A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to an embodiment of the present invention (referred to as the “device of the present invention” occasionally hereinafter) will be described with reference to the drawings hereinafter.
The device of the present invention according to this embodiment will be described with reference to
As shown in
The word line drive circuit 11 is provided for each word line and comprises a row readout voltage supply circuit 30 to supply a row readout voltage Vd (power supply voltage Vcc, for example) at the time of reading, and a voltage suppressor circuit 31 to suppress the displacement of a voltage level supplied from the row readout voltage supply circuit 30 as shown in
The row readout voltage supply circuit 30 comprises a P-channel MOSFET (referred to as the “PMOS” simply hereinafter) 34 in which the source is connected to the row readout voltage Vd, the drain is connected to the voltage suppressor circuit 31, and the gate voltage is set to be fixed at a predetermined voltage level so that the PMOS may operate in a saturated region.
The voltage suppressor circuit 31 comprises a feedback circuit unit comprising a N-channel MOSFET (referred to as the “NMOS” simply hereinafter) 32 whose source is connected to a global word line GWL and whose drain is connected to the row readout voltage supply circuit 30, and an inverter 33 whose input is connected to the word line and whose output is connected to the gate of the NMOS 32. According to this constitution, the feedback circuit unit adjusts the ON resistance of the NMOS 32 by varying the gate voltage of the NMOS 32 according to the voltage level V2 of the global word line GWL.
The row decoder 21 selects the memory cell in the row direction by selecting a readout voltage VRR from the word line drive circuit 11 based on the signal from an address circuit 23.
The bit line drive circuit 12 is provided for each bit line as shown in
The first voltage supply circuit comprises an access bit line driver B0Dr to supply the first voltage V1.
The second voltage supply circuit comprises a column readout voltage supply circuit 40 to supply the column readout voltage Vd (power supply voltage Vcc, for example) to the unselected bit line, and a voltage suppressor circuit 41 to suppress the displacement of the voltage level supplied from the column readout voltage supply circuit 40 to the second voltage V2. The second voltage V2 whose voltage fluctuation is suppressed is supplied to each unselected bit line by the voltage suppressor circuit 41.
The column readout voltage supply circuit 40 comprises a PMOS 42 in which the source is connected to the column readout voltage Vd, the drain is connected to the voltage suppressor circuit 41, and the gate voltage is set to be fixed at a predetermined voltage level so that the PMOS 42 may operate in a saturated region.
As shown in
As shown in
The column decoder 22 turns on one of the CMOS transfer gates 43 and 44 and turns off the other thereof with respect to each bit line based on the signal from the address circuit 23 to control the selection and unselection of the memory cell in the column direction and control the voltage of each bit line based on the bit line drive circuit 12.
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
As shown in
According to the above constitution, when the VNG signal and the VPG signal are fluctuated during the readout period, the voltages between the gates and the sources of the PMOS and NMOS receiving the VPG signal and the VNG signal of the inverter 33 of the voltage suppressor circuit 31 as gate inputs, respectively are relatively fluctuated, so that the inversion level of the inverter 33 can be fluctuated in the same direction as that of the first voltage V1 connected to the selected bit line, and the voltage of the word line and the unselected bit line suppressed by the voltage suppressor circuit 31 can be fluctuated in the same direction as that of the selected bit line.
Next, the operation of the device of the present invention and its peripheral circuits will be described with reference to
When the signal /CE falls and the preset period is started, a gate signal Rsel of the NMOS 45 of the access bit line driver B0Dr shown in
When the switch circuit SW01 is turned on during the preset period, initialized VNG01 signal and VPG01 signal are supplied to the word line drive circuit 11 and the bit line drive circuit 12 through the VNG line and the VPG line. The voltage levels of the VNG01 signal and the VPG01 signal can be set arbitrarily, so that the voltage levels of the word line and the unselected bit line during the preset period can be set arbitrarily. When the switch circuit SW0 is turned on, the voltage level VN2 of the node N2 that is the inversion level of the voltage level VN1 of the node N1 is outputted from the switch circuit SW0 to the current amplifiers 15 and 17.
