Ferroelectric memory and method for controlling operation of the same

• US 5,617,349 A
• Filed: 01/04/1996
• Issued: 04/01/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Koike, Hiroki
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Son T.
• Application Number:
  US08/582,960
• Time in Patent Office: 453 Days
• Field of Search: 365/145, 365/149
• US Class Current: 365/145
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/22 using ferroelectric elements

Abstract

A ferroelectric memory includes a circuit for temporarily controlling a parasitic capacitance of a pair of data signal lines to an optimum value when data is read out from a memory cell, for the purpose of minimizing a variation of the voltage on the pair of data signal lines caused by factor other than the current caused due to the polarization of the ferroelectric capacitor. Thus, a voltage not smaller than the coercive voltage can be applied between the opposing electrodes of the ferroelectric capacitor, with the result that a sufficient read-out signal voltage can be obtained.

Claims

1. A ferroelectric memory comprising a plurality of pairs of data signal lines for outputting and receiving data, a plurality of selection signal lines selected in accordance with an address signal, and a plurality of memory cells, wherein each memory cell is arranged along a corresponding pair of data signal lines of said plurality of pairs of data signal lines, wherein said memory cell is controlled by a corresponding one of said selection line signals, and wherein each said memory cells includes

at least one ferroelectric capacitor having a capacitor dielectric comprising a ferroelectric material disposed between a pair of opposing electrodes, at least one switching means connected to said ferroelectric capacitor and one data signal line of said corresponding pair of data signal lines,

wherein polarized conditions of said ferroelectric capacitor correspond to conditions of stored data in said ferroelectric capacitor, and

wherein when a first voltage is applied between the opposing electrodes of said ferroelectric capacitor, a current flows between said ferroelectric capacitor and the corresponding data signal line, depending upon the polarized condition of said ferroelectric capacitor, and a voltage appears on the corresponding pair of data signal lines due to the current and said voltage is detected for the purpose of reading out the stored data;

a means connected to the corresponding one pair of data signal lines for detecting a voltage difference appearing between the corresponding pair of data signal lines; and

a means connected to at least one data signal line of the corresponding pair of data signal lines for temporarily controlling a parasitic capacitance of said at least one data signal line of the corresponding pair of data signal lines to obtain an optimum capacitance value when said stored data is read out from a memory cell, and wherein said optimum value minimizes a variation of the voltage on said data signal line caused by factors other than the current flowing between said ferroelectric capacitor and said data signal line.

2. A ferroelectric memory claimed in claim 1 wherein said switching means of said memory cell comprises at least one transistor.

3. A ferroelectric memory claimed in claim 1 wherein said switching means of said memory cell comprises at least one transistor, wherein a first electrode of said ferroelectric capacitor is connected to a source of said at least one transistor and a second electrode of said ferroelectric capacitor is connected to a plate line, a drain of said transistor is connected to said data signal line of said corresponding pair of data signal lines, and a gate of said transistor is connected to said corresponding selection signal line.

4. A ferroelectric memory claimed in claim 1 wherein said memory cell includes first and second ferroelectric capacitors and first and second switching means, each comprising a transistor, wherein a first electrode of said first ferroelectric capacitor is connected to a source of said first transistor and a second electrode of said first ferroelectric capacitor is connected to a plate line, a drain of said first transistor is connected to said data signal line of said corresponding pair of data signal lines, and a gate of said first transistor is connected to said corresponding selection signal line, and a first electrode of said second ferroelectric capacitor is connected to a source of said second transistor and a second electrode of said second ferroelectric capacitor is connected to said plate line, a drain of said second transistor is connected to the other data signal line of said corresponding pair of data signal lines, and a gate of said second transistor is connected to said corresponding selection signal line.

5. A ferroelectric memory claimed in claim 1 wherein said memory cell includes one ferroelectric capacitor and said switching means comprises first and second transistors, wherein first and second opposing electrodes of said ferroelectric capacitor are connected to a source of said first transistor and a source of said second transistor, respectively, a drain of said first transistor is connected to said one data signal line of said corresponding pair of data signal lines, and a gate of said first transistor is connected to said corresponding selection signal line, a drain of said second transistor is connected to the other data signal line of said corresponding pair of data signal lines, and a gate of said second transistor is connected to said corresponding selection signal line.

6. A ferroelectric memory claimed in claim 1 wherein said memory cell includes a flipflop, said flipflop comprising a plurality of transistors.

