• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
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• 제14권2호
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• pp.184-188
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• 2014

There is a trade-off between read stability and writability under a full-/half-select condition in static random access memory (SRAM). Another trade-off in the minimum operating voltage between the read and write operation also exists. A new peripheral circuit for SRAM arrays, called a variation sensor, is demonstrated here to balance the read/write margins (i.e., to optimize the read/write trade-off) as well as to lower the minimum operation voltage for both read and write operations. A test chip is fabricated using an industrial 45-nm bulk complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process to demonstrate the operation of the variation sensor. With the variation sensor, the word-line voltage is optimized to minimize the trade-off between read stability and writability ($V_{WL,OPT}=1.055V$) as well as to lower the minimum operating voltage for the read and write operations simultaneously ($V_{MIN,READ}=0.58V$, $V_{MIN,WRITE}=0.82V$ for supply voltage $(V_{DD})=1.1V$).

• 전기전자학회논문지
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• 제16권3호
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• pp.265-273
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• 2012

Data stability and leakage power dissipation have become a critical issue in scaled SRAM design. In this paper, an advanced 8T SRAM cell improving the read and write stability of data storage elements as well as reducing the leakage current in the idle mode is presented. During the read operation, the bit-cell keeps the noise-vulnerable data 'low' node voltage close to the ground level, and thus producing near-ideal voltage transfer characteristics essential for robust read functionality. In the write operation, a negative bias on the cell facilitates to change the contents of the bit. Unlike the conventional 6T cell, there is no conflicting read and write requirement on sizing the transistors. In the standby mode, the built-in stacked device in the 8T cell reduces the leakage current significantly. The 8T SRAM cell implemented in a 130 nm CMOS technology demonstrates almost 100 % higher read stability while bearing 20 % better write-ability at 1.2 V typical condition, and a reduction by 45 % in leakage power consumption compared to the standard 6T cell. The stability enhancement and leakage power reduction provided with the proposed bit-cell are confirmed under process, voltage and temperature variations.

• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
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• 제16권1호
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• pp.31-38
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• 2016

A novel self-reference sense amplifier with parallel reading during writing operation is proposed. Read access time is improved compared to conventional self-reference scheme with fast operation speed by reducing operation steps to 1 for read operation cycle using parallel reading scheme, while large sense margin competitive to conventional destructive scheme is obtained by using self-reference scheme. The simulation was performed using standard $0.18{\mu}m$ CMOS process. The proposed self-reference sense amplifier improved not only the operation speed of less than 20 ns which is comparable to non-destructive sense amplifier, but also sense margin over 150 mV which is larger than conventional sensing schemes. The proposed scheme is expected to be very helpful for engineers for developing MRAM technology.

• 전자공학회논문지A
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• 제32A권11호
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• pp.71-78
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• 1995

Based on the popular 4-transistor SRAM cell, an analytical expression of the minimum cell ratio was derived by modeling the static read operation. By analyzing the relatively simple expression for the minimum cell ratio, which was derived assuming the ideal transistor characteristics, effects of the changes in supply voltage and process parameters on the minimum cell ratio was predicted, and the minimum power supply voltage for read operation was determined. The results were verified by simulations utilizing the suggested simulation method, which is suitable for monitoring the lower limit of supply voltage for proper cell operation. From the analysis, it was shown that the worst condition for cell operation is low temperature and low supply voltage, and that the operation margin can be effectively improved by reducing the threshold voltage of the cell transistors.

• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
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• 제15권2호
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• pp.286-291
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• 2015

For highly scalable NAND flash memory applications, a compact ($4F^2/cell$) nonvolatile memory architecture is proposed and investigated via three-dimensional device simulations. The back-channel program/erase is conducted independently from the front-channel read operation as information is stored in the form of charge at the backside of the channel, and hence, read disturbance is avoided. The memory cell structure is essentially equivalent to that of the fully-depleted transistor, which allows a high cell read current and a steep subthreshold slope, to enable lower voltage operation in comparison with conventional NAND flash devices. To minimize memory cell disturbance during programming, a charge depletion method using appropriate biasing of a buried back-gate line that runs parallel to the bit line is introduced. This design is a new candidate for scaling NAND flash memory to sub-20 nm lateral dimensions.

