NOVEL LV NAND-CAM SEARCH SCHEME USING EXISTING CIRCUITS WITH LEAST OVERHEAD

摘要

Y-word Search schemes under preferred hierarchical broken-GBL and broken-LBL NAND-CAM arrays with 1) one CSL line shared by two NAND blocks as a match line or 2) one LBLps line shared in each LG of H Blocks as a match line. The NAND-CAM includes three types of sense-amplifiers for Y-word search operations, including 1) an Analog SA with 3-Bias cascade circuit for LG-based LBLps match line, 2) a Digital-like SA circuit for Block-based CSL match line, and 3) an existing DR-SA along with decoders for Y-direction-CSL match line. One or more embodiments of the Y-word search operations are provided for finding one matched paired-block, then one matched block, and one matched Y-word string associated with a LBL using sequential On/Off technique without extra overhead.