Techniques for reducing a voltage swing

• US 7,933,140 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2008
• Issued: 04/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Wang, Ping, Carman, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Phung; Anh
• Application Number:
  US12/244,183
• Publication Number:
  US 20100085806A1
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 365/149, 365/177
• US Class Current: 365/149
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/404 with one charge-transfer gate, e.g. MOS transistor, per cell
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/4074 Power supply or voltage generation circuits, e.g. bias voltage generators, substrate voltage generators, back-up power, power control circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/4085 Word line control circuits, e.g. word line drivers, - boosters, - pull-up, - pull-down, - precharge
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2211/4016 Memory devices with silicon-on-insulator cells

Abstract

Techniques for reducing a voltage swing are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be realized as an apparatus for reducing a voltage swing comprising: a plurality of dynamic random access memory cells arranged in arrays of rows and columns, each dynamic random access memory cell including one or more memory transistors. The one or more memory transistors of the apparatus for reducing a voltage swing may comprise: a first region coupled to a source line, a second region coupled to a bit line, a first body region disposed between the first region and the second region, wherein the first body region may be electrically floating, and a first gate coupled to a word line spaced apart from, and capacitively coupled to, the first body region. The apparatus for reducing a voltage swing may also comprise a first voltage supply coupled to the source line configured to supply a first voltage and a second voltage to the source line, wherein a difference between the first voltage and the second voltage may be less than 3.5V.

Claims

1. An apparatus for reducing a voltage swing comprising:

a plurality of dynamic random access memory cells arranged in arrays of rows and columns, each dynamic random access memory cell including one or more memory transistors having;

a first region coupled to a source line;

a second region coupled to a bit line;

a first body region disposed between the first region and the second region, wherein the first body region is electrically floating; and

a first gate coupled to a word line spaced apart from, and capacitively coupled to, the first body region; and

a first voltage supply coupled to the source line configured to supply a first voltage and a second voltage to the source line, wherein a difference between the first voltage and the second voltage is less than 3.5V.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first voltage is supplied during a holding operation.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second voltage is supplied during at least one of a writing operation and a reading operation.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first voltage is approximately in a range of 0.5V to 1.5V.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second voltage is approximately in a range of 2.5V to 3.5V.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the difference between the first voltage and the second voltage is less than 2V.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second voltage supply coupled to the bit line configured to supply a third voltage and a fourth voltage to the bit line.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the third voltage is supplied during a holding operation.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the fourth voltage is supplied during at least one of a writing operation and a reading operation.

10. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the third voltage is approximately the same as the first voltage.

11. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the fourth voltage is approximately in a range of 0V to 0.5V.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a third voltage supply coupled to the word line configured to supply a fifth voltage and a sixth voltage to the word line.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the fifth voltage is supplied during a holding operation.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the sixth voltage is supplied during at least one of a writing operation and a reading operation.

15. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the fifth voltage is approximately −

1.2V.

16. The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the sixth voltage is approximately in a range of 0.5V to −

0.5V.

17. A method for reducing a voltage swing comprising the steps of:

arranging a plurality of dynamic random access memory cells in arrays of rows and columns, each dynamic random access memory cell including one or more memory transistors having;

a first region coupled to a source line;

a second region coupled to a bit line;

a first body region disposed between the first region and the second region, wherein the first body region is electrically floating and charged to a first predetermined voltage potential; and

a first gate coupled to a word line spaced apart from, and capacitively coupled to, the first body region; and

supplying a first voltage and a second voltage to the source line, wherein a difference between the first voltage and the second voltage is less than 3.5V.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein supplying a first voltage is during a holding operation.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein supplying a second voltage is during at least one of a writing operation and a reading operation.

20. The method according to claim 17, wherein the first voltage is approximately in a range of 0.5V to 1.5V.

21. The method according to claim 17, wherein the second voltage is approximately in a range of 2.5V to 3.5V.

22. The method according to claim 17, wherein a difference between the first voltage and the second voltage is less than 2V.

23. The method according to claim 17, further comprising supplying a third voltage and a fourth voltage to the bit line.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein supplying a third voltage is during a holding operation.

25. The method according to claim 23, wherein supplying a fourth voltage is during at least one of a writing operation and a reading operation.

26. The method according to claim 23, wherein the third voltage is approximately same as the first voltage.

27. At least one processor readable medium for storing a computer program of instructions configured to be readable by at least one processor for instructing the at least one processor to execute a computer process for performing the method as recited in claim 17.

28. An article of manufacture for reducing a voltage swing, the article of manufacture comprising:

at least one processor readable medium; and

instructions carried on the at least one medium;

wherein the instructions are configured to be readable from the at least one medium by at least one processor and thereby cause the at least one processor to operate so as to;

arranging a plurality of dynamic random access memory cells in arrays of rows and columns, each dynamic random access memory cell including one or more memory transistors having;

a first region coupled to a source line;

a second region coupled to a bit line;

a first body region disposed between the first region and the second region, wherein the first body region is electrically floating and charged to a first predetermined voltage potential; and

a first gate coupled to a word line spaced apart from, and capacitively coupled to, the first body region; and

supplying a first voltage and a second voltage to the source line, wherein difference between the first voltage and the second voltage is less than 3.5V.