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Lecture #38: Memory (2). Last lecture: Memory Architecture Static Ram This lecture Dynamic Ram E 2 memory. Word Line. C. . . . Bit Line. Sense Amp. DRAM Operations. Write Charge bitline HIGH or LOW and set wordline HIGH Read
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Lecture #38: Memory (2) • Last lecture: • Memory Architecture • Static Ram • This lecture • Dynamic Ram • E2 memory EE 42 fall 2004 lecture 38
Word Line C ... Bit Line Sense Amp DRAM Operations • Write • Charge bitline HIGH or LOW and set wordline HIGH • Read • Bit line is precharged to a voltage halfway between HIGH and LOW, and then the word line is set HIGH. • Depending on the charge in the cap, the precharged bitline is pulled slightly higheror lower. • Sense Amp Detects change • The signal is decreased by the ratio of the storage capacitance to the bitline capacitance • Increase density => increase parasiticcapacitance • As geometries shrink, still need large bit capacitance EE 42 fall 2004 lecture 38
DRAM logical organization D Column Decoder … Sense Amps & I/O 1 1 Q Row decoder Control logic Memory Array A0…A1 0 … Select Write enable EE 42 fall 2004 lecture 38
DRAM sense amp +V Both precharged to ½ V Bit line Data out EE 42 fall 2004 lecture 38
DRAM sense amplifier • The reason that DRAM is slow, is that a very small charge is captured on the capacitor, and the small voltage change on the line must be sensed. V Charge dumped to bit line Sense amp decides 0 or 1 Precharge→ time EE 42 fall 2004 lecture 38
DRAM/SRAM tradeoffs • By it’s nature, DRAM isn’t built for speed • Response time dependent on capacitive circuit properties which get worse as density increases • DRAM process isn’t easy to integrate into CMOS process • DRAM is off chip • Connectors, wires, etc introduce slowness • IRAM efforts looking to integrating the two • Memory Architectures are designed to minimize impact of DRAM latency • Use dram for high density, store data which is used often in smaller, higher speed SRAM cache. EE 42 fall 2004 lecture 38
Nonvolatile memory • One disadvantage of both SRAM and DRAM is that if power is removed, the contents is lost. • One solution is to use SRAM designed to use very little current, and then to maintain power with a battery • Another solution is to use a memory type which physically alters the cell, such as EE memory EE 42 fall 2004 lecture 38
Trapped charge • Most current nonvolatile memories use a modified MOSFET with a floating gate • The floating gate can be charged or discharged by electrons moving through the oxide. • In the oldest technology, the EPROM, the floating gate is charged by hot electrons tunneling through a thin oxide, but can only be discharged by ultraviolet light exposure to the whole chip EE 42 fall 2004 lecture 38
UV Erase PROM Control Gate Floating Gate SiO2 SiO2 + + n n Thin Oxide Drain Source p-Substrate
UV EPROM UV Light Vgg Vss Vdd ------------------ +++++++++++ Hot electrons n+ n+ n+ n+ Program Erase
Electrical EPROM Control Gate Storage Gate n+ n+
EEProm • In an EEPROM, (electrically erasable) the electrons can be tunneled back off the floating gate by applying a high voltage between the control gate and the source EE 42 fall 2004 lecture 38
Programming/erasing • The floating gate programmed by running a current of electrons from the source to the drain, then placing a large voltage on the control gate, a strong enough electric field to let them go through the oxide to the floating gate, a process called hot-electron injection. • To erase a flash cell, a large voltage differential is placed between the control gate and source, which pulls the electrons off the floating gate through Fowler-Nordheim tunneling, a quantum mechanical tunneling process. EE 42 fall 2004 lecture 38
EEPROM Vss Vss Vdd Vdd ++++++++eee +++ eee - - - - - - - - - - Hot electrons n+ n+ n+ n+
Flash • Flash memory can be erased and reprogrammed in units of memory called blocks. It is a form of EERAM, which, unlike flash memory, is erased and rewritten at the byte level. • Erasing and rewriting as a block means faster writing times for large blocks of data. • Flash memory gets its name because the microchip is organized so that a section of memory cells are erased in a single action or "flash." • The erasure is caused by Fowler-Nordheim tunneling in which electrons go through a thin oxide to remove an electronic charge from the floating gate. EE 42 fall 2004 lecture 38
Flash Memory Comparison • FLASH cells can be roughly made two or three times smaller than the EEPROM • Flash memory allows faster and more frequent programming than EPROM • Flash memory provides better data reliability than battery-backed SRAM • Flash memory fits in applications that might otherwise have used ROM (EEPROM), battery-backed RAM, or magnetic mass storage
Advanced memory technologies • Ferroelectric Random Access Memory (FRAMs) • Magnetoresistive Random Access Memories (MRAMs) • Experimental Memories • Quantum-Mechanical Switch Memories • Single Electron Memory • Tunneling Magnetic Junction RAM (TMJ-RAM): • Speed of SRAM, density of DRAM, non-volatile (no refresh) • “Spintronics” electron spin effects transport • Same technology used in the read heads of high-density disk-drives: Giant magneto-resistive effect
FRAM EE 42 fall 2004 lecture 38
Ferroelectric material EE 42 fall 2004 lecture 38
Tunneling Magnetic Junction EE 42 fall 2004 lecture 38