Patent · US Expired

Layout for a semiconductor memory

US6304478A · kind A · utility

2Cited by
10References
48Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJul 14, 2000
Grant dateOct 16, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 14, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH10B12/05
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The invention pertains to a layout for a semiconductor memory with multiple memory cells. The layout according to this invention takes into account the "design rules" specified by the manufacturing process or those required by the technology, and attempts to optimize the surface area of the layout of the semiconductor memory. The particular advantage of the invention rests in the fact that for each memory cell, effectively only one contact terminal is needed. In this manner, the required surface area for the semiconductor memory can be reduced significantly. Due to the reduction in the number of contact terminals, the leakage currents can also be reduced.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.