiconductor dies have been stacked and packaged.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein the fuse control signal is latched to configure the secondary die assignment to the die that generates the losing output signal in the arbitration.

27. A method of assigning pins of a stacked multi-die semiconductor device, comprising:

entering a stack test mode of operation;

simultaneously executing a first die identification read operation and at least a second die identification read operation in response to entering the stack test mode of operation;

arbitrating data bits between the first die identification and the at least second die identification to determine a data bit in the first die identification having a value that is opposite to a value of a corresponding data bit in the second die identification;

selecting one of the data bits as losing the arbitration;

entering a program fuse mode of operation in response to selecting the losing bit; and

programming a stack enable fuse to assign a secondary pin assignment to the losing bit.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the data bits of the respective die identification are input signals to respective output drivers, and wherein the output drivers generate output signals at different drive strengths responsive to respective opposite values of the data bits such that the output signal from one data bit has magnitude that is greater than the output signal of the opposite data bit.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein arbitrating data bits between the first die identification and the at least second die identification comprises repeating the arbitration for comparing a plurality of die identifications corresponding to a plurality of dies in a stack, wherein each repeated arbitration compares two die identifications at a time until the pins of the remaining plurality of dies are assigned.