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AssigneeSTMicroelectronics S.r.l.
InventorsRino Micheloni, Andrea