Micron Technology Incorporated

Intel Corporation

Karthik Sarpatwari

Nevil N Gajera

Durai Vishak Nirmal Ramaswamy

Kamal M Karda

Haitao Liu

Lingming Yang

Fabio Pellizzer

Jessica Chen

Yen Chun Lee

Richard Edward Fackenthal

Hongmei Wang

Zhongyuan Lu

Mingdong Cui

Duane R Mills

Eric S Carman

Amitava Majumdar

Scott E Sills

Yi Fang Lee

Ramanathan Gandhi

Sameer Chhajed

Xuan-Anh Tran

Akira Goda

John Frederic Schreck

Dale Collins

Stephen W Russell

Swapnil Lengade

Anna Maria Conti

Andrea Gotti

Alessandro Calderoni

Robert J Gleixner

Sanjay Rangan

Christian Caillat

Joseph M McCrate

Lei Wei

John Christopher M Sancon

Sandeep Krishna Thirumala

Francesco Douglas Verna-Ketel

Josephine Tiu Hamada

Fred Daniel Gealy, Iii

Jason A Durand

Ferdinando Bedeschi

Innocenzo Tortorelli

Srinivas Pulugurtha

Rangan Sanjay

Xuan Anh Tran

Some embodiments include apparatuses and methods of using the apparatuses. One of the apparatuses includes first, second, and third conductive structures, each having a length in a first direction, first and second memory cells spaced apart from each other in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, first conductive regions, and second conductive regions. Each of the first and second memory cells includes a first semiconductor portion located on a first level of the apparatus and coupled to the third conductive structure and one of the first and second conductive structures, a second semiconductor portion located on a second level of the apparatus and coupled to one of the first and second conductive structures. The first conductive regions are opposite the first and second semiconductor portions, respectively, of the first memory cell. Second conductive regions are opposite the first and second semiconductor portions, respectively, of the second memory cell.

Memory device having tiers of 2-transistor memory cells

Some embodiments include apparatuses and methods of forming the apparatuses. One of the apparatuses includes a first data line, a second data line, a conductive line, and a memory cell coupled to the first and second data lines. The memory cell includes a first transistor and a second transistor. The first transistor includes a first region electrically coupled to the first and second data lines, and charge storage structure electrically separated from the first region. The second transistor includes a second region electrically separated from the first region, the second region electrically coupled to the charge storage structure and the second data line. The conductive line is electrically separated from the first and second channel regions. Part of the conductive line is spanning across part of the first region of the first transistor and part of the second region of the second transistor.

Memory device having shared read/write data line for 2-transistor vertical memory cell

Some embodiments include apparatuses and methods of forming the apparatuses. One of the apparatuses includes a first data line located in a first level of the apparatus; a second data line located in a second level of the apparatus; a first memory cell located in a third level of the apparatus between the first and second levels, the first memory cell including a first transistor coupled to the first data line, and a second transistor coupled between the first data line and a charge storage structure of the first transistor; and a second memory cell located in a fourth level of the apparatus between the first and second levels, the second memory cell including a third transistor coupled to the second data line, and a fourth transistor coupled between the second data line and a charge storage structure of the third transistor, the first transistor coupled in series with the third transistor between the first and second data lines.

Memory device having 2-transistor vertical memory cell and shared channel region

Some embodiments include apparatuses and methods using a substrate, a pillar having a length perpendicular to the substrate, a first conductive plate, a second conductive plate, a memory cell located between the first and second conductive plates and electrically separated from the first and second conductive plates, and a conductive connection. The first conductive plate is located in a first level of the apparatus and being separated from the pillar by a first dielectric located in the first level. The second conductive plate is located in a second level of the apparatus and being separated from the pillar by a second dielectric located in the second level. The memory cell includes a first semiconductor material located in a third level of the apparatus between the first and second levels and contacting the pillar and the conductive connection, and a second semiconductor material located in a fourth level of the apparatus between the first and second levels and contacting the pillar.

Memory device having 2-transistor memory cell and access line plate

Some embodiments include apparatuses and methods of operating such apparatuses. One of such apparatuses includes a data line, a conductive region, and a memory cell including a first transistor and a second transistor. The first transistor includes a first channel region coupled to the data line and the conductive region, a charge storage structure, and a first gate. The second transistor includes a second channel region coupled to the data line and the charge storage structure, and a second gate. The first gate is electrically separated from the second gate and opposite from the second gate in a direction from the first channel region to the second channel region.

Memory device having 2-transistor vertical memory cell and separate read and write gates

Systems, methods and apparatus to read target memory cells having an associated reference memory cell configured to be representative of drift or changes in the threshold voltages of the target memory cells. The reference cell is programmed to a predetermined threshold level when the target cells are programmed to store data. In response to a command to read the target memory cells, estimation of a drift of the threshold voltage of the reference is performed in parallel with applying an initial voltage pulse to read the target cells. Based on a result of the drift estimation, voltage pulses used to read the target cells can be modified and/or added to account for the drift estimated using the reference cell.

Drift aware read operations

Systems, methods, and apparatus related to memory devices. In one approach, a memory device has a memory array including memory cells. A controller of the memory device applies multiple pre-read voltages to memory cells prior to performing write operations on the memory cells. The controller applies a first pre-read voltage to determine which of the memory cells have a sensed current that exceeds a threshold. In response to determining that a percentage of the memory cells exceeding the threshold is too low (e.g., below a fixed limit), the controller determines to apply a second pre-read voltage to the memory cells. The second pre-read voltage has a greater magnitude than the first pre-read voltage, and can be applied to ensure greater reliability in properly determining the existing programming state of the memory cells. The controller then applies write voltages to the memory cells as appropriate based on target logic states for each memory cell and the programming mode to be used by the controller.

