Temperature compensation in memory devices and systems

• US 7,948,793 B2
• Filed: 09/12/2008
• Issued: 05/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ovonyx Memory Technology, LLC
• Original Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Porter, John David, Taylor, Jennifer E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu; Pho M
• Application Number:
  US12/209,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20100067287A1
• Time in Patent Office: 984 Days
• Field of Search: 365/163, 365/211, 365/148, 365/225.7
• US Class Current: 365/163
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 17/16 using electrically-fusible links
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 17/18 Auxiliary circuits, e.g. for writing into memory
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/04 with means for avoiding disturbances due to temperature effects
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/1006 Data managing, e.g. manipulating data before writing or reading out, data bus switches or control circuits therefor

Abstract

Devices, methods, and systems for temperature compensation in memory devices, such as resistance variable memory, among other types of memory are included. A memory device can include a table with an output that is used to create a multiplication factor for a current to compensate for temperature changes in the memory device, where the output depends on an operating temperature of the memory device and a difference in the current between a highest specified operating temperature and a lowest specified operating temperature of the memory device.

Claims

1. A memory device, comprising:

circuitry including one or more groups of sets of fuses to generate a reference current; and

a table with an output that is used to create a multiplication factor applied to a current to change the magnitude of the current and to compensate for temperature changes in the memory device, where the output depends on an operating temperature of the memory device and a difference in the current between a highest specified operating temperature and a lowest specified operating temperature of the memory device.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the operating temperature of the memory device is input to the table to at least partially select the output from a number of possible outputs.

3. The device of claim 1, where the output is supplied to one of an adder and a subtractor that outputs the multiplication factor.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the multiplication factor is input to a binary weighted current mirror that is supplied with and multiplies a bandgap current.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the table is a read only memory (ROM) that is placed in an area on a side of a die and is physically segmented to allow for portions of the ROM to be placed in various portions of the area of the die.

6. A memory device, comprising:

a number of memory cells, wherein at least one memory cell is a phase change random access memory (PCRAM) cell;

circuitry including one or more groups of sets of fuses to generate a reference current and mirror the current to a number of locations on the memory device; and

a table, wherein the table is used to interpolate an output that is part of a multiplication factor to compensate the reference current for temperature changes in the memory device.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the PCRAM cell includes a Germanium-Antimony-Tellurium (GST) material.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein the table stores data corresponding to a number of reference currents at a number of temperatures.

9. A memory device, comprising:

a first group of sets of fuses, where each set of fuses has an output corresponding to a respective one of a plurality of reference currents at one of a lowest specified operating temperature and a highest specified operating temperature of the memory device;

a second group of sets of fuses, where each set of fuses of the second group has an output corresponding to a difference in magnitude between a respective one of the reference currents at the lowest specified operating temperature and at the highest specified operating temperature of the memory device;

a temperature sensor, where the temperature sensor has an output corresponding to an operating temperature of the memory device;

a table populated with data that corresponds to changes in magnitude of the reference currents at various temperatures, where the table output corresponds to a change in magnitude from a selected one of the reference currents at the one of the lowest specified operating temperature and the highest specified operating temperature to the selected one of the reference currents at the operating temperature based on the output from the second group of sets of fuses and the output of the temperature sensor; and

one of an adder and a subtractor, where the output of the table and the output of the first group of sets of fuses are one of added or subtracted to produce a signal corresponding to a magnitude of the selected one of the reference currents at the operating temperature, wherein the signal corresponding to the magnitude of the selected one of the reference currents at the operating temperature is used to produce a reference current having the magnitude and that is used in sensing a state of a memory cell.

10. The device of claim 9, including a multiplexor configured to selected one of the sets of fuses from the first group.

11. The device of claim 9, including a multiplexor configured to select one of the sets of fuses from the second group.

12. The device of claim 9, wherein the table comprises a number of single transistor pulldowns.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein the sets of fuses are fuses of a different type than the memory cell.

14. A method for producing a temperature compensated current, comprising:

interpolating a magnitude of the temperature compensated current between the temperature compensated current at a certain low operating temperature and a certain high operating temperature of a memory device using a temperature sensor, a look-up table, and one or more groups of sets of fuses; and

producing the temperature compensated current based on the interpolation.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein interpolating the magnitude of the temperature compensated current includes providing a first signal representing the magnitude of the temperature compensated current at a certain low operating temperature of the memory device from a set of fuses in a first group of fuses.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein interpolating the magnitude of the temperature compensated current includes providing a second signal representing a difference in magnitude of the temperature compensated current between a certain high operating temperature and a certain low operating temperature of the memory device from a set of fuses in a second group of fuses.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein interpolating the magnitude of the temperature compensated current includes selecting at least one of a number of possible values of a product corresponding to a function for interpolating magnitudes of the temperature compensated current in the look-up table.

18. The method of claim 14, including:

outputting from the temperature sensor a signal corresponding to an operating temperature of the memory device to a first decoder;

outputting from at least one of the groups of sets of fuses a signal corresponding to the difference in magnitude of the temperature compensated current at the certain high operating temperature and at the certain low operating temperature to a second decoder; and

using the first and the second decoders to select a product from the look-up table.

19. The method of claim 14, including:

outputting a signal from the look-up table to an adder;

outputting from at least one of the groups of sets of fuses a signal corresponding to the magnitude of the temperature compensated current at the certain low operating temperature to the adder;

outputting a signal from the adder based on the sum of the signal from the look-up table and the signal corresponding to the magnitude of the temperature compensated current at the certain low operating temperature; and

producing the temperature compensated current by sending the signal from the adder to binary weighted leg circuitry that generates the temperature compensated current.

20. The method of claim 19, including outputting the temperature compensated current to mirroring circuitry, where the temperature compensated current is mirrored to a number of locations on the memory device.

21. The method of claim 14, including generating one or more temperature compensated currents using the temperature sensor, the look-up table, and the groups of sets of fuses.

22. A method for producing a reference current used in sensing a variable resistance memory cell comprising:

sensing an operating temperature;

determining a desired change in magnitude from the reference current at a particular temperature to the reference current at the operating temperature based at least partially on the sensed operating temperature;

providing a signal based on the desired change in magnitude and the reference current at the particular temperature; and

producing the reference current at the operating temperature based on the signal.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein determining the desired change in magnitude comprises looking up the desired change in magnitude in a look-up table based on a signal corresponding to the sensed operating temperature and a signal corresponding to a difference in magnitude between the reference current at a certain low operating temperature and the reference current at a certain high operating temperature.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising selecting the signal corresponding to the difference in magnitude between the reference current at the certain low operating temperature and the reference current at the certain high operating temperature from a plurality of signals.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein each of the plurality of signals corresponds to a different reference current.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein providing the signal based on the desired change in magnitude and the reference current at the particular temperature comprises adding a signal corresponding to the desired change in magnitude to a signal corresponding to the reference current at the particular temperature.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein producing the reference current comprises multiplying a band gap current by a factor in accordance with the signal.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the signal causes at least one transistor to turn on or off and wherein the factor is associated with transistors that are turned on.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein the reference current at the particular temperature comprises the reference current at a lowest specified operating temperature of a device including the cell;

and

wherein the method further comprises outputting a signal corresponding to the reference current at the lowest specified operating temperature based on a selected set of programmed fuses, wherein each of a plurality of sets of fuses corresponds to a different reference current.