Lsi Logic Corporation

Broadcom Corporation

Kevin R LeClair

Myron Buer

David William Knebelsberger

Dechang Sun

Duane Jacobson

Ghasi R Agrawal

Gordon W Priebe

Mike T Liang

Myron J Buer

Sifang Wu

Sudhakar Sabada

Robin H Passow

Ronald D Isliefson

I Ross Mactaggart

Embodiments provide improved memory bitcells, memory arrays, and memory architectures. In an embodiment, a memory cell comprises a transistor having drain, source, and gate terminals; and a plurality of program nodes, with each of the program nodes charged to a pre-determined voltage and coupled to a respective one of a plurality of bit lines.

Encoded read-only memory (ROM) bitcell, array, and architecture

Read-only memory (ROM) bitcell, array, and architecture

A memory having built-in self repair with row shifting is provided. The rows in the memory are divided into smaller row groups and a bad row group is repaired with a redundant row group. Each row group receives a row select signal, which is fed into a shift circuit for the row group and a shift circuit for an adjacent row group. A shift circuit is provided for the redundant row group and the shift circuit for the redundant row group receives the row select signal for only the adjacent row group. If a bad row group is detected, then starting with the row group furthest from the redundant row group, the shift circuit for each row group before the bad row group is deactivated. The row group select signal and word line signal for the bad row group are disabled. The shift circuit for the bad row group and the shift circuit for each row group after the bad row group are activated. Therefore, the bad row group is disabled and the redundant row group fills the void.

Row redundancy memory repair scheme with shift to eliminate timing penalty

A semiconductor memory layout definition for connection to a power supply bus in an integrated circuit layout pattern. The layout definition includes an outline and a plurality of power supply conductor segments within the outline. At least one of the power supply conductor segments has a direct strap identifier which indicates a desired attachment to the power supply bus. The direct strap identifier is passed to a routing design tool which routes a direct strap conductor from the power supply bus to the power supply conductor segments having the direct strap identifier.

Memory having direct strap connection to power supply

A self-timed memory control system including a dummy row and column of memory cells along adjacent edges of a core memory array. Control logic receives an external clock signal and initiates address decoding, and also asserts a sense enable signal for activating the sense amplifiers. A dummy driver receives the enable signal and asserts a select signal on a dummy select line, which causes a memory access to occur in the dummy portion simultaneously with each access of the core memory array. A fixed memory cell in the dummy path always asserts a logic zero to a dummy sense amplifier, which senses the logic zero and respondingly asserts a timing signal. The dummy sense amplifier is biased with a voltage offset to favor a logic one, so that the timing signal is preferably delayed until after the output data of the core memory array has stabilized. The control logic detects the assertion of the timing signal and respondingly latches the output data, and the control logic also shuts down the sense amplifiers to prevent further power drain. In this manner, the output data is latched and the sense amplifiers are disabled as soon as possible to conserve energy but within a safe timing margin to assure that valid data is properly latched. A biased inverter is preferably added for further timing margin. The sense amplifiers preferably include an input level-shifter stage for proper operation at low voltage levels.

Method and apparatus for a low power self-timed memory control system

Growing community of inventors

Prior Lake, MN, United States of America

Kevin R LeClair