Trimmable Driver and Sinker for Resistive Memory Voltage Consistency

Solution Overview

Problem

Resistive memory devices face reliability issues due to unbalanced wire resistances between source and bit lines, leading to varying writing voltages across different row locations, which can affect the reliability of data storage.

Innovation Solution

Implementing trimmable resistances in both the driver and sinker units, which adjust their resistance based on the row location of resistive memory cells to maintain consistent writing voltages across different locations, thereby compensating for the unbalanced wire resistances.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If trimmable resistances are added to driver and sinker units, then writing voltage consistency is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewriting voltage consistencyVSAvoiddevice complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The driver and sinker units incorporate trimmable resistances that can be adjusted to different resistance values. This allows the writing voltage to be tuned and optimized for different row locations, ensuring voltage consistency across the memory array despite variations in wire resistance. The resistance values can be trimmed during manufacturing or operation to compensate for process variations and layout differences.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Reliability

If wire resistance imbalance is compensated through trimming, then data storage reliability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata storage reliabilityVSAvoidmanufacturing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The driver and sinker units incorporate trimmable resistances that can be adjusted to different resistance values. This allows the writing voltage to be tuned and optimized for different row locations, ensuring voltage consistency across the memory array despite variations in wire resistance. The resistance values can be trimmed during manufacturing or operation to compensate for process variations and layout differences.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS11423982B2Resistive memory device with trimmable driver and sinker and method of operations thereof

Publication Date: 2022.08.23 TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO LTD

AI summary

A device is disclosed. The device includes a first memory cell, a second memory cell, a first pair of a driver and a sinker, and a second pair of a driver and a sinker. The first memory cell is coupled between the first pair of the driver and the sinker through a first line and a second line. The second memory cell is coupled between the second pair of the driver and the sinker through a third line and a fourth line. The first pair of the driver and the sinker are configured to be controlled to have resistances depending on a row location of the first memory cell in a memory column.