Differential sense amplifiers for resistive cross point memory cell arrays
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Company
InventorFrederick A. Perner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Resistance of a memory cell element in a resistive cross point memory cell array is sensed by a read circuit including a differential amplifier, a first direct injection preamplifier and a second direct injection preamplifier. During a read operation, the first direct injection preamplifier is coupled to a first input node of the differential amplifier, and the second direct injection preamplifier is coupled to a second input node of the differential amplifier.
Claims22
A read circuit for an information storage device, the information storage device including a resistive cross point memory cell array, the circuit comprising:
- a differential amplifier having first and second input nodes;
- a first direct injection preamplifier coupled to the first input node of the differential amplifier;
- and
- a second direct injection preamplifier coupled to the second input node of the differential amplifier.
An information storage device comprising:
- a resistive cross point array of memory cell elements;
- and
- a read circuit including a plurality of differential amplifiers, a plurality of first direct injection preamplifiers, and a plurality of second direct injection preamplifiers
- at least one of the first preamplifiers being coupled between a first memory cell element of the array and a first differential amplifier input node during a read operation;
- at least one of the second first preamplifiers being coupled between a second memory cell element of the array and a second differential amplifier input node during a read operation.
A method of using a differential amplifier, first and second direct injection amplifiers, and a reference element to sense a resistance state of a memory cell element in a resistive cross point memory cell array, the differential amplifier having first and second input nodes, the method comprising:
- coupling the first direct injection preamplifier between the memory cell element and the first input node of the differential amplifier;
- coupling the second direct injection preamplifier between the reference element and the second input node of the differential amplifier;
- and ‘comparing signals at the inputs nodes of the differential amplifier.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.