Back to results
US 2010/0157708 A1Published application
Noise tolerant sense circuit
AssigneeSTMicroelectronics Pvt. Ltd.
InventorsAshish Kumar, Manish Umedlal Patel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device and a method for a sense circuit have been disclosed. In an implementation, the sense circuit includes a sense amplifier and at least one decoupling device. The decoupling device is coupled to the sense amplifier through at least one reference line. The sense amplifier reads a data value and the decoupling device decouples the sense amplifier from a power supply during a read operation.
Claims12
A sense circuit comprising:
- a sense amplifier to read a data value;
- and
- at least one decoupling device coupled to the sense amplifier and to at least one reference line, wherein the decoupling device decouples the sense amplifier from a power supply during a read operation and the at least one reference line remains coupled to the sense amplifier for a part of the read operation.
A device comprising:
- a one memory cell;
- a bit line coupled to the memory cell;
- and
- a circuit comprising,
- a sense amplifier having a first sensing node and a second sensing node, wherein the second sensing node is coupled to the bit line;
- and
- a power supply coupled to the first sensing node through a first reference line and to the bit line through a second reference line, wherein the power supply is decoupled from the first sensing node using a first decoupling device and from the bit line using a second decoupling device during a read operation of the sense amplifier, further wherein the first reference line remains coupled to the first sensing node and the second reference line remains coupled to the bit line for a part of the read operation.
4 more elements
A method comprising:
- receiving a pre-charge signal to stop pre-charging reference lines and bit lines in a sense circuit;
- decoupling a power supply from the reference lines and the bit lines in response to the pre-charge signal;
- receiving a sense signal to activate a sense amplifier coupled to the reference lines and the bit lines;
- decoupling the reference lines and the bit lines from the sense amplifier in response to the sense signal;
- and
- reading a data value through the sense amplifier.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.