Systems and techniques for accessing multiple memory cells concurrently

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025266088-A1
Application number	US-202519062967-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 25, 2025
Priority date	Dec 19, 2018
Publication date	Aug 21, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

Techniques are provided for accessing two memory cells of a memory tile concurrently. A memory tile may include a plurality of self-selecting memory cells addressable using a row decoder and a column decoder. A memory controller may access a first self-selecting memory cell of the memory tile using a first pulse having a first polarity to the first self-selecting memory cell. The memory controller may also access a second self-selecting memory cell of the memory tile concurrently with accessing the first self-selecting memory cell using a second pulse having a second polarity different than the first polarity. The memory controller may determine characteristics of the pulses to mitigate disturbances of unselected self-selecting memory cells of the memory tile.

First claim

1 . (canceled)

2 . A method, comprising:
selecting a first polarity of a first pulse to read a first memory cell of a memory tile and a second polarity of a second pulse to read a second memory cell of the memory tile; accessing the first memory cell using the first pulse; and accessing the second memory cell using the second pulse concurrently with accessing the first memory cell based at least in part on selecting the first polarity and the second polarity.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the first polarity of the first pulse is different than the second polarity of the second pulse.

4 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
applying respective voltages to access lines coupled with the first memory cell and the second memory cell concurrently based at least in part on selecting the first polarity and the second polarity.

5 . The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
partitioning the first pulse into a first voltage to apply to a first access line and a second voltage to apply to a second access line; and identifying a respective magnitude and a respective polarity of the first voltage and the second voltage based at least in part on the first polarity of the first pulse, wherein applying the respective voltages is based at least in part on partitioning the first pulse into the first voltage and the second voltage and identifying the respective magnitude and the respective polarity of the first voltage and the second voltage.

6 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
identifying a first logic state stored on the first memory cell and a second logic state stored on the second memory cell based at least in part on accessing the second memory cell concurrently with accessing the first memory cell.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the first memory cell and the second memory cell comprise a chalcogenide material to indicate the first logic state and the second logic state.

8 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
coupling the first memory cell to a first type of sense component based at least in part on the first pulse having the first polarity; and coupling the second memory cell to a second type of sense component different than the first type based at least in part on the second pulse having the second polarity.

9 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the first polarity and the second polarity are selected such that a voltage difference caused by the first pulse or the second pulse at a third memory cell of the memory tile does not satisfy a programming threshold of the third memory cell.

10 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
determining that the first memory cell and the second memory cell are coupled with a common access line, wherein the first polarity and the second polarity are a same polarity based at least in part on determining that the first memory cell and the second memory cell are coupled with the common access line.

11 . An electronic memory apparatus, comprising:
a first sense component coupled with a digit line, the first sense component configured to identify a logic state stored on a memory cell coupled with the digit line based at least in part on a first pulse having a first polarity; and a second sense component coupled with the digit line, the second sense component configured to identify the logic state stored on the memory cell based at least in part on a second pulse having a second polarity different than the first polarity.

12 . The electronic memory apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising:
a first voltage source coupled with the digit line, the first voltage source configured to supply at least a part of the first pulse having the first polarity; and a second voltage source coupled with the digit line, the second voltage source configured to supply at least a part of the second pulse having the second polarity.

13 . The electronic memory apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising:
a switching component configured to selectively couple the digit line with the first voltage source or the second voltage source during an access operation.

14 . The electronic memory apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising:
a switching component configured to selectively output a signal from the first sense component or the second sense component based at least in part on a type of pulse applied to the memory cell during an access operation.

15 . The electronic memory apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the memory cell comprises a chalcogenide material configured to use a non-uniform distribution of ions to indicate the logic state.

16 . The electronic memory apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the memory cell is a self-selecting memory cell.

17 . The electronic memory apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first polarity of the first pulse is opposite the second polarity of the second pulse.

18 . A memory system, comprising:
one or more memory devices; and one or more controllers coupled with the one or more memory devices and configured to cause the memory system to:
select a first polarity of a first pulse to read a first memory cell of a memory tile and a second polarity of a second pulse to read a second memory cell of the memory tile;
access the first memory cell using the first pulse; and
access the second memory cell using the second pulse concurrently with accessing the first memory cell based at least in part on selecting the first polarity and the second polarity.

19 . The memory system of claim 18 , wherein the first polarity of the first pulse is different than the second polarity of the second pulse.

20 . The memory system of claim 18 , wherein the one or more controllers are configured to cause the memory system to:
apply respective voltages to access lines coupled with the first memory cell and the second memory cell concurrently based at least in part on selecting the first polarity and the second polarity.

21 . The memory system of claim 20 , wherein the one or more controllers are configured to cause the memory system to:
partition the first pulse into a first voltage to apply to a first access line and a second voltage to apply to a second access line; and identify a respective magnitude and a respective polarity of the first voltage and the second voltage based at least in part on the first polarity of the first pulse, wherein applying the respective voltages is based at least in part on partitioning the first pulse into the first voltage and the second voltage and identifying the respective magnitude and the respective polarity of the first voltage and the second voltage.

Assignees

• Micron Technology Inc

Inventors

• Pio Federico

Classifications

• G11C13/004 Primary

  Reading or sensing circuits or methods · CPC title

• G11C13/0061

  Timing circuits or methods · CPC title

• G11C13/0069 Primary

  Writing or programming circuits or methods · CPC title

• G11C2013/0045

  Read using current through the cell · CPC title

• G11C13/0004

  comprising amorphous/crystalline phase transition cells · CPC title