• Progress in Superconductivity
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• 제1권2호
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• pp.105-109
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• 2000

We have designed and fabricated a single-flux-quantum(SFQ) four-stage shift register using YBCO bicrystal Josephson junctions, and tested its operations using a digital measurement set-up. The circuit consists of 4 shift register stages and a read SQUID placed next to each side of the shift register. Each SQUID was inductively coupled to the nearby shift register stage. The major obstacle in testing the circuits was the interference between the two read SQUIDs, and we could get over the problem by determining the correct operation points of the SQUID from the simultaneously measured modulation curves. Loaded data ('1' or '0') were successfully shifted from a stage to the next by a controlled current pulse injected to the bias lines located between the stages, and the corresponding correct data shifts were observed with the two read SQUIDs.

• 한국정보처리학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국정보처리학회 2013년도 춘계학술발표대회
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• pp.21-23
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• 2013

Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) using CMOS technology has many advantages. It does not need to refresh every certain time, as a result, the speed of SRAM is faster than Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM). This is the reason why SRAM is widely used in almost processors and system on chips (SoC) which require high processing speed. Two basic operations of SRAM are read and write. We consider two basic factors, including the accuracy of read and write operations and the speed of these operations. In our paper, we propose the read and write assist circuits for SRAM. By adding a power control circuit in SRAM, the write operation performed successfully with low error ratio. Moreover, the value in memory cells can be read correctly using the proposed pre-charge method.

• 대한전자공학회논문지SD
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• 제47권12호
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• pp.31-38
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• 2010

본 논문에서는 QVGA급 LCD Driver IC(LDI)의 그래픽 메모리를 설계한다. 저면적을 위해 pseudo-SRAM 구조로 설계하고, 센싱 특성 개선과 line-read 동작 시 구동력 향상을 위해 bit line을 분할한 cell array 구조를 적용한다. 또한, C-gate를 이용한 저면적의 충돌방지 회로를 사용하여 그래픽 메모리의 line-read/self-refresh 동작과 기존의 write/read 동작 상호간의 충돌을 효과적으로 제어하는 방식을 제안한다. QVGA급 LDI의 그래픽 메모리는 $0.18{\mu}m$ CMOS공정을 이용하여 트랜지스터 레벨로 설계하고 회로 시뮬레이션을 통해 그래픽 메모리의 write, read, line-read, self-refresh 등의 기본 동작을 확인하고, 제안된 충돌방지 블록에 대한 동작을 확인하였다. 개선된 cell array를 통해 bit/bitb line 전압차 ${\Delta}V$는 약 15% 증가하고, bit/bitb line의 charge sharing time $T_{CHGSH}$는 약 30% 감소하여 센싱 특성이 향상되었으며, line-read 동작 시 발생하는 전류는 약 40% 크게 감소되었다.

• 전기전자학회논문지
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• 제1권1호
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• pp.11-18
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• 1997

회로 시뮬레이터를 이용하는 DC 셀 노드전압 분석방법을 적용하여, 고저항 SRAM 셀 구조에서 기생저항들과 트랜지스터 비대칭에 의해 야기되는 정적 읽기동작에서의 동작마진을 조사하였다. 이상적인 셀에 기생저항을 선택적으로 추가함으로써 각 기생저항들이 동작 마진에 끼치는 영향을 조사한 뒤, 기생저항이 좌우대칭 쌍으로 존재하는 경우에 대해 조사하고, 또한 셀 트랜지스터의 채널폭을 선택적으로 변화시켜 트랜지스터의 비대칭을 야기시킴으로써 트랜지스터 비대칭에 의한 동작 마진의 저하를 분석하였다. 분석 방법은 시뮬레이션된 셀 노드전압 특성에서 두 셀 노드전압이 하나의 값으로 수렴되는 전원전압의 값과 $V_{DD}=5V$에서 셀 노드전압의 차를 비교함으로써 상대적인 동작 마진을 비교하는 방법을 사용하였다. 회로 시뮬레이션에 의존한 본 분석으로부터 셀의 정적 읽기동작에 가장 심각한 영향을 끼치는 기생저항 성분과 트랜지스터의 비대칭 형태를 규명함으로써 새로운 셀 구조 설계시 참고할 수 있는 기준을 제시하였다.

• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
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• 제2권3호
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• pp.173-179
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• 2002

We propose a novel sensing circuit for 2T-2MTJ MRAM that can be used for high speed synchronous operation. Proposed bit-line sense amplifier detects small voltage difference in bit-lines and develops it into rail-to-rail swing while maintaining small voltage difference on TMR cells. It is small enough to fit into each column that the whole data array on selected word line are activated as in DRAMs for high-speed read-out by changing column addresses only. We designed a 256Kb read-only MRAM in a $0.35\mu\textrm{m}$ logic technology to verify the new sensing scheme. Simulation result shows a 25ns RAS access time and a cycle time shorter than 10 ns.