Virtual ground sensing circuitry and related devices, systems, and methods for crosspoint ferroelectric memory
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorsGiulio Giuseppe Marotta, Marco Domenico Tiburzi
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Abstract
Virtual ground sensing circuits, control circuit, electrical systems, computing devices, and related methods are disclosed. A control circuit includes a virtual ground sensing circuit configured to provide a virtual ground to a conductive line. The virtual ground sensing circuit is further configured to selectively operably couple the conductive line to a sense node of a sense circuit, wherein the sense node having a sense node capacitance less than a capacitance of the conductive line. Further, virtual ground sensing circuit is configured to compare a sense node voltage to a reference voltage.
Claims18
A virtual ground sensing circuit, comprising:
- an operational amplifier comprising a first input, a second input, and an amplifier output;
- a follower circuit including a first transistor and a second transistor, an input of the follower circuit including a gate of the first transistor operably coupled to a gate of the second transistor, and an output of the follower circuit including a first terminal of the first transistor operably coupled to a first terminal of the second transistor, the output of the follower circuit operably coupled to the second input of the operational amplifier;
- and
- a comparator configured to compare a sense node voltage at a sense node coupled to a second terminal of one of the first transistor and the second transistor to a reference voltage potential, the second terminal of the one of the first transistor and the second transistor switchably couplable to a first power supply voltage potential, and a second terminal of the other of the first transistor and the second transistor switchably couplable to a second, different power supply voltage potential.
An electrical system, comprising:
- at least one memory cell;
- and
- control circuitry operably coupled to the at least one memory cell, the control circuitry comprising:
- an operational amplifier comprising a first input, a second input, and an amplifier output;
- a follower circuit comprising a first transistor and a second transistor, an input of the follower circuit comprising a gate of the first transistor operably coupled to a gate of the second transistor, and an output of the follower circuit comprising a first terminal of the first transistor operably coupled to a first terminal of the second transistor, the output of the follower circuit operably coupled to the second input of the operational amplifier;
- and
- a comparator configured to compare a sense node voltage at a second terminal of one of the first transistor and the second transistor to a reference voltage potential, the second terminal of the one of the first transistor and the second transistor switchably couplable to a first power supply voltage potential, and a second terminal of the other of the first transistor and the second transistor switchably couplable to a second, different power supply voltage potential.
A method of performing a sense operation for a selected memory cell, the method comprising:
- providing a virtual ground at a first bias voltage potential to a conductive line operably coupled to the selected memory cell;
- applying a second bias voltage potential to another conductive line operably coupled to the selected memory cell, wherein the first bias voltage potential and the second bias voltage potential are selected to apply a critical voltage to the selected memory cell;
- operably coupling the conductive line to a follower circuit;
- operably coupling, via the follower circuit, the conductive line to a sense node of a sense circuit having a sense node capacitance;
- comparing a sense node voltage potential at the sense node to a reference voltage potential;
- operably coupling, via the follower circuit, the conductive line to a second sense node of a second sense circuit having a second sense node capacitance;
- and
- comparing a second sense node voltage potential at the second sense node to a second reference voltage potential.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.