MRAM reference current
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsChia-Fu Lee, Hon-Jarn Lin, Po-Hao Lee, Ku-Feng Lin, Yi-Chun Shih, Yu-Der Chih
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A reference circuit for generating a reference current includes a plurality of resistive elements including at least one magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ). A control circuit is coupled to a first terminal of the at least one MTJ and is configured to selectively flow current through the at least one MTJ in the forward and inverse direction to generate a reference current.
Claims20
A reference circuit for generating a reference current, comprising:
- a plurality of resistive elements including at least one magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) wherein the plurality of resistive elements includes a resistor connected to the bit line wherein the at least one MTJ includes first and second MTJs, and wherein the control circuit comprises;
- a first pair of transistors including first and second transistors connected in parallel,
- a second pair of transistors including third and fourth transistors connected in parallel, and
- wherein the first and second pairs of transistors are connected in series between the source line and the bit line;
- a control circuit coupled to a first terminal of the at least one MTJ and configured to selectively flow current through the at least one MTJ in the forward and inverse direction to generate a reference current;
- a source line coupled to the control circuit;
- and
- a bit line coupled to a second terminal of the at least one MTJ and configured to provide the reference current to a sense amplifier.
A reference circuit for generating a reference current, comprising:
- a plurality of resistive elements including at least one magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) wherein the at least one MTJ includes:
- a first MTJ larger than a corresponding MTJ in a memory array connected to the sense amplifier, wherein the first MTJ is in a high resistance state, and
- a second MTJ larger than a corresponding MTJ in the memory array connected to the sense amplifier, wherein the second MTJ is in a low resistance state;
- a control circuit coupled to a first terminal of the at least one MTJ and configured to selectively flow current through the at least one MTJ in the forward and inverse direction to generate a reference current;
- a source line coupled to the control circuit;
- and
- a bit line coupled to a second terminal of the at least one MTJ and configured to provide the reference current to a sense amplifier.
A reference circuit for generating a reference current, comprising:
- a plurality of resistive elements including at least one magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ);
- a control circuit coupled to a first terminal of the at least one MTJ and configured to selectively flow current through the at least one MTJ in the forward and inverse direction to generate a reference current;
- a source line coupled to the control circuit;
- a bit line coupled to a second terminal of the at least one MTJ and configured to provide the reference current to a sense amplifier;
- and
- an injection current source connected to the bit line terminal and configured to increase or decrease current output from the reference current circuit via the bit line.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.