7. A ferroelectric memory claimed in claim 1 wherein said memory cell includes a flipflop and first and second ferroelectric capacitors, said flipflop comprising a plurality of transistors wherein two data signal terminals of said flipflop are respectively connected through first and second transfer gates to a pair of signal lines which are connected to a differential type sense amplifier, said data signal terminals of said flipflop being respectively connected through third and fourth transfer gates to a first electrode of said first and second ferroelectric capacitors, a control terminal of said first and second transfer gates being connected to said said corresponding one of said selection signal lines, a control terminal of said third and fourth transfer gates being connected to a control signal line, and a second electrode of said first and second ferroelectric capacitors being connected to a plate line.

8. A ferroelectric memory claimed in claim 1 further including:

means for data from said memory cell by setting the corresponding data signal line connected to said memory cell to be read out to a second voltage, by setting a plate line connected to said memory cell to be read out to a third voltage, wherein said third voltage which is different from said second voltage, by setting said selection signal line connected to said memory cell to be read out to a fifth voltage for selecting said memory cell to be read out, so that a voltage difference is caused to occur between the opposing electrodes of said ferroelectric capacitor, whereby a signal corresponding to the data stored in said memory cell is outputted to the corresponding data signal line; and

means for setting a parasitic capacitance CD of said corresponding data signal line to fulfil the following relationship;

##EQU7## where CS is a capacitance of the normal dielectric component of said ferroelectric capacitor;

Vc is a coercive voltage converted by multiplying a coercive electric field of said ferroelectric capacitor by a film thickness of a ferroelectric material of said ferroelectric capacitor;

VPLO is said fifth voltage;

VPL is said third voltage;

VDLO is said second voltage;

VSO is an initial voltage of a node interconnecting said switching means of said memory cell and said ferroelectric capacitor before the reading operation,

so that a voltage variation on said data signal line caused by driving said plate line at the time of reading the data is minimized, whereby a voltage not smaller than said coercive voltage is applied between said opposing electrodes of said ferroelectric capacitor.

9. A ferroelectric memory claimed in claim 8 wherein said parasitic capacitance setting means includes a circuit having a capacitor having a capacitance enabling said parasitic capacitance setting means to fulfil said relationship when said capacitor is connected to said corresponding data signal line through a switch means, wherein said switch means is controlled by a control signal so as to connect said capacitor to said corresponding data signal line when the stored data is read.

10. A ferroelectric memory claimed in claim 8 wherein said parasitic capacitance setting means includes a plurality of data signal sub-lines which constitute one data signal line as a whole, and a plurality of second switching means, wherein each second switching means interconnects at least two adjacent data signal sub-lines of said plurality of data signal sub-lines, said plurality of second switching means being selectively controlled by a control signal so as to interconnect selected data signal sub-lines of said plurality of data signal sub-lines, thereby setting said parasitic capacitance to fulfil said relationship.

11. A ferroelectric memory claimed in claim 1 further including:

means for reading data from said memory cell by setting the corresponding data signal line connected to said memory cell to be read out to a second voltage, by setting a plate line connected to said memory cell to be read out to a third voltage, wherein said third voltage is a fixed voltage different from said second voltage, by setting said selection signal line connected to said memory cell to be read out to a fourth voltage for selecting said memory cell to be read out, so that a voltage difference is caused to occur between the opposing electrodes of said ferroelectric capacitor, whereby a signal corresponding to the data stored in said memory cell to be read out is outputted to the corresponding data signal line; and

means for setting a parasitic capacitance CD of said corresponding data signal line to fulfil the following relationship;

##EQU8## where CS is a capacitance of the normal dielectric component of said ferroelectric capacitor;

Vc is a coercive voltage converted by multiplying a coercive electric field of said ferroelectric capacitor by a film thickness of a ferroelectric material of said ferroelectric capacitor;

VPLC is said third voltage;

VDLO is said second voltage; and

VSO is an initial voltage of a node interconnecting said switching means of said memory cell and said ferroelectric capacitor before the reading operation,

so that a voltage variation on said data signal line caused by driving said plate line at the time of reading the data is minimized, whereby a voltage not smaller than said coercive voltage is applied between said opposing electrodes of said ferroelectric capacitor.

12. A ferroelectric memory claimed in claim 11 wherein said parasitic capacitance setting means includes a circuit having a capacitor having a capacitance enabling said parasitic capacitance to fulfil said relationship when said capacitor is connected to said corresponding data signal line through a switch means, wherein said switch means is controlled by a control signal so as to connect said capacitor to said corresponding data signal line when the stored data is read.

