Semiconductor Memory Sense Amplifier Parallel Data Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Semiconductor memory devices face instability in data output operations due to insufficient time for sense amplifiers to sense data, leading to errors caused by lack of precharge and discharge time on main data lines.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a redundancy sense amplifier circuit that senses potentials on redundancy data lines with strobe signals of a shorter period, allowing parallel data sensing operations and ensuring sufficient time margins for stable data output, along with a memory block structure including main and redundancy memory areas and corresponding data lines, strobe signal generation, and page buffer circuits for temporary data storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single sense amplifier circuit is used for all data lines, then device complexity is reduced, but data output stability deteriorates due to insufficient sensing time
Solution Approach 1:
The sense amplifier circuit is segmented into multiple independent sense amplifier circuits, each dedicated to sensing specific data lines. This segmentation allows each sense amplifier to operate independently with optimized timing, ensuring sufficient sensing time for each data line while maintaining overall system reliability.
2Measurement precision
If sense amplifiers operate with a single periodic strobe signal, then control simplicity is maintained, but sensing accuracy deteriorates due to insufficient precharge and discharge time
Solution Approach 1:
The strobe signal control is made dynamic by generating multiple strobe signals with different periods. The first strobe signal has a longer period for data lines requiring extended sensing time, while the second strobe signal has a shorter period for data lines that can be sensed more quickly. This dynamic adjustment ensures each data line receives appropriate precharge and discharge time.
Solution Approach 2:
The period parameter of the strobe signal is changed based on the specific data line being sensed. By varying the strobe signal period as a parameter, the system optimizes sensing accuracy for different data lines without requiring complex control mechanisms.
3Reliability
If redundancy data lines are sensed with the same strobe period as main data lines, then circuit simplicity is maintained, but redundancy data output reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Different strobe signal periods are applied to different data lines based on their specific requirements. Redundancy data lines receive a shorter strobe period optimized for their sensing characteristics, while main data lines receive appropriately longer periods. This local optimization ensures reliable operation for each data line type.
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell part including a main memory unit and a redundancy memory unit, a page buffer circuit including a plurality of page buffer groups and reading data stored in the memory cell part, and a sensing circuit including a plurality of sense amplifiers corresponding to the plurality of page buffer groups, respectively, and suitable for sensing the read data, wherein the plurality of sense amplifiers perform data sensing operations in parallel in order to sense the read data.