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US 2011/0085383 A1Published application
Current sink system for source side sensing
AssigneeMacronix International Co., Ltd.
InventorsCHUN-HSIUNG HUNG, Han-Sung Chen, Chung-Kuang Chen
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Abstract
Source-side sensing techniques described herein determine the data value stored in a memory cell based on the difference in current between the read current from the source terminal of the memory cell and a sink current drawn from the read current. The sink current is drawn in response to the magnitude of a reference current provided by a reference current source such as a reference cell.
Claims20
A memory device comprising:
- a memory array arranged to provide a read current from a selected memory cell in the memory array to a data line;
- a reference current source arranged to provide a reference current;
- a sink current source coupled to the data line, the sink current source arranged to draw a sink current from the data line in response to a magnitude of the reference current;
- and
- sense amplifier circuitry including a sensing node coupled to the data line, the sense amplifier circuitry responsive to a difference in current between the read current and the sink current to generate an output signal indicating a data value stored in the selected memory cell.
2 more elements
A sensing method for a memory cell, the method comprising:
- applying a bias to the memory cell to induce a read current from the memory cell;
- providing a reference current from a reference current source;
- drawing a sink current from the read current in response to a magnitude of the reference current;
- providing a difference in current between the read current and the sink current to a sensing node;
- and
- determining a data value stored in the memory cell based on said difference.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.