13. A ferroelectric memory claimed in claim 11 wherein said parasitic capacitance setting means includes a plurality of data signal sub-lines which constitute one data signal line as a whole, and a plurality of second switching means, wherein each second switching means interconnects at least two adjacent data signal sub-lines of said plurality of data signal sub-lines, said plurality of second switching means being selectively controlled by a control signal so as to interconnect selected data signal sub-lines of said plurality of data signal sub-lines, thereby setting said parasitic capacitance to fulfil said relationship.

14. A method for reading out data from a ferroelectric memory, wherein said memory comprises, a plurality of pairs of data signal lines for outputting and receiving data, a plurality of selection signal lines selected in accordance with an address signal, and a plurality of memory cells, wherein each memory cell is arranged along a corresponding pair of data signal lines of said plurality of pairs of data signal lines, and wherein each said memory cell includes

at least one ferroelectric capacitor having a capacitor dielectric comprising a ferroelectric material disposed between a pair of opposing electrodes, at least one switching means connected to said ferroelectric capacitor and one data signal line of said corresponding pair of data signal lines,

wherein said memory cell is controlled by a corresponding one of said selection signal lines,

wherein polarized conditions of said ferroelectric capacitor correspond to conditions of stored data in said ferroelectric capacitor, and

wherein when a first voltage is applied between the opposing electrodes of said ferroelectric capacitor, a current flows between said ferroelectric capacitor and the corresponding data signal line, and a voltage appears on the corresponding pair of data signal lines due to the current and said voltage is detected for the purpose of reading out the stored data;

a means connected to the corresponding one pair of data signal lines for detecting a voltage difference appearing between the corresponding pair of data signal lines; and

a means connected to at least one data signal line of the corresponding pair of data signal lines for temporarily controlling a parasitic capacitance of said at least one data signal line of the corresponding pair of data signal lines to obtain an optimum capacitance value when said stored data is read out from a memory cell,

said method for reading of data from said memory cell comprising the steps of;

setting said optimum capacitance value to minimize a variation of the voltage on said data signal line cause by factors other than the current;

setting the corresponding data signal line connected to said memory cell to be read out to a second voltage;

setting a plate line connected to said memory cell to be read out to a third voltage, wherein said third voltage is different from said second voltage;

setting said selection signal line connected to said memory cell to be read out to a fifth voltage for selecting said memory cell to be read out, so that a voltage difference is caused to occur between the opposing electrodes of said ferroelectric capacitor, whereby a signal corresponding to the data stored in said memory cell to be read out is outputted to the corresponding data signal line.

15. A method claimed in claim 14 wherein, under the assumption that a parasitic capacitance of said corresponding data signal line is CD;

a capacitance of the normal dielectric component of said ferroelectric capacitor is CS;

a coercive voltage converted by multiplying a coercive electric field of said ferroelectric capacitor by a film thickness of a ferroelectric material of said ferroelectric capacitor is Vc;

said fifth voltage is VPL0;

said third voltage is VPL;

said second voltage is VDL0; and

an initial voltage of a node interconnecting said switching means of said memory cell and said ferroelectric capacitor before the reading operation, is VSO, said parasitic capacitance of said corresponding data signal line CD is determined to fulfil the following relationship;

##EQU9## so that a voltage variation on said data signal line caused by driving said plate line at the time of reading the data is minimized, whereby a voltage not smaller than said coercive voltage is applied between said opposing electrodes of said ferroelectric capacitor.

16. A method claimed in claim 14, wherein said ferroelectric memory further comprises at least one sense amplifier connected to at least one pair of data signal lines, and wherein under the assumption that:

a signal voltage corresponding to data read out from said memory cell is VSIG, and

a minimum voltage value which can be normally amplified by said sense amplifier is VSE, a relationship of VSIG≧

VSE is fulfilled.

17. A method claimed in claim 14, wherein said ferroelectric memory further comprises at least one sense amplifier connected to at least one pair of data signal lines, and wherein under the assumption that:

a parasitic capacitance of said corresponding data signal line is CD;

a capacitance of the normal dielectric component of said ferroelectric capacitor is CS;

a remnant polarization electric charge of said ferroelectric capacitor is Qr; and

a minimum voltage value which can be normally amplified by said sense amplifier is VSE, said parasitic capacitance CD of said corresponding data signal line is determined to fulfil the following relationship;

##EQU10##

18. A method claimed in claim 14, wherein said ferroelectric memory further comprises at least one sense amplifier connected to at least one pair of data signal lines, and wherein under the assumption that:

a parasitic capacitance of said corresponding data signal line is CD;

a capacitance of the normal dielectric component of said ferroelectric capacitor is CS;

a remnant polarization electric charge of said ferroelectric capacitor is Qr; and

a minimum voltage value which can be normally amplified by said sense amplifier is VSE, said parasitic capacitance CD of said corresponding data signal line is determined to fulfil the following relationship;

