Leakage Current Detection Circuit for 3D Memory Plane Integrity
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Solution Overview
Problem
In non-volatile semiconductor memory devices, leakage current between a block select line and a shared conductive region can lead to electrical shorts, causing plane-level failures that result in data loss and operational failures, as charges become trapped in the dielectric material over time, affecting the memory array's control and data integrity.
Innovation Solution
A leakage current detection circuit is implemented to identify and measure the current between the block select line and the conductive region, allowing for early detection and prevention of electrical shorts by moving data out of the affected plane before a failure occurs, thereby preventing data loss.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If multi-plane parallel operation is implemented to improve memory performance, then productivity increases, but the risk of leakage current causing plane-level failures increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary detection of leakage current between block select lines and shared conductive regions before the leakage causes plane-level failures. The detection circuit monitors current levels and generates warnings or errors when threshold values are exceeded, allowing proactive data relocation from affected planes before operational failures occur.
2Productivity
If block select lines extend over multiple blocks to enable parallel operations, then productivity improves, but leakage current between the select line and shared conductive region increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where detection circuits continuously monitor leakage current levels between block select lines and shared conductive regions. When the monitored current exceeds predetermined threshold values, the system generates warnings or errors that trigger data relocation operations, creating a closed-loop control system that prevents plane-level failures.
3Productivity
If data is stored in planes with extended block select lines for efficient access, then productivity improves, but data loss risk increases due to potential electrical shorts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary detection and monitoring of leakage current conditions before they escalate to plane-level failures that would cause data loss. By detecting current levels exceeding threshold values and generating warnings in advance, the system enables proactive data relocation from at-risk planes, preventing information loss while maintaining efficient data storage in multi-plane structures.
Data Source
AI summary
Technology is described herein for detecting a leakage current between a block select line and a conductive region that exists in multiple blocks of memory cells in a plane. The conductive region may be shared by at least one memory cell in multiple blocks. One example of the conductive region is a common source line that includes one or more local source lines and one or more global source lines. If the leakage current were to become high enough, the electrical short between the conductive region and the block select line could cause a plane level failure. If the leakage current is less than an amount that would cause a plane failure, but that indicates that the non-volatile memory device is susceptible to a plane failure, data may be moved out of the plane before the plane failure occurs. Thus, data loss may be prevented.