Back to results
US 2011/0085384 A1Published application
Current sink system for source-side sensing
AssigneeMacronix International Co., Ltd.
InventorsCHUNG-KUANG CHEN, Han-Sung Chen, Chun-Hsiung Hung
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
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 source terminal of a selected memory cell in the memory array to a data line;
- a reference current source arranged to provide a reference current to a reference node;
- a regulated sink current source coupled to the data line and to the reference current source, the sink current source arranged to draw sink currents having regulated magnitudes from the data line and the reference node;
- and
- sense amplifier circuitry coupled to the data line at a sensing node and to the reference node, that generates an output signal indicating a data value stored in the selected memory cell.
2 more elements
A memory device comprising:
- a memory array arranged to provide a read current from a source terminal of a selected memory cell in the memory array to a data line;
- a reference current source arranged to provide a reference current on a reference line;
- a sink current mirror, the sink current mirror having outputs supplying a data line sink current to the data line and a reference line sink current to the reference line, an input coupled to a mirror input current source, and an operational amplifier having a first input coupled to the input of the current mirror, having a second input coupled to a reference voltage source, and having an output supplying a feedback voltage to the sink current mirror;
- and
- sense amplifier circuitry coupled to the data line and the reference line, the sense amplifier circuitry responsive the read current, the reference current and the data line and reference line sink currents to generate an output signal indicating a data value stored in the selected memory cell,
- wherein the sense amplifier circuit senses the data value during a sensing interval, and the mirror input current source includes a sample and hold circuit which samples a magnitude of the reference current in a sampling interval to produce a sample bias condition, and holds the sample bias condition in the sensing interval.
3 more elements
A method for source-side sensing of data in a memory array, comprising:
- supplying a read current from a source-side of a selected memory cell to a data line;
- supplying a reference current on a reference line;
- drawing regulated sink currents from the data line and from the reference line to produce a read sensing current in response to a difference between the read current and the regulated sink current on the data line, and to produce a reference sensing current in response to a difference between the reference current and the regulated sink current on the reference line;
- and
- determining a data value in the selected memory cell in response to the read sensing current and the reference sensing current.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.