Memory in a data processing system having improved performance and method therefor
US6058065A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | May 21, 1998 |
| Grant date | May 2, 2000 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 21, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11C7/18
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A memory array is modified by segmenting the total length of a bitline into smaller bitline sections referred to as local bitlines. Included is an additional bitline into the array for every bitline that has been segmented. This new bitline is referred to as the global bitline. After segmentation, the array appears as several smaller sub-arrays; each sub-array has fewer cells per segmentation (local bitline) than the sum total of cells along the more traditional non-segmented bitline approach. These smaller sub-arrays (local bitline segmentations) are independent of one another and only one sub-array can be accessed per memory request (read/write). The reduced length and cell count per local bitline within each sub-array substantially reduces the total bitline capacitance (e.g., diffusion capacitance) discharged by a single memory cell during a read operation. Reducing bitline capacitance results in faster signal development and restore time on the bitline; thus, several smaller sub-arrays can be cycled much faster than a single large array.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.