Three-dimensional memory device with multi-plane architecture

• US 7,940,564 B2
• Filed: 12/24/2008
• Issued: 05/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Yeong-Taek, Park, Ki-Tae
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho; Hoai V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Norman; James G
• Application Number:
  US12/343,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20090168534A1
• Time in Patent Office: 867 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 365/185.05
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/0483 comprising cells having several storage transistors connected in series
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 5/02 Disposition of storage elements, e.g. in the form of a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 5/025 Geometric lay-out considerations of storage- and peripheral-blocks in a semiconductor storage device geometrical lay-out of the components in integrated circuits, H01L27/0207
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 8/14 Word line organisation; Word line lay-out
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 8/18 Address timing or clocking circuits; Address control signal generation or management, e.g. for row address strobe [RAS] or column address strobe [CAS] signals
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/8221 Three dimensional integrated circuits stacked in different levels
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 41/20 characterised by three-dimensional arrangements, e.g. with cells on different height levels
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 41/30 characterised by the memory core region
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 41/35 with a cell select transistor, e.g. NAND
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 69/00 Erasable-and-programmable ROM [EPROM] devices not provided for in groups H10B41/00 - H10B63/00, e.g. ultraviolet erasable-and-programmable ROM [UVEPROM] devices

Abstract

Disclosed is a 3D memory device including a first plane having a first mat formed on a first layer and a third mat formed on a second layer disposed over the first layer, the first and third mats sharing a bit line, and a second plane having a second mat formed on the first layer and a fourth mat formed on the second layer. The second and fourth mats share a bit line. Each one of the first through fourth mats includes a plurality of blocks and a block associated with the first plane is simultaneously accessed with a block of the second plane.

Claims

1. A 3D memory device comprising:

a first plane including a first mat formed on a first layer and a third mat formed on a second layer disposed over the first layer, the first and third mats sharing a bit line;

a second plane including a second mat formed on the first layer and a fourth mat formed on the second layer, the second and fourth mats sharing a bit line,

wherein each one of the first through fourth mats comprises a plurality of blocks, wherein a block associated with the first plane is simultaneously accessed with a block of the second plane; and

a memory controller that erase verifies the memory device so that blocks associated with the second and fourth mats are erase-verified in accordance with a determination of whether a shared bit line is charged, and blocks associated with the first and third mats are erase-verified in accordance with a determination that the shared bit line is discharged.

2. The 3D memory device of claim 1, wherein block addresses are sequentially allocated to select a block of the first mat, select a block of the second mat, select a block of the third mat, and then select a block of the fourth mat.

3. The 3D memory device of claim 2, wherein at least a page associated with the block of the first mat is simultaneously programmed with at least a page associated with the block of the second mat.

4. The 3D memory device of claim 2, wherein the block of the first mat is simultaneously erased with the block of the second mat.

5. The 3D memory device of claim 2, wherein the block of the first mat, the block of the second mat, the block of the third mat, and the block of the fourth mat are simultaneously erased.

6. The 3D memory device of claim 1, wherein block addresses are sequentially allocated to select a block of the first mat, select a block of the fourth mat, select a block of the second mat, and then select a block of the third mat.

7. The 3D memory device of claim 6, wherein at least a page associated with the block of the first mat is simultaneously programmed with at least a page associated with the block of the fourth mat.

8. The 3D memory device of claim 7, wherein the block of the first mat is simultaneously erased with the block of the fourth mat.

9. The 3D memory device of claim 7, wherein the block of the first mat, the block of the second mat, the block of the third mat, and the block of the fourth mat are simultaneously erased.

10. The 3D memory device of claim 1, wherein block addresses are continuously allocated to the planes of the first and second layers, but discontinuously allocated to the first and second layers.

11. The 3D memory device of claim 1, wherein block addresses are continuously allocated to the first and second layers, but discontinuously allocated to the planes of the first and second layers.

12. The 3D memory device of claim 1, wherein during a programming operation, a block address for the first plane is different from a block address for the second plane.

13. The 3D memory device of claim 1, wherein during an erase operation, a block address for the first plane is different from a block address for the second plane.

14. A 3D memory device comprising:

a bit line;

first and second NAND strings connected to the bit line; and

a page buffer configured to perform an erase-verification operation in relation to the first NAND string by determining whether the bit line is charged following an erase operation applied to the first NAND string, and further configured to perform the erase-verification operation in relation to the second NAND string by determining whether the bit line is discharged following an erase operation applied to the second NAND string.

15. The 3D memory device of claim 14, wherein the first and second NAND strings share a common source line, a power voltage is applied to the common source line during the erase operation applied to the first NAND string, and the bit line is charged to the power voltage through a channel formed by successfully erased memory cells of the first NAND string.

16. The 3D memory device of claim 14, wherein the first and second NAND strings share a common source line, a ground voltage is applied to the common source line during the erase operation applied to the second NAND string and the charged bit line is discharged to the common source line through a channel formed by successfully erased memory cells of the second NAND string.