Non-volatile memory device conducting comparison operation
AssigneeRenesas Technology Corp.
InventorTsukasa Ooishi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The non-volatile memory device includes a current detection circuit for comparing, in data retrieve operation, storage information written in a non-volatile manner in a memory cell row with retrieval information in order to determine whether or not the storage information matches the retrieval information. The current detection circuit compares a data read current flowing through each bit line corresponding to each memory cell of a memory cell row storing the storage information with a data read current flowing through each bit line corresponding to each retrieval memory cell storing the retrieval information.
Claims1
A non-volatile memory device, comprising:
- a plurality of memory cells arranged in a matrix, and each having an electric resistance varying according to storage data written in a non-volatile manner by a data write current;
- a plurality of word lines provided corresponding to memory cell rows respectively;
- a plurality of bit lines provided corresponding to memory cell columns respectively;
- and
- a control circuit for conducting one of data write operation and data read operation wherein
- each of data write operation and data read operation is divided into a plurality of cycles, said control circuit conducts a part of said one of data write operation and data read operation in each of said cycles by pipeline processing,
- in response to activation of a word line corresponding to a selected memory cell row, memory cells of the selected memory cell row are electrically coupled to corresponding bit lines respectively, and
- said non-volatile memory device further comprises a mask circuit for stopping, in response to an instruction, a part of passing currents flowing respectively through said corresponding bit lines that are electrically coupled to said memory cells respectively of said selected memory cell row.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.