Sense amplifier with comparison node biasing for non-volatile memory
AssigneeSanDisk Technologies LLC
InventorsHAO NGUYEN, GOPINATH BALAKRISHNAN, CHANG SIAU, SEUNGPIL LEE
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Abstract
Apparatuses, systems, and methods are disclosed for current sensing for non-volatile memory. A current to voltage conversion circuit may convert a current coupled to a sense amplifier to an analog voltage at a sense node. A voltage to digital conversion circuit may convert an analog voltage at a sense node to a digital signal, based on a voltage difference between the sense node and a comparison node during a strobe time. A bias circuit may bias a comparison node to a bias voltage other than a reference voltage, at least during a strobe time.
Claims20
An apparatus comprising:
- a sense amplifier comprising:
- a current to voltage conversion circuit configured to convert a current coupled to the sense amplifier to an analog voltage at a sense node;
- a voltage to digital conversion circuit configured to convert the analog voltage at the sense node to a digital signal based on a voltage difference between the sense node and a comparison node during a strobe time;
- and
- a bias circuit configured to bias the comparison node to a bias voltage other than a reference voltage at least during the strobe time.
A system comprising:
- an array of memory cells that store data, the memory cells coupled to bit lines such that bit line currents during a sense operation correspond to memory cell states;
- and
- a plurality of sense amplifiers that output data results based on the bit line currents, wherein a sense amplifier comprises:
- a capacitor coupled to a sense node;
- an isolation transistor that couples the capacitor to a bit line for a predetermined sense time such that a voltage at the sense node is based on a bit line current;
- and
- a sense transistor that outputs a data result during a strobe time based on a gate to source voltage, wherein a gate of the sense transistor is coupled to the sense node and a source terminal of the sense transistor is biased to a bias voltage other than a reference voltage at least during the strobe time.
An apparatus comprising
- means for converting a bit line current to an analog voltage at a sense node of a sense amplifier;
- means for converting the analog voltage to a binary data value based on a voltage difference between the sense node and a comparison node during a strobe time;
- means for biasing the comparison node to a bias voltage between a positive supply voltage and ground at least during the strobe time
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.