Static random access memory device including write assist circuit and writing method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016042784-A1
Application number	US-201514793044-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 7, 2015
Priority date	Aug 11, 2014
Publication date	Feb 11, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A static random access memory device may include a write driver configured to float one of a first bitline and a second bitline connected to a memory cell and apply a write voltage to the other bitline in response to a logic state of a data signal; a write failure detector configured to receive a voltage of the floated bitline and output a write failure signal; and an assist voltage generator configured to generate a write assist voltage in response to the write failure signal. The write driver may additionally provide the write assist voltage to a bitline to which the write voltage is applied.

First claim

1 . A static random access memory device comprising:
a write driver configured to float either of a first bitline and a second bitline connected to a memory cell and to apply a write voltage to the other bitline in response to a logic state of a data signal; a write failure detector configured to receive a voltage of the floated bitline and output a write failure signal; and an assist voltage generator configured to generate a write assist voltage in response to the write failure signal, wherein the write driver additionally provides the write assist voltage to the bitline to which the write voltage is applied

2 . The static random access memory device as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the voltage of the floated bitline is a logic-high voltage and the write voltage is a logic-low voltage.

3 . The static random access memory device as set forth in claim 2 , wherein the write assist voltage is a negative voltage at a voltage level lower than the write voltage.

4 . The static random access memory device as set forth in claim 3 , wherein the write driver comprises:
a first inverter configured to receive and invert the data signal before outputting the data signal; a first write transistor having one end connected to the first bitline and the other end connected to an output terminal of the assist voltage generator and being turned on or off in response to an output signal of the first inverter; and a second write transistor having one end connected to the second bitline and the other end connected to the output terminal of the assist voltage generator and being turned on or off in response to the data signal, and wherein turn-on/off operations of the first and second write transistors are complementary to each other.

5 . The static random access memory device as set forth in claim 4 , wherein the write failure detector comprises:
a first select transistor configured to output a voltage of the first bitline as a first select signal in response to the data signal; a second select transistor configured to output a voltage of the second bitline as a second select signal in response to the output signal of the first inverter; and a logic unit configured to receive the first select signal or the second select signal as a first input signal and receive and logically operate an write enable signal maintaining a logic low state during a write operation as a second input signal to output a write failure signal, and wherein the first input signal is a voltage of the floated bitline.

6 . The static random access memory device as set forth in claim 5 , wherein the logic unit outputs a logic-high write failure signal when the first input signal is a logic-low voltage.

7 . The static random access memory device as set forth in claim 6 , wherein the logic unit is a NOR logic gate.

8 . The static random access memory device as set forth in claim 3 , wherein the assist voltage generator comprises:
an inverter chain including first to third inverters connected in series and receiving and inverting the write failure signal to output an assist voltage control signal; a capacitor having one end connected to an output terminal of the inverter chain and the other end connected to an output terminal of the assist voltage generator and outputting the write assist voltage in response to the assist voltage control signal; and a pull-down transistor having one end connected to a ground voltage and the other end connected to the output terminal of the assist voltage generator and outputting a ground voltage in response to an output signal of the first inverter.

9 . The static random access memory device as set forth in claim 8 , wherein the assist voltage generator outputs the write assist voltage when the write failure signal is logic low and outputs a ground voltage when the write failure signal is logic high.

10 . A static random access memory device comprising:
memory cells connected to wordlines and bitlines pairs, respectively; an address decoder configured to select one of the memory cells in response to an address signal; a write driver configured to float one bitline of a bitline pair connected to the memory cell selected by the address decoder and to apply a write voltage to the other bitline; a write failure detector configured to detect change of a voltage level of the floated bitline to output a write failure signal; and an assist voltage generator configured to output a write assist voltage in response to the write failure signal, wherein the write failure detector outputs a write failure signal corresponding to write operation failure when a logic state of the voltage level of the floated bitline changes, and the write driver additionally applies the write assist voltage to the bitline to which the write voltage is applied.

11 . The static random access memory device as set forth in claim 10 , wherein the write driver floats a first bitline of the bitline pair and applies the write voltage to a second bitline of the bitline pair when the data signal is logic high, and applies the write voltage to the first bitline and floats the second bitline of the bitline pair when the data signal is logic low.

12 . The static random access memory device as set forth in claim 11 , wherein a voltage level of the floated bitline is a precharge voltage level and a level of the write voltage is a ground voltage level.

13 . The static random access memory device as set forth in claim 12 , wherein the write failure detector outputs the write failure signal that is a logic-high voltage when the voltage level of the floated bitline changes from a logic-high level to a logic-low level.

14 . The static random access memory device as set forth in claim 13 , wherein the write assist voltage generator outputs a write assist voltage that is a negative voltage at a voltage level lower than the write voltage in response to the write failure signal.

15 . The static random access memory device as set forth in claim 10 , wherein the write assist voltage generator outputs a ground voltage to the write driver when the write failure signal is a logic-low voltage.

16 - 20 . (canceled)

21 . A write assist operation unit coupled to a bitline pair of a memory device comprising:
a write failure detection circuit that determines when a write error occurs in response to a voltage level of a first bitline of the bitline pair, the write detection circuit generating a write failure signal in response to a determination of the occurrence of a write error; and a write driver unit that receives the write failure signal and selectively applies a write assist voltage to the first bitline of the bitline pair only when the write failure signal indicates the occurrence of a write error and otherwise applies a write voltage to the first bitline of the bitline pair when the write failure signal indicates the non-occurrence of a write error.

22 . The write assist operation unit of claim 21 wherein the write assist voltage is at a voltage level that is lower than that of the write voltage.

23 . The write assist operation of claim 22 wherein the write assist voltage is at a negative voltage level.

24 . The write assist operation unit of claim 21 further comprising a write driver that places the first bitline of the bitline pair in a floating state and that applies a write voltage to a second bitline of the bitline pair during a write operation.

25 . The write assist operation unit of claim 21 wherein the write failure det

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
• Industry Academic Cooperation Foundation

Inventors

• Rim Woojin
• Song Taejoong
• Kim Gyuhong
• Jung Seong Ook
• Jeong Hanwool

Classifications

• G11C11/419 Primary

  Read-write [R-W] circuits · CPC title

• G11C29/028

  with adaption or trimming of parameters · CPC title