Abstract: In a 3D nonvolatile memory with memory elements arranged in a three-dimensional pattern defined by rectangular coordinates having x, y and z-directions and with a plurality of parallel planes from a bottom plane to a top plane stacked in the z-direction over a semiconductor substrate; a plurality of local bit lines elongated in the z-direction through the plurality of layers and arranged in a two-dimensional rectangular array of bit line pillars having rows in the x-direction and columns in the y-direction; the 3D nonvolatile memory further having a plurality of staircase word lines spaced apart in the y-direction and between and separated from the plurality of bit line pillars at a plurality of crossings, individual staircase word lines each having a series of alternating steps and risers elongated respectively in the x-direction and z-direction traversing across the plurality of planes in the z-direction with a segment in each plane.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a data verification device. The data verification device includes a data storage unit for storing data to be input to a memory region in response to a first or second control signal, an input data verifier for deactivating an output of a sense amplifier in response to the first control signal and transmitting the input data stored in the data storage unit to an external pad, and a sense-amplifier verifier for transmitting the input data stored in the data storage unit to the sense amplifier upon in response to the second control signal.

Abstract: A complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) dynamic random access memory (DRAM) cell with sense amplifier is described. In one embodiment, the DRAM cell includes an n-type field-effect transistor (NFET), a p-type field-effect transistor (PFET), and a storage capacitor accessed through both the NFET and the PFET. A pair of bit lines is coupled to the DRAM cell. A sense amplifier with a single-ended read path reads data in the DRAM cell through only one of the bit lines and a data-dependent write-back path writes back data to the DRAM cell through either one of the bit lines. The bit line used by the sense amplifier to write back the data to the DRAM cell depends on the logical value of the data.