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US 2002/0154537 A1Published application
Memory cell configuration and method for operating the configuration
AssigneeInfineon Technologies AG
InventorsSiegfried Schwarzl, Stefan Miethaner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A memory cell configuration has memory cells that each contain two magnetoresistive elements. If the two magnetoresistive elements of each memory cell are magnetized in such a way that they have different resistances, the information stored in the memory cell can be determined with a resistor half-bridge circuit by assessing whether the signal tapped off at the output is greater than or less than zero.
Claims10
A memory cell configuration, comprising:
- a signal line;
- and
- memory cells;
- each one of said memory cells having two magnetoresistive elements;
- in each one of said memory cells, said two magnetoresistive elements are magnetized to have different resistances;
- said signal line connecting said two magnetoresistive elements of one of said memory cells in series to form an overall resistor with two ends;
- one of said two ends of said overall resistor being connected to a first voltage having a magnitude and a polarity;
- and
- another one of said two ends of said overall resistor being connected to a second voltage having a magnitude equal to the magnitude of said first voltage and a polarity opposite the polarity of the first voltage.
6 more elements
A method for operating a memory cell configuration, which comprises:
- providing a memory cell configuration that includes:
- a signal line;
- and
- memory cells;
- each one of the memory cells having two magnetoresistive elements;
- in each one of the memory cells, the two magnetoresistive elements are magnetized to have different resistances;
- the signal line connecting the two magnetoresistive elements of one of the memory cells in series to form an overall resistor with two ends;
- one of the two ends of the overall resistor being connected to a first voltage having a magnitude and a polarity;
- and
- another one of the two ends of the overall resistor being connected to a second voltage having a magnitude equal to the magnitude of the first voltage and a polarity opposite the polarity of the first voltage;
- reading out information from the one of the memory cells by assessing whether a voltage drop on the signal line is greater than or less than zero;
- and
- changing the information stored in the one of the memory cells by changing the resistances of both of the magnetoresistive elements of the one of the memory cells.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.