Memory device transmitting small swing data signal and operation method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11309014-B2
Application number	US-202117143619-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 7, 2021
Priority date	Jan 21, 2020
Publication date	Apr 19, 2022
Grant date	Apr 19, 2022

Abstract

Disclosed is a memory device, which includes a buffer die that outputs a first power supply voltage to a first through-substrate via (e.g., through-silicon via (TSV)) and receives a small swing data signal from a second TSV generated based on the first power supply voltage, and a core die that is electrically connected to the buffer die through the first and second TSVs, includes a first cell capacitor electrically connected to the first TSV and configured to block a first noise introduced to the first power supply voltage received through the first TSV. The core die outputs the small swing data signal to the second TSV.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A memory device comprising:
a buffer die configured to output a first power supply voltage to a first through-substrate via (TSV) and to receive a first small swing data signal from a second TSV generated based on the first power supply voltage; and
a first core die electrically connected to the buffer die through the first and second TSVs, including a first cell capacitor electrically connected to the first TSV and configured to block a first noise introduced to the first power supply voltage received through the first TSV, the first core die configured to output the first small swing data signal to the second TSV,
wherein a voltage of a high level of the first small swing data signal is lower than the first power supply voltage.

2. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the buffer die is further configured to:
output a second power supply voltage smaller than the first power supply voltage to a third TSV,
output a third power supply voltage smaller than the second power supply voltage to a fourth TSV, and
receive the first small swing data signal based on the second and third power supply voltages, and
wherein the first core die:
is electrically connected to the buffer die further through the third and fourth TSVs,
includes a second cell capacitor connected to the third TSV and configured to block a second noise introduced to the second power supply voltage received through the third TSV, and
is configured to generate the first small swing data signal based on the first to third power supply voltages.

3. The memory device of claim 2 , wherein the first core die includes a transmitter configured to be driven based on the first to third power supply voltages and to generate the first small swing data signal, and
wherein the transmitter includes:
a multiplexer configured to generate a pull-up signal and a pull-down signal based on a first data signal, a second data signal corresponding to an inverted version of the first data signal, a clock signal, the first power supply voltage, and the third power supply voltage;
a first transistor connected between a first node configured to receive the second power supply voltage and a second node configured to output the first small swing data signal, and configured to operate in response to the pull-up signal; and
a second transistor connected between the second node and a third node configured to receive the third power supply voltage, and configured to operate in response to the pull-down signal.

4. The memory device of claim 3 , wherein the first and second transistors are NMOS transistors.

5. The memory device of claim 2 , further comprising:
a voltage regulator configured to provide the second power supply voltage to the buffer die,
wherein the first core die includes a transmitter driven based on the first to third power supply voltages and configured to generate the first small swing data signal, and
wherein the transmitter includes:
a comparator configured to compare the second power supply voltage and a voltage of a first node and output a comparison signal;
a first transistor connected between a second node configured to receive the first power supply voltage and the first node, the first transistor configured to operate in response to the comparison signal;
a second transistor connected between the first node and a third node configured to output the first small swing data signal, the second transistor configured to operate in response to a first data signal; and
a third transistor connected between the third node and a fourth node configured to receive the third power supply voltage, the third transistor configured to operate in response to a second data signal corresponding to an inverted version of the first data signal.

6. The memory device of claim 2 , wherein the buffer die includes a receiver driven based on the second and third power supply voltages and configured to determine a logical level of the first small swing data signal, and
wherein the receiver includes:
a first transistor connected between a first node and an output node at which a voltage of the determined logical level is formed and configured to operate in response to a voltage of an input node configured to receive the first small swing data signal;
a second transistor connected between the first node and a second node and configured to operate in response to a reference voltage used as a reference for determining the logical level;
a third transistor connected between the second node and a third node configured to receive the third power supply voltage, and configured to operate in response to a voltage of the second node;
a fourth transistor connected between the output node and the third node and configured to operate in response to the voltage of the second node;
a fifth transistor connected between a fourth node configured to receive the second power supply voltage and the first node and configured to operate in response to the voltage of the second node; and
a boosting capacitor connected between the input node and the second node.

7. The memory device of claim 2 , wherein a voltage of the first small swing data signal ranges from the second power supply voltage to the third power supply voltage.

8. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the first core die includes a memory cell array including a plurality of memory cells,
wherein each memory cell of the plurality of memory cells includes a transistor, and a capacitor connected to the transistor and configured to store data, and
wherein the first cell capacitor and the capacitor of memory cell are at the same height.

9. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the buffer die and the first core die are from different wafers.

10. The memory device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second core die disposed in parallel with the buffer die and the first core die and configured to receive the first power supply voltage through a first feed line including the first TSV and to transmit or receive the first small swing data signal through a second feed line including the second TSV,
wherein the first feed line includes a first micro-bump interposed between the buffer die and the first core die and a second micro-bump interposed between the first core die and the second core die, and
wherein the second feed line includes a third micro-bump interposed between the buffer die and the first core die and a fourth micro-bump interposed between the first core die and the second core die.

11. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the buffer die includes:
a power line distributer configured to output the first power supply voltage to the first TSV;
a first driver circuit driven based on the first power supply voltage and including a receiver configured to receive the first small swing data signal from the second TSV and a transmitter configured to output a second small swing data signal to the second TSV; and
an interface circuit electrically connected to the first driver circuit and including a flip-flop configured to hold the first small swing data signal and a sense amplifier configured to amplify the first small swing data signal.

12. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the first core die includes:
a second driver circuit driven based on the first power supply voltage and including a transmitter configured to output the first small swing data signal to the second TSV and a receiver configured to receive a second small swing data signal from the second TSV; and
a memory cell array configured to store data corresponding to the first small swing data signal and data corresponding to the second small swing data signal.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Moon Byongmo
• Ahn Sungoh

Classifications

• H10W90/722

  between stacked chips · CPC title

• H10W90/00

  Package configurations · CPC title

• H10W90/297

  characterised by the through-semiconductor vias [TSVs] in the stacked chips · CPC title

• H10W72/247

  Dispositions of multiple bumps · CPC title

• H10W72/07254

  changes in dispositions · CPC title