Patent · US Expired

Three-dimensional memory array and method for storing data bits and ECC bits therein

US6591394B2 · kind B2 · utility

88Cited by
34References
30Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 22, 2000
Grant dateJul 8, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 12, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH10B99/10
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A three-dimensional memory array and method for storing data bits and ECC bits therein is provided. A three-dimensional memory array of the type that includes multiple vertically-stacked layers of memory cells is described. The three-dimensional memory array comprises a plurality of memory cells arranged in a plurality of physically-independent sub-arrays, and data bits and error checking and correcting (ECC) bits of a word are stored in respective ones of the physically-independent sub-arrays. By spatially diffusing data bits and ECC bits from a word, the likelihood of multiple-bit errors within the word is reduced. This is advantageous since most ECC circuitry is capable of correcting only single-bit errors within a given word.

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