Patent · US Expired

Semiconductor integrated circuit

US6426889B2 · kind B2 · utility

12Cited by
3References
19Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 8, 2001
Grant dateJul 30, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 8, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH10B12/315
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

In a large scale integrated DRAM in pursuit of micro fabrication, data line-word line coupling capacitances are unbalanced between paired data lines. A data line-word line imbalance generates large noise when the data lines are subjected to amplification, which is highly likely to invite deterioration of very small signals on the data lines and erroneous amplification of data. One or a few of a plurality of word lines connected to a plurality of memory cells connected to one data line are alternately connected to subword driver arrays arranged on the opposing sides of a memory array. Positive and negative word line noise components cancel each other in the subword drivers when the data lines are subjected to amplification, so that the word line noise can be reduced. Therefore, signals read out by sense amplifiers can be prevented from deterioration thereby to increase the reliability of memory operation.

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