The invention relates to a semiconductor arrangement.
In the technical field of logic circuits, in particular, there is continually a desire for shorter switching times in order that the circuit operates faster overall. This increasingly leads to problems, particularly in the case of memory modules. Present-day memory modules are operated at a frequency of up to 400 MHz. Further frequency increases are envisaged for the next generations of memory modules. As the storage capacity increases at the same time, this results in extremely stringent requirements for the access time to an individual memory cell.
The fundamentally customary construction of a DRAM module is described in IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, Vol. sc-20, No. 5, October 1985, pages 914 to 923. In the arrangement illustrated, a comparatively wide logic region is formed along a center axis. The logic region has, inter alia, so-called address multiplexers, address generators, read and write amplifiers, etc. Connection contacts, the so-called pads, are additionally arranged in this region. Word and bit lines are arranged in a rectangular grid on the chip. In addition to the logic region running in the longitudinal direction along the center axis, additional logic regions are provided at right angles thereto, which divide the chip into individual memory banks. Within such a memory bank, besides the individual word lines, an area for sense amplifiers is additionally arranged at a uniform distance, i.e., after a predetermined number of word lines.
As the number of memory cells continuously increases and the clock number simultaneously increases, it becomes more and more difficult to handle the access times to the individual memory cells. This means that reading from or writing to a memory cell that is arranged spatially close to the logic has to be effected just as reliably as for a memory cell that is arranged far away from the logic. As a result of the high different spatial distance, the propagation times differ greatly, however, so that at high clock rates and thus with low access times, a reliable, i.e., error-free, management of the accesses can be made possible only with a high technical outlay.
Even though the technical environment has been described on the basis of a DRAM chip hitherto, the same problem area nevertheless arises in the case of any other type of memory component, but in principle also in the case of any semiconductor arrangement in which a multiplicity of elements that are intended to be addressed with very precise timing are arranged with a high integration density.
Consequently, embodiments of the invention are based on the object of providing a semiconductor arrangement which, given a high density of circuit elements, reliably ensures a simple access to individual elements even at a high clock rate.
This object is achieved according to embodiments of the invention by virtue of the fact that, in the case of a semiconductor chip, the individual element arrays arranged along lines of a first type and lines of a second type are constructed in such a way that the lines of the first type or the lines of the second type run proceeding from an inner region in more than two directions to an outer region and the conductors of the respective other type are arranged around an inner region, the access times to the individual elements are minimal, on the one hand, and the difference in signal propagation times between inner elements with respect to outer elements can readily be estimated, on the other hand.
Further advantageous refinements of the invention are described in the specification and shown in the figures.
The invention is described in detail below with reference to the drawing, in which:
The following list of reference symbols can be used in conjunction with the figures:
The illustration now shows bit lines 4 running radially proceeding from the central region 5. For the sake of clarity,
Such an arrangement is illustrated together with further line arrangements in
In a further variant, the invention is not restricted to a straight bit line routing. A singularly or multiply curved course can likewise be realized. Correspondingly, it is not necessary for the word lines to have a circular form. An elliptical course accords with the concept of the invention, as do comparable arrangements in which the word lines are led around the central region. This variant is likewise indicated in
The memory cells 2 are arranged at the point of intersection between word and bit lines. The memory cells are arranged in the interspaces between word and bit lines. The way in which the precise arrangement, e.g., of a DRAM cell is to be provided, will be explained by way of example at a later time with reference to
In the case of a rectangular chip area, it is apparent in turn from this that free areas are present in corner regions of the chip. Connection areas are necessary for the operation of such a memory chip; the connection areas can be located in the corner regions. Therefore, outer additional areas 6a, 6b, 6c and 6d are provided in the four corners of the chip 1 illustrated in
The advantage of the arrangement illustrated in
In addition to the exemplary embodiment described above,
a illustrates in enlarged fashion a detail from the plan view of a memory cell array. Proceeding from a region 71 provided for sense amplifiers, bit lines 4 are illustrated, the exemplary explanation relating to the bit lines 4j, 4j+1 and 4j+2. Arranged concentrically with respect to the region 71 are word lines 3 running further outward, the explanations relating to the word lines 3i, 3i+1 and 3i+2.
Below the bit line 4j, an active area 11 for two selection transistors T1 and T2 is formed between two cell capacitors C1 and C2. In this case, the respective transistor channel is formed below the word lines 3i+1 and 3i+2. A bit line contact 9 connects the bit line 4j+1 between the two selection transistors T1 and T2 to the active area 11. This arrangement comprising two memory cells is illustrated for comparison once again in
On the adjacent bit lines 4j and 4j+2, the same arrangement is arranged in an offset manner, and, one bit line further in each case, the arrangement is again at the same “level” as on the bit line 4j+1. This arrangement, in which the bit line contacts are thus arranged offset by one memory cell size with respect to the adjacent bit line, enables a very high memory cell density.
In accordance with the preceding exemplary embodiments, the bit lines 4 run radially from the central region 5 to the outer region B and the word lines 3 run on concentric circles, provision being made, at predetermined intervals, of annular additional areas 7, which are provided for the arrangement of the sense amplifiers and, for example, for feeding in the voltage supply. What is not illustrated, but is equally possible in principle, is an arrangement in which the bit lines are interchanged with the word lines. This would mean that the word lines run radially outward and the bit lines run on concentric circles, the required areas for the sense amplifiers and the voltage supply then also being arranged in a manner running radially outward on segment areas after a respectively predetermined number of word lines.
In a further variant, it is possible for no additional area to be provided in the central region 5 of the arrangement. In this case, the logic is arranged on the radially running additional areas 7 and/or the additional areas 6 in the corner regions of the chip area. The same applies to the connection areas (not illustrated).
It is equally well the case that it is not a mandatory stipulation that the actual chip area is square. If there is an additional area requirement in the outer region, it is also possible to realize a rectangular chip area.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
102 52 058.5 | Nov 2002 | DE | national |
This application is a continuation of co-pending International Application No. PCT/DE2003/003567, filed Oct. 27, 2003, which designated the United States and was published in English, and which is based on German Application No. 102 52 058.5, filed Nov. 8, 2002, both of which applications are incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
Parent | PCT/DE03/03567 | Oct 2003 | US |
Child | 11123841 | May 2005 | US |