Memory system with sectional data lines

• US 8,130,528 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2009
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SanDisk 3D LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Yan, Tianhong, Fasoli, Luca
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Hoai V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Norman, James G
• Application Number:
  US12/410,648
• Publication Number:
  US 20100046267A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,077 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 365/51
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/0028 Word-line or row circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/24 Bit-line control circuits

Abstract

A storage system includes a three-dimensional memory array that has multiple layers of non-volatile storage elements grouped into blocks. The blocks are grouped into bays. The storage system includes array lines of a first type in communication with storage elements, array lines of a second type in communication with storage elements, and sense amplifiers. Each block is geographically associated with two sense amplifiers and all blocks of a particular bay share a group of sense amplifiers associated with the blocks of the particular bay. The system includes multiple sets of local data lines in one or more routing metal layers below the three-dimensional memory array and multiple sets of global data lines in one or more top metal layers above the three-dimensional memory array. Each set of one or more blocks include one set of the local data lines. Each bay includes one set of global data lines that connect to the group of sense amplifiers associated with the blocks of the respective bay. Each block includes a subset of first selection circuits for selectively coupling a subset of array lines of the first type to respective local data lines. Each block includes a subset of second selection circuits for selectively coupling a subset of the respective local data lines to global data lines associated with a respective bay.

Claims

1. A data storage system, comprising:

a plurality of data storage elements;

a plurality of signal lines positioned within the plurality of data storage elements and in communication with the plurality of data storage elements;

a plurality of local data lines outside the plurality of data storage elements, different subsets of the local data lines are in selective communication with different subsets of the data storage elements via the signal lines;

a plurality of global data lines outside of the plurality of data storage elements and in selective communication with multiple subsets of the local data lines; and

control circuitry connected to the global data lines, the control circuitry is positioned on a surface of a substrate, the plurality of data storage elements comprise a monolithic three-dimensional memory array positioned above the surface of the substrate and above the control circuitry, the local data lines are positioned between the monolithic three-dimensional memory array and the surface of the substrate, the global data lines are positioned above the monolithic three-dimensional memory array and the surface of the substrate.

2. The data storage system of claim 1, wherein:

the local data lines are positioned in at least one metal layer below the plurality of data storage elements; and

the global data lines are positioned in at least one metal layer above the plurality of data storage elements.

3. The data storage system of claim 1, wherein:

the signal lines are bit lines.

4. The data storage system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second group of selection circuits connected to the subsets of local data lines and the global data lines to selectively electrically connect the subsets of local data lines to the global data lines.

5. The data storage system of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of data storage elements are arranged into multiple bays;

each bay includes multiple blocks;

each block includes multiple data storage elements; and

each block is connected to a different subset of the local data lines via an associated subset of the signal lines and an associated subset of the first group of selection circuits.

6. The data storage system of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of data storage elements are arranged into multiple bays;

each bay includes multiple blocks;

each block includes multiple data storage elements;

the blocks are grouped such that each group includes multiple blocks; and

each group of blocks is connected to a different subset of the local data lines via an associated subset of the signal lines and an associated subset of the first group of selection circuits.

7. The data storage system of claim 1, wherein:

a subset of the signal lines are below some of the data storage elements and above some of the data storage elements.

8. A data storage system, comprising:

a plurality of data storage elements, the plurality of data storage elements are arranged into multiple bays, each bay includes multiple blocks, each block includes multiple data storage elements;

a plurality of signal lines positioned within the plurality of data storage elements and in communication with the plurality of data storage elements;

a plurality of local data lines outside the plurality of data storage elements, different subsets of the local data lines are in selective communication with different subsets of the data storage elements via the signal lines;

a first group of selection circuits connected to the signal lines and the local data lines to selectively electrically connect the signal lines to the local data lines;

a plurality of global data lines outside of the plurality of data storage elements and in selective communication with multiple subsets of the local data lines; and

control circuitry connected to the global data lines, each block is connected to a different first subset of the local data lines via an associated subset of the signal lines and an associated subset of the first group of selection circuits, each block is connected to a different second subset of the local data lines via the associated subset of the signal lines and the associated subset of the first group of selection circuits, the first subset of the local data lines are used for programming and the second subset of the local data lines are used for reading.

9. A data storage system, comprising:

a plurality of data storage elements comprising a monolithic three-dimensional memory array;

a plurality of bit lines positioned in the memory array and connected to the data storage elements;

a plurality of word lines positioned in the memory array and connected to the data storage elements;

a plurality of local data lines in at least one metal layer below the memory array;

a plurality of global data lines in at least one metal layer above the memory array;

a first group of selection circuits to selectively electrically connect the bit lines to the local data lines;

a second group of selection circuits to selectively electrically connect the local data lines to the global data lines;

word line control circuitry in communication with the word lines; and

a plurality of sense amplifiers positioned below the memory array and connected to the global data lines.

10. The data storage system of claim 9, wherein:

the memory array includes multiple bays;

each bay includes multiple blocks;

each block includes multiple data storage elements; and

each block is connected to a different subset of the local data lines via an associated subset of the bit lines and an associated subset of the first group of selection circuits.

11. The data storage system of claim 9, wherein:

the memory array includes multiple bays;

each bay includes multiple blocks;

each block includes multiple data storage elements;

the blocks are grouped such that each group includes multiple blocks; and

each group of blocks is connected to a different subset of the local data lines via an associated subset of the bit lines and an associated subset of the first group of selection circuits.

12. The data storage system of claim 9, wherein:

the memory array includes multiple bays;

each bay includes multiple blocks;

each block includes multiple data storage elements; and

each block is connected to a different first subset of the local data lines via an associated subset of the bit lines and an associated subset of the first group of selection circuits; and

each block is connected to a different second subset of the local data lines via the associated subset of the bit lines and the associated subset of the first group of selection circuits, the first subset of the local data lines are used for programming and the second subset of the local data lines are used for reading.

13. The data storage system of claim 9, wherein:

the second group of selection circuits are multiplexers that receive two local data lines as inputs and have an output connected to one global data line.

14. The data storage system of claim 9, further comprising:

bit line control circuitry in communication with the bit lines and the sense amplifiers; and

system control circuitry in communication with the word line control circuitry and the bit line control circuitry.

15. The data storage system of claim 14, wherein:

the system control circuitry, word line control circuitry, bit line control circuitry, sense amplifiers, first group of selection circuits and second group of selection circuits are arranged on a surface of a substrate;

the monolithic three-dimensional memory array is positioned above the surface of the substrate;

the local data lines are positioned between the memory array and the surface of the substrate; and

the global data lines are positioned above the memory array and the surface of the substrate.

16. The data storage system of claim 9, wherein:

the plurality of data storage elements are non-volatile storage devices.

17. The data storage system of claim 9, wherein:

a subset of the word lines are below some of the data storage elements and above some of the data storage elements; and

a subset of the bit lines are below some of the data storage elements and above some of the data storage elements.

18. The data storage system of claim 9, further comprising:

a substrate, the sense amplifiers are positioned on the substrate, the local data lines are positioned between the substrate and the memory array.

19. The data storage system of claim 9, further comprising:

a substrate, the local data lines are positioned between the substrate and the memory array.