Continuously, the current amplifiers 15 and 17 generate the inverted amplified signals VNG0 and VPG0 whose current was amplified. More specifically, the voltage level VN2 of the node N2 is inputted to the + inputs of the operating amplifiers in the current amplifier 15, 17 and the VNG0 and VPG0 signals are inputted to the − inputs of the operating amplifiers respectively so that the voltage levels of the inputs become the same level as the voltage level VN2 of the node N2. Thus, as shown in formula 6, the voltage level of the node N2, the voltage level VNG0 of the inverted amplified signal VNG0 in the current amplifier 15, and the voltage level VPG0 of the inverted amplified signal VPG0 in the current amplifier 17 become the same.
V
N2
≅=V
NG0
≅=V
PG0 (6)
Continuously, when the switch circuits SW1 of the VNG memory circuit 16 and the VPG memory circuit 18 are turned on, the voltage VNG0 of the inverted amplified signal VNG0 from the current amplifier 15 is stored in the capacitor C1 of the VNG memory circuit 16 and the voltage VPG0 of the inverted amplified signal VPG0 from the current amplifier 17 is stored in the capacitor C2 of the VPG memory circuit 18.
Then, when the reading period is started, and the switch circuits SW0 and SW1 are turned off and the switch circuit SW2 is turned on, the VNG1 signal at the voltage level VNG0 stored in the capacitor C1 of the VNG memory circuit 16 and the VPG1 signal at the voltage level VPG0 stored in the capacitor C2 of the VPG memory circuit 18 are supplied to the feedback circuits of the voltage suppressor circuits 31 and 41 through the VNG line and the VPG line, respectively to raise the voltage level of the word line and the voltage level of the unselected bit line by the voltage rise range of the selected bit line at the time of reading operation for adjustment, so that the inversion level in the inverter of the feedback circuit can be adjusted. In addition, when the switch circuits SW0 and SW1 are turned off at the time of the reading operation (while the switch circuit SW2 is ON), the voltage level of the node N2 that newly generated at the time of reading operation is stored in the capacitor and the updated voltage levels VNG0 and VPG0 are prevented from being supplied to the feedback circuits in the voltage suppressor circuits 31 and 41, respectively. Therefore, the VPG01 signal and the VNG01 signal for the preset period are used during the preset period.
In addition, as shown in
As a result, the inversion levels of the inverters in the feedback circuits of the voltage suppressor circuits 31 and 41 of the word line drive circuit 11 and the bit line drive circuit 12 are adjusted by the VNG1 signal and the VPG1 signal generated based on the voltage level VN1 of the node N1 extracted during the preset period (proportional to the current amount flowing in the selected bit line), whereby the voltage level of the word line and the unselected bit line is adjusted according to the voltage fluctuation of the selected bit line.
More specifically, when the resistance value of all the memory cells connected to the selected bit line are small, the current flowing in the selected bit line is the largest and the voltage level VN1 at the node N1 becomes the highest. Therefore, the voltage level VN2 at the node N2 that is the inversion level of the voltage level VN1 at the node N1 becomes lowest. Thus, the VNG1 signal and the VPG1 signal are formed based on the voltage level VN2, the VNG signal is inputted to the gate of the NMOS and the VPG signal is inputted to the gate of the PMOS connected to the inverters 33 in the feedback circuits (row voltage displacement suppressor circuit 31 and the column voltage displacement suppressor circuit 41) in the word line drive circuit 11 and the bit line drive circuit 12, whereby the voltage level of the all the word lines and unselected bit lines becomes high.
Here, when it is assumed that the voltage rise level of the selected bit line is 5ΔVH, the voltage level applied to the memory cell to be read can be kept at a constant value by adjusting the voltage rise level of the word line and unselected bit line so as to be the same as 5ΔVH. In this case, since the voltage rise level when the all memory cells connected to the selected bit line are low is 5ΔVH and the voltage rise level of the word line and the unselected bit line is 5ΔVH, a voltage level Vbiasc1 applied to the selected memory cell is found by the following formula 7.
