Switching Transistor Resistance Reduction via Parallel Coupling
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a demand for semiconductor devices that can reduce area, improve device characteristics, and lower costs by minimizing the resistance of switching transistors and simplifying the fabrication process in electronic devices, particularly in memory circuits.
Innovation Solution
The semiconductor memory device includes a mat region with memory cells and a switching region that controls coupling between wires, featuring a substrate with second active regions, gates, and contacts arranged in specific configurations to reduce resistance and area, and share a well with the mat region, allowing for parallel coupling of switching transistors to minimize resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional switching transistor configurations are used in memory circuits, then the device can function normally, but the resistance of switching transistors is high and the area occupied is large
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple switching transistors into a shared configuration where a single switching transistor controls coupling between multiple first wires and the external region. This consolidation reduces the total number of switching transistors required, thereby decreasing device area while maintaining functionality through the shared switching element that can selectively couple different wire groups.
Solution Approach 2:
The switching transistor is designed with multi-functional capability to control coupling between multiple first wires simultaneously. By enabling a single switching transistor to serve multiple wiring connections, the design reduces the overall component count and area requirement while maintaining the ability to selectively activate different memory cell groups through the universal switching element.
2Reliability
If conventional switching transistor configurations are used, then the device can operate, but the fabrication process is complex and costs are high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple switching transistor functions into a single device structure, simplifying the fabrication process by reducing the number of transistor fabrication steps required. This merging approach decreases process complexity and manufacturing costs while maintaining reliable switching performance through the optimized single-transistor design that handles multiple wire couplings.
3Ease of operation
If more switching transistors are used to control wire coupling, then coupling control is improved, but resistance increases and area increases
Solution Approach 1:
The switching transistor is designed with universal coupling control capability to manage multiple first wires simultaneously. This multi-functional design provides improved coupling control for different wire groups while avoiding the resistance penalty of using multiple separate transistors, as the single shared transistor maintains low resistance through its optimized structure and selective coupling mechanism.
Data Source
AI summary
This patent document relates to memory circuits or devices and their applications in electronic devices or systems. The disclosed technology in this patent document includes memory circuits or devices and their applications in electronic devices or systems and various implementations of an electronic device in which an electronic device capable of reducing an area, improving device characteristics due to a reduction in the resistance of a switching transistor, simplifying the process, and reducing a cost is provided. In accordance with the electronic device of this patent document, an area can be reduced, device characteristics can be improved due to a reduction in the resistance of the switching transistor, the process can be simplified, and a cost can be reduced.