Ferroelectric memory

Abstract

In order to charge a pair of ferroelectric capacitors that constitute a memory cell, a voltage setting circuit sets a voltage difference between both ends of the ferroelectric capacitors to be lower than a coercive voltage in a read operation. A differential sense amplifier amplifies a voltage difference between bit lines generated in accordance with a difference in charging amounts of the ferroelectric capacitors. A voltage difference between both ends of the ferroelectric capacitor being charged is lower than the coercive voltage; accordingly, a polarization vector of the ferroelectric capacitor is inhibited from reversing. As a result, the ferroelectric material can be inhibited from deteriorating owing to the read operation, thereby eliminating the restriction on the number of times of read operations in the ferroelectric memory.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.