Stacked memory device and method thereof

• US 8,547,719 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2009
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Park, Jae-chul, Kwon, Kee-won, Song, I-hun, Park, Young-soo, Kim, Chang-jung, Kim, Sang-wook, Kim, Sun-il
• Primary Examiner(s): Sofocleous, Alexander
• Assistant Examiner(s): REIDLINGER, RONALD LANCE
• Application Number:
  US12/588,275
• Publication Number:
  US 20100091541A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,453 Days
• Field of Search: 365/51, 365/72, 365/63, 365/230.06
• US Class Current: 365/51
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/0023 Address circuits or decoders
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2213/71 Three dimensional array
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 5/02 Disposition of storage elements, e.g. in the form of a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 5/143 Detection of memory cassette insertion or removal; Continuity checks of supply or ground lines; Detection of supply variations, interruptions or levels G11C5/148 takes precedence; Switching between alternative supplies G11C5/141 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/18 Bit line organisation; Bit line lay-out
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 8/12 Group selection circuits, e.g. for memory block selection, chip selection, array selection

Abstract

A stacked memory device includes a plurality of memory layers, where at least one of the plurality of memory layers is stacked on another of the plurality of memory layers and each of the memory layers includes an array of memory cells, a first active circuit unit configured to classify and process address information for at least one of the memory cells as vertical address information and horizontal address information, and at least one second active circuit unit configured to generate a memory selection signal for at least one of the memory cells based on signals processed by the first active circuit unit.

Claims

1. A stacked memory device comprising:

a plurality of memory layers, where at least one of the plurality of memory layers is stacked on another of the plurality of memory layers and each of the memory layers includes an array of memory cells;

a first active circuit unit configured to classify and process address information for at least one of the memory cells as vertical address information and horizontal address information; and

at least one second active circuit unit configured to generate a memory selection signal for at least one of the memory cells based on signals processed by the first active circuit unit, wherein the at least one second active circuit unit includes a plurality of main decoders, each of the at least one second active circuit interposed between at least two of the memory layers, and wherein the first active circuit unit, the at least one second active circuit unit, and the memory layers are in separate layers from each other.

2. The stacked memory device of claim 1, wherein the first active circuit unit comprises:

a level decoder configured to decode the vertical address information; and

a pre-decoder configured to decode the horizontal address information.

3. The stacked memory device of claim 2, wherein the pre-decoder comprises:

a first pre-decoder; and

a second pre-decoder.

4. The stacked memory device of claim 1, wherein the first active circuit unit is in a bottom plane and the at least one second active circuit unit is in a plane above the bottom plane.

5. The stacked memory device of claim 1, wherein the first active circuit unit comprises:

a level decoder generating a level selection signal; and

a pre-decoder generating a row/column signal.

6. The stacked memory device of claim 5, wherein,

the level selection signal is generated by decoding the vertical address information, and

the row/column signal is generated by decoding the horizontal address information.

7. The stacked memory device of claim 5, wherein the level selection signal includes,

a decoder selection signal for selective access to at least one of the plurality of main decoders, and

a layer selection signal for selective access to at least one of the memory layers managed by at least one of the plurality of main decoders.

8. The stacked memory device of claim 1, wherein the at least one second active circuit unit comprises:

a plurality of main decoders disposed at a same level with the plurality of memory layers.

9. The stacked memory device of claim 1, wherein the at least one second active circuit unit comprises:

a main decoder decoding signals processed by the first active circuit unit.

10. The stacked memory device of claim 9, wherein the main decoder comprises:

a row decoder; and

a column decoder.

11. The stacked memory device of claim 9, wherein the at least one second active circuit unit further comprises:

a sense amplifier configured to amplify information read from the memory cell array.

12. The stacked memory device of claim 9, wherein the at least one second active circuit unit further comprises:

a driver configured to buffer a signal generated by the first active circuit unit and received by the main decoder.

13. The stacked memory device of claim 9, wherein the main decoder comprises:

a plurality of transistors, where each of the transistors is of a same type.

14. The stacked memory device of claim 13, wherein,

the vertical address information processed by the first active circuit unit is input to gates of the plurality of transistors, and

the horizontal address information processed by the first active circuit unit is input to drains of the plurality of transistors.

15. The stacked memory device of claim 1, wherein the first active circuit unit further comprises:

an input/output circuit configured to process a data signal of the plurality of memory layers, where the input/output circuit is shared by the plurality of the memory layers.

16. The stacked memory device of claim 1, wherein the first active circuit unit further comprises:

an input/output circuit configured to process a data signal of the plurality of memory layers, where the input/output circuit is shared by the at least one second active circuit unit.

17. The stacked memory device of claim 1, wherein the memory cell includes a resistive random access memory (RRAM) device.

18. A stacked memory device comprising:

a plurality of memory layers, where at least one of the plurality of memory layers is stacked on another of the plurality of memory layers and each of the memory layers includes an array of memory cells;

a first active circuit unit including a level decoder and a pre-decoder, where the level decoder is configured to decode vertical address information of at least one of the memory cells to generate a level selection signal, and the pre-decoder is configured to decode horizontal address information of at least one of the memory cells to generate a row/column signal; and

a plurality of second active circuit units stacked on the first active circuit unit in order to classify and manage the plurality of memory layers according to a plurality of groups of memory layers, wherein

each of the second active circuit units includes a main decoder configured to decode the level selection signal and the row/column selection signal to generate a memory selection signal.

19. The stacked memory device of claim 18, wherein each of the second active circuit units are interposed between at least two of the memory layers.

20. A method of accessing a stacked memory device, comprising:

providing a plurality of memory layers, where at least one of the plurality of memory layers is stacked on another of the plurality of memory layers and each of the memory layers includes an array of memory cells;

classifying and processing address information at a first active circuit unit for at least one of the memory cells as vertical address information and horizontal address information; and

generating a memory selection signal from at least one second active circuit unit for at least one of the memory cells based on signals processed by the classifying and processing, wherein the at least one second active circuit unit includes a plurality of main decoders, each of the at least one second active circuit interposed between at least two of the memory layers, and wherein the first active circuit unit, the at least one second active circuit unit, and the memory layers are in separate layers from each other.

21. The method claim 20, further comprising:

generating a level selection signal and a row/column signal at the first active circuit, where the level selection signal is generated by decoding the vertical address information, and the row/column signal is generated by decoding the horizontal address information.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the level selection signal includes,

a decoder selection signal for selective access to the at least one second active circuit, and

a layer selection signal for selective access to at least one of the memory layers managed by the at least one of second active circuit unit.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

buffering a signal generated by the first active circuit unit and received by the at least one second active circuit.