Vbiasc1=V2+5ΔVH−(V1+5ΔVH)=V2−V1 (7)
Similarly, when the resistance value of all the memory cells connected to the selected bit line are high, the current flowing in the selected bit line is the smallest and the voltage level VN1 at the node N1 becomes the lowest. Therefore, the voltage level VN2 at the node N2 that is the inversion level of the voltage level VN1 at the node N1 becomes highest. Thus, the VNG1 signal and the VPG1 signal are formed based on the voltage level VN2, and the VNG signal is inputted to the gate of the NMOS and the VPG signal is inputted to the gate of the PMOS connected to the inverters 33 in the feedback circuits (row voltage displacement suppressor circuit 31 and the column voltage displacement suppressor circuit 41) in the word line drive circuit 11 and the bit line drive circuit 12, whereby the voltage level of the all the word lines and unselected bit lines become low.
Here, when it is assumed that the voltage rise level of the selected bit line is ΔVH, the voltage level applied to the memory cell to be read can be kept at a constant value by adjusting the voltage rise level of the word line and unselected bit line so as to be the same as ΔVH. In this case, since the voltage rise level when the all memory cells connected to the selected bit line are high is ΔVH and the voltage rise level of the word line and the unselected bit line is ΔVH, a voltage level Vbiasc2 applied to the selected memory cell is found by the following formula 8.
Vbiasc2=V2+ΔVH−(V1+ΔVH)=V2−V1 (8)
In addition, as one example of the memory cell, the following ones are considered. For example, the memory according to the present invention can be applied to a phase change memory using phase change of a crystal phase (resistance is low) and an amorphous phase (resistance is high), in a phase change of a phase transition material such as a chalcogenide compound. In addition, it can be applied to a polymer memory and a polymer ferroelectric RAM (PFRAM) whose ferroelectric polarization state is changed in polarization orientation of a fluorine resin group material molecule (polar conductive polymer molecule), using a fluorine resin group material as a memory cell. Furthermore, it can be applied to a memory cell formed of an Mn oxide group material such as PCMO (Pr(i-x)CaxMnO3) having the Perovskite structure having a CMR (Colossal Magnetic Resistance) effect. This uses the fact that the resistance value of the Mn oxide group material such as PCMO constituting the memory cell element is changed when the states of two phases of a ferroelectric metal body and a diamagnetic insulator are changed.
In addition, it may be applied to a memory in which a memory cell is formed of a metal oxide such as STO (SrTiO3), SZO (SrZrO3) and SRO (SrRuO3) and metal powder and an interface phenomenon such that the resistance value of the memory cell is changed according to an applied voltage at the interface between the metal oxide and the metal powder is used.
Furthermore, it can be applied to a memory in which a resistive element constituting a memory cell is formed of a semiconductor material. It can be applied to a memory in which a resistive element constituting a memory cell is formed of an oxide or a nitride. Also, it can be applied to a memory in which a resistive element constituting a memory cell is formed of a compound of a metal and a semiconductor. It can be applied to a memory in which a resistive element constituting a memory cell is formed of a fluorine resin material. It can be applied to a polymer ferroelectric RAM (PFRAM) in which a resistive element constituting a memory cell is formed of a conductive polymer. It can be applied to a memory (OUM) in which a resistive element constituting a memory cell is formed of a chalcogenide material. It can be applied to a memory in which a resistive element constituting a memory cell is formed of a compound having the Perovskite structure having a CMR effect. It can be applied to a MRAM in which a resistive element constituting a memory cell is formed of a spin-dependent tunnel junction element.
(1) Although the device of the present invention is applied to the memory cell array having the bank structure in the above embodiment, it can be applied to a single memory cell array that does not have the bank structure, as a matter of course.
(2) The two-terminal structured memory cell may comprise a series circuit having a variable resistive element and a diode in the above embodiment.
(3) Although the memory state is detected on the side of the word line in the above embodiment, the relation between the word line and the bit line may be inverted and the memory state may be detected on the side of the bit line.
Although the present invention has been described in terms of the preferred embodiment, it will be appreciated that various modifications and alternations might be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. The invention should therefore be measured in terms of the claims which follow.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-109909 | Apr 2006 | JP | national |