Multi-step pre-read for write operations in memory devices

Some embodiments include an integrated assembly having a first semiconductor material between two regions of a second semiconductor material. The second semiconductor material is a different composition than the first semiconductor material. Hydrogen is diffused within the first and second semiconductor materials. The conductivity of the second semiconductor material increases in response to the hydrogen diffused therein to thereby create a structure having the second semiconductor material as source/drain regions, and having the first semiconductor material as a channel region between the source/drain regions. A transistor gate is adjacent the channel region and is configured to induce an electric field within the channel region. Some embodiments include methods of forming integrated assemblies.

Integrated assemblies comprising hydrogen diffused within two or more different semiconductor materials, and methods of forming integrated assemblies

Systems, methods and apparatus to determine a programming mode of a set of memory cells that store an indicator of the programming mode. In response to a command to read the memory cells in a memory device, a first read voltage is applied to the memory cells to identify a first subset of the memory cells that become conductive under the first read voltage. The determination of the first subset is configured as an operation common to different programming modes. Based on whether the first subset of the memory cell includes one or more predefined memory cells, the memory device determines a programming mode of memory cells. Once the programming mode is identified from the common operation, the memory device can further execute the command to determine a data item stored, via the programming mode, in the memory cells.

Identify the programming mode of memory cells during reading of the memory cells

Some embodiments include apparatuses in which one of such apparatus includes a first memory cell including a first transistor having a first channel region coupled between a data line and a conductive region, and a first charge storage structure located between the first data line and the conductive region, and a second transistor having a second channel region coupled to and located between the first data line and the first charge storage structure; a second memory cell including a third transistor having a third channel region coupled between a second data line and the conductive region, and a second charge storage structure located between the second data line and the conductive region, and a fourth transistor having a fourth channel region coupled to and located between the second data line and the second charge storage structure; a conductive line forming a gate of each of the first, second, third, and fourth transistors; and a conductive structure located between the first and second charge storage structures and electrically separated from the conductive region.

Memory device having 2-transistor vertical memory cell and shield structures

Some embodiments include apparatuses and methods of forming the apparatuses. One of the apparatuses includes a memory cell and first, second, and third data lines located over a substrate. The memory cell includes a first transistor and a second transistor. The first transistor includes a charge storage structure located on a first level of the apparatus, and a first channel region electrically separated from the charge storage structure. The second transistor includes a second channel region located on a second level of the apparatus and electrically coupled to the charge storage structure. The first and second data lines are located on a third level of the apparatus and electrically coupled to the first channel region. The first level is between the substrate and the third level. The third data line is electrically coupled to the second channel region and electrically separated from the first channel region.

Memory device having shared access line for 2-transistor vertical memory cell

Systems, methods, and apparatus related to memory devices. In one approach, a memory device has a memory array including memory cells. A controller of the memory device evaluates background leakage in order to select a write voltage to apply to a memory cell when performing a programming operation. The write voltage is dynamically selected from two or more write voltages. These write voltages include a first write voltage that is a normal or default voltage, and a second write voltage that is a boosted write voltage. The controller applies a pre-sensing voltage and pre-read voltage to the memory cell, and determines first and second respective currents that result from applying these voltages. In response to determining that the first current exceeds a first threshold (indicating background leakage), and the second current is below a second threshold that is greater than the first threshold (indicating that the memory cell does not snap), the controller selects the second (boosted) write voltage.

Evaluation of background leakage to select write voltage in memory devices

Some embodiments include apparatuses and methods of forming the apparatus. One of the apparatuses and methods includes a memory cell having a first transistor and a second transistor located over a substrate. The first transistor includes a channel region. The second transistor includes a channel region located over the channel region of the first transistor and electrically separated from the first channel region. The memory cell includes a memory element located on at least one side of the channel region of the first transistor. The memory element is electrically separated from the channel region of the first transistor, and electrically coupled to the channel of the second transistor.

Vertical 2-transistor memory cell

Some embodiments include apparatuses and methods of forming the apparatuses. One of the apparatuses includes a conductive region, a first data line, a second data line, a first memory cell coupled to the first data line and the conductive region, a second memory cell coupled to the second data line and the conductive region, a conductive structure, and a conductive line. The first memory cell includes a first transistor coupled to a second transistor, the first transistor including a first charge storage structure. The second memory cell includes a third transistor coupled to a fourth transistor, the third transistor including a second charge storage structure. The conductive structure is located between and electrically separated from the first and second charge storage structures. The conductive line forms a gate of each of the first, second, third, and fourth transistors.

Some embodiments include apparatuses and methods forming the apparatuses. One of the apparatuses includes a first transistor including a first channel region, and a charge storage structure separated from the first channel region; a second transistor including a second channel region formed over the charge storage structure; and a data line formed over and contacting the first channel region and the second channel region, the data line including a portion adjacent the first channel region and separated from the first channel region by a dielectric material.

Memory device having 2-transistor vertical memory cell and wrapped data line structure

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Boise, ID, United States of America

Karthik Sarpatwari