Non-volatile semiconductor memory having multiple external power supplies
AssigneeConversant Intellectual Property Management Inc.
InventorsJin-Ki Kim, Peter B. Gillingham
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A memory device includes core memory such as flash memory for storing data. The memory device includes a first power input to receive a first voltage used to power the flash memory. Additionally, the memory device includes a second power input to receive a second voltage. The memory device includes power management circuitry configured to receive the second voltage and derive one or more internal voltages. The power management circuitry supplies or conveys the internal voltages to the flash memory. The different internal voltages generated by the power management circuitry (e.g., voltage converter circuit) and supplied to the core memory enable operations such as read/program/erase with respect to cells in the core memory.
Claims18
A non-volatile memory device comprising:
- a non-volatile memory core configured to store data;
- I/O logic configured to enable access to the data in the non-volatile memory core;
- a first power input pin configured to receive a first power supply voltage;
- a second power input pin configured to receive a second power supply voltage, the second power supply voltage being optional and greater than the first power supply voltage;
- a third power input pin configured to receive a third power supply voltage, the third power supply voltage powering the I/O logic;
- power management circuitry configured to utilize at least one of the first power supply voltage and the second power supply voltage to generate a plurality of internal voltages, the plurality of internal voltages for permitting a number of selectively differing voltage applications to cells of the non-volatile memory core to enable at least one operation in relation to the data;
- and
- a first register configured to indicate whether the non-volatile memory device supports the second power supply voltage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.