##EQU11##

19. A method claimed in claim 15 wherein said ferroelectric memory further includes a means for setting said parasitic capacitance, said parasitic capacitance setting means including a circuit having a capacitor and at least one switch means, wherein said switch means is connected between said capacitor and said corresponding data signal line, and wherein said parasitic capacitance setting means is controlled by a control signal so as to connect said capacitor to said corresponding data signal line when the data is read, and wherein said ferroelectric memory further comprises at least one sense amplifier connected to at least one pair of data signal lines, and wherein the method includes the steps of:

activating said sense amplifier after the data is read out from the selected memory cell so that the read-out data is sense-amplified by said sense amplifier, and

switching said switch means before, during or after the read-out data is sense-amplified by said sense amplifier such that said capacitor is separated from said corresponding data signal line.

20. A method claimed in claim 19 wherein when data supplied from a source external to said ferroelectric memory is written to a selected memory cell via a data signal line corresponding to said selected memory, said switch means which is connected to the data signal line connected to said selected memory cell assumes a state such that said capacitor is separated from said corresponding data signal line.

21. A method claimed in claim 15 wherein said ferroelectric memory includes a means for setting said parasitic capacitance, wherein said parasitic capacitance setting means includes a plurality of data signal sub-lines which constitute one data signal line as a whole, and a plurality of second switching means, wherein each second switching means interconnects at least two adjacent data signal sub-lines of said plurality of data signal sub-lines, and wherein said plurality of second switching means is selectively controlled by a control signal so as to interconnect selected data signal sub-lines of said plurality of data signal sub-lines, thereby setting said parasitic capacitance to fulfil said relationship.

22. A method claimed in claim 21 wherein said ferroelectric memory further comprises at least one sense amplifier connected to at least one pair of data signal lines, wherein the method includes the steps of:

activating said sense amplifier after the data is read out from the selected memory cell so that the read-out data is sense-amplified by said sense amplifier, and

switching said switch means before, during or after the read-out data is sense-amplified by said sense amplifier such that said capacitor is separated from said corresponding data signal line.

23. A method claimed in claim 22 wherein when data supplied from a source external to said ferroelectric memory is written to a selected memory cell via a data signal line corresponding to said selected memory cell, said switch means connected to the data signal line connected to said selected memory cell assumes a state such that said plurality of data signal sub-lines are separated from one another.

24. A method for reading data from a ferroelectric memory wherein said memory comprises a plurality of pairs of data signal lines for outputting and receiving data, a plurality of selection signal lines selected in accordance with an address signal, and a plurality of memory cells, wherein each memory cell is arranged along a corresponding pair of data signal lines of said plurality of pairs of data signal lines, and wherein each said memory cell includes:

at least one ferroelectric capacitor having a capacitor dielectric comprising a ferroelectric material disposed between a pair of opposing electrodes, at least one switching means connected to said ferroelectric capacitor and one data signal line of said corresponding pair of data signal lines,

wherein said memory cell is controlled by a corresponding one of said selection signal lines,

wherein polarized conditions of said ferroelectric capacitor correspond to conditions of stored data in said ferroelectric capacitor, and

wherein when a first voltage is applied between the opposing electrodes of said ferroelectric capacitor, a current flows between said ferroelectric capacitor and the corresponding data signal line, and a voltage appears on the corresponding pair of data signal lines due to the current and said voltage is detected for the purpose of reading out the stored data;

a means connected to the corresponding one pair of data signal lines for detecting a voltage difference appearing between the corresponding pair of data signal lines; and

a means connected to at least one data signal line of the corresponding pair of data signal lines for temporarily controlling a parasitic capacitance of said at least one data signal line of the corresponding pair of data signal lines to obtain an optimum capacitance value when said stored data is read out from a memory cell, and wherein said optimum value minimizes a variation of the voltage on said data signal line caused by factors other than the current said ferroelectric capacitor,

said method for reading data from said memory cell comprising the steps of

setting the corresponding data signal line connected to said memory cell to be read out to a second voltage,

setting a plate line connected to said memory cell to be read out to a third voltage, wherein said third voltage is a fixed voltage different from said second voltage,

setting said selection signal line connected to said memory cell to be read out to a fourth voltage for selecting said memory cell to be read out, so that a voltage difference is caused to occur between the opposing electrodes of said ferroelectric capacitor, whereby a signal corresponding to the data stored in said memory cell to be read out is outputted to the corresponding data signal line.

25. A method claimed in claim 24 wherein, under the assumption that:

a parasitic capacitance of said corresponding data signal line is CD;

a capacitance of the normal dielectric component of said ferroelectric capacitor is CS;

a coercive voltage converted by multiplying a coercive electric field of said ferroelectric capacitor by a film thickness of a ferroelectric material of said ferroelectric capacitor is Vc;

said third voltage is VPLC;

said second voltage is VDL0; and

an initial voltage of a node interconnecting said switching means of said memory cell and said ferroelectric capacitor before the reading operation, is VSO, said parasitic capacitance CD of said corresponding data signal line is determined to fulfil the following relationship;

##EQU12## so that a voltage variation on said data signal line caused by driving said plate line at the time of reading the data is minimized, whereby a voltage not smaller than said coercive voltage is applied between said opposing electrodes of said ferroelectric capacitor.

26. A method claimed in claim 24, wherein said ferroelectric memory further comprises at least one sense amplifier connected to at least one pair of data signal lines, and wherein under the assumption that:

a signal voltage corresponding to data read out from said memory cell is VSIG, and

a minimum voltage value which can be normally amplified by said sense amplifier is VSE, a relationship of VSIG≧

VSE is fulfilled.

27. A method claimed in claim 24, wherein said ferroelectric memory further comprises at least one sense amplifier connected to at least one pair of data signal lines, and wherein under the assumption that:

a parasitic capacitance of said corresponding data signal line is CD;

a capacitance of the normal dielectric component of said ferroelectric capacitor is CS;

a remnant polarization electric charge of said ferroelectric capacitor is Qr; and

a minimum voltage value which can be normally amplified by said sense amplifier is VSE, said parasitic capacitance CD of said corresponding data signal line is determined to fulfil the following relationship;

##EQU13##

28. A method claimed in claim 24, wherein said ferroelectric memory further comprises at least one sense amplifier connected to at least one pair of data signal lines, and wherein under the assumption that:

a parasitic capacitance of said corresponding data signal line is CD;

a capacitance of the normal dielectric component of said ferroelectric capacitor is CS;

a remnant polarization electric charge of said ferroelectric capacitor is Qr; and

a minimum voltage value which can be normally amplified by said sense amplifier is VSE, said parasitic capacitance CD of said corresponding data signal line is determined to fulfil the following relationship;

##EQU14##

29. A method claimed in claim 25 wherein said ferroelectric memory further includes a means for setting said parasitic capacitance, said parasitic capacitance setting means including a circuit having a capacitor and at least one switch means, wherein said switch means is connected between said capacitor and said corresponding data signal line, and wherein said setting means is controlled by a control signal so as to connect said capacitor to said corresponding data signal line when the data is read, and wherein said ferroelectric memory further comprises at least one sense amplifier connected to at least one pair of data signal lines, and wherein the method includes the steps of:

activating said sense amplifier after the data is read out from the selected memory cell so that the read-out data is sense-amplified by said sense amplifier, and

switching said switch means before, during or after the read-out data is sense-amplified by said sense amplifier such that said capacitor is separated from said corresponding data signal line.

30. A method claimed in claim 29 wherein when data supplied from a source external to said ferroelectric memory is written to a selected memory cell via a data signal line corresponding to said selected memory cell, said switch means which is connected to the data signal line connected to said selected memory cell assumes a state such that said capacitor is separated from said corresponding data signal line.

31. A method claimed in claim 25 wherein said ferroelectric memory includes a means for setting said parasitic capacitance, wherein said parasitic capacitance setting means includes a plurality of data signal sub-lines which constitute one data signal line as a whole, and a plurality of second switching means, wherein each second switching means interconnects at least two adjacent data signal sub-lines of said plurality of data signal sub-lines, and wherein said plurality of second switching means is selectively controlled by a control signal so as to interconnect selected data signal sub-lines of said plurality of data signal sub-lines, thereby setting said parasitic capacitance to fulfil said relationship.

32. A method claimed in claim 31 wherein said ferroelectric memory further comprises at least one sense amplifier connected to at least one pair of data signal lines, wherein the method includes the steps of:

activating said sense amplifier after the data is read out from the selected memory cell that the read-out data is sense-amplified by said sense amplifier, and

switching said switch means before, during or after the read-out data is sense-amplified by said sense amplifier such that said capacitor is separated from said corresponding data signal line.

33. A method claimed in claim 32 wherein when data supplied from a source external to said ferroelectric memory is written to a selected memory cell via a data signal line corresponding to said selected memory cell, said switch means connected to the data signal line connected to said selected memory cell assumes a state such that said plurality of data signal sub-lines are separated from one another.