Macronix International has filed a patent for a memory device and word line driver. The word line driver includes two signal generators and two voltage generators. The generators select voltages to generate word line signals based on a control signal. The first voltage generator provides the second voltage, and the second voltage generator provides the fourth voltage. The generators are independent of each other. GlobalData’s report on Macronix International gives a 360-degree view of the company including its patenting strategy. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s company profile on Macronix International, Magnetic RAMs was a key innovation area identified from patents. Macronix International's grant share as of September 2023 was 82%. Grant share is based on the ratio of number of grants to total number of patents.
Memory device and word line driver with voltage generators
A recently filed patent (Publication Number: US20230317167A1) describes a word line driver for a stacked memory device. The word line driver includes a first word line signal generator and a second word line signal generator. These generators are responsible for driving the first and second word lines, respectively, and selecting the appropriate voltage levels based on a control signal.
The word line driver also includes a first voltage generator and a second voltage generator, which are independent of each other. The first voltage generator is coupled to the first word line signal generator to provide the second voltage, while the second voltage generator is coupled to the first word line signal generator to provide the fourth voltage.
During different operations, such as read, program, and erase, the voltage values of the first and second voltages are adjusted accordingly. For example, during a read operation, the first and second voltages are the same, and the first word line signal generator generates the first word line signal to make the first word line an unselected word line. The third voltage is set to a read voltage value, and the second word line signal generator enables the second word line signal to be equal to the read voltage value, making the second word line a selected word line.
The patent also describes the structure of the word line signal generators, which include transistors and are disposed on a substrate with a triple-well region. Additionally, the patent discusses the use of voltage level shifters for the first and second voltage generators, which determine the voltage values based on logic levels of selection signals.
Furthermore, the patent extends to a stacked memory device that includes the word line driver, a first memory cell array coupled to the first word lines, and a second memory cell array coupled to the second word lines. The memory cell arrays are described as three-dimensional AND flash memory cell arrays.
Overall, this patent presents a word line driver and a stacked memory device with improved voltage control and selection capabilities. The word line driver allows for efficient operation during read, program, and erase operations, while the stacked memory device offers enhanced memory cell arrays for improved performance.
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GlobalData Patent Analytics tracks bibliographic data, legal events data, point in time patent ownerships, and backward and forward citations from global patenting offices. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
