Ferroelectric memory device and method for operating thereof

A method for operating a ferroelectric memory device, which comprises memory arrays having a plurality of word line and a plurality of positive and negative bit lines which are crossed each other in a matrix form, sense amplifiers to detect and amplifier a voltage difference between the positive and the negative bit lines, voltage generating means for producing positively pumped supply voltage, precharge voltage selecting means, responsive to least significant bits of row addresses from a word line driving circuit, for selecting the positively pumped supply voltage as a precharge voltage for the positive bit line and a normal supply voltage as a precharge voltage for the negative bit line, and precharging means for precharging the positive and the negative bit lines respectively to the positively pumped supply voltage and the normal supply voltage from the precharge voltage selecting means, said method comprising the steps of:

• precharging the positive and the negative bit lines to a ground voltage when the memory device in its stand-by state;
• raising the positive bit line to the positively pumped supply voltage and raising the negative bit line to the normal supply voltage in response to a first control signal to read out data stored in memory cells;
• applying a voltage to the ferroelectric capacitor when the word line is selected, so that the positive bit line has a first constant voltage level between the positively pumped supply voltage and the normal supply voltage due to a charge sharing effect when one binary state data is read out, while the positive bit line has a second constant voltage level lower than the normal supply voltage when the other binary state data is read out;
• and
• amplifying the first or the second constant voltage level appeared on the positive bit line with reference to the normal supply voltage appeared on the negative bit line, so that the positive bit line goes to the normal supply voltage to read out data “1” while the positive bit line goes to the ground voltage to read out data “0”.

A method for operating a memory device provided with memory cells, each having a switching transistor and a ferroelectric capacitor for storing electric charges, and a plurality of positive and negative bit lines for transferring the electric charges, said method comprising the steps of:

• raising the positive bit line to a first positive voltage level and the negative bit line to a second positive voltage level lower than the first positive voltage level;
• turning on the switching transistor to induce a charge sharing effect between electric charges in both the ferroelectric capacitor and the positive line, so that a voltage difference is produced between the positive and the negative bit lines;
• and
• sensing the voltage difference and amplifying the voltage developed on the positive bit line to the second positive voltage level or to a ground voltage level depending on the electric charge stored in the ferroelectric capacitor.

A memory device comprising:

• a plurality of memory cells, each including a switching transistor and a ferroelectric capacitor for storing electric charges;
• a plurality of word lines for enabling the switching transistor;
• a plurality of positive and negative bit lines for transferring the electric charges;
• a sense amplifier for sensing a voltage difference between the positive and the negative bit lines and for amplifying the voltage levels of the positive and the negative bit lines;
• and
• voltage applying means for applying a positively pumped supply voltage to the positive bit line and applying a normal supply voltage lower than the positively pumped supply voltage to the negative bit line.