Semiconductor Page Buffer Contact Sizing for Area Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current semiconductor memory devices face challenges in reducing the size of page buffers while maintaining performance, as increasing contact dimensions improves transistor driving performance but increases the page buffer size, and reducing contact dimensions degrades performance and integration.
Innovation Solution
The semiconductor memory device employs a page buffer with a sensing circuit and a non-sensing circuit, where the first transistor in the sensing circuit has larger contacts for high driving performance and the second transistor has smaller contacts, allowing for reduced size without compromising data sensing capability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If the cross-sectional dimension of contacts is increased to improve transistor driving performance, then the driving performance is improved, but the page buffer size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different cross-sectional dimensions to different contacts based on their specific functional requirements. First contacts coupled to first transistors in the sensing circuit have a first cross-sectional dimension optimized for high-performance data sensing, while second contacts coupled to second transistors not in the sensing circuit have a second cross-sectional dimension optimized for size reduction. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by ensuring each contact has the appropriate size for its specific role rather than uniformly sizing all contacts.
2Area of stationary object
If the cross-sectional dimension of contacts is reduced to decrease page buffer size, then the page buffer size is reduced, but the transistor driving performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality differentiation by assigning different cross-sectional dimensions to contacts based on their functional importance. Contacts for sensing circuit transistors maintain larger dimensions to preserve driving performance, while contacts for non-sensing transistors use smaller dimensions to reduce overall size. This selective approach prevents uniform size reduction from degrading critical sensing performance while still achieving compactness in non-critical areas.
3Ease of manufacture
If uniform contact dimensions are used for all transistors in the page buffer, then manufacturing is simplified, but the page buffer size cannot be optimized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements local quality differentiation by assigning different cross-sectional dimensions to contacts based on their functional importance. Contacts for sensing circuit transistors maintain larger dimensions to preserve driving performance, while contacts for non-sensing transistors use smaller dimensions to reduce overall size. This selective approach prevents uniform size reduction from degrading critical sensing performance while still achieving compactness in non-critical areas.
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell; and a page buffer including a sensing circuit that is coupled to the memory cell through a bit line. The page buffer includes a first transistor included in the sensing circuit; and a second transistor not included in the sensing circuit. A cross-sectional dimension of a first contact which is coupled to the first transistor and a cross-sectional dimension of a second contact which is coupled to the second transistor are different from each other. The cross-sectional dimension of the second contact is smaller than the cross-sectional dimension of the first contact.