The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Date of Patent:
May. 07, 2002

Filed:

Dec. 22, 2000
Applicant:
Inventors:

Mark G. Johnson, Los Altos, CA (US);

Thomas H. Lee, Cupertino, CA (US);

Vivek Subramanian, Redwood City, CA (US);

Paul Michael Farmwald, Portola Valley, CA (US);

James M. Cleeves, Redwood City, CA (US);

Assignee:

Matrix Semiconductor, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US);

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G11C 1/700 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G11C 1/700 ;
Abstract

An integrated circuit device includes a three-dimensional memory array and array terminal circuitry for providing to selected memory cells of the array a write voltage different from a read voltage. Neither voltage is necessarily equal to a VDD power supply voltage supplied to the integrated circuit. The write voltage, particularly if greater than VDD, may be generated by an on-chip voltage generator, such as a charge pump, which may require an undesirably large amount of die area, particularly relative to a higher bit density three-dimensional memory array formed entirely in layers above a semiconductor substrate. In several preferred embodiments, the area directly beneath a memory array is advantageously utilized to layout at least some of the write voltage generator, thus locating the generator near the selected memory cells during a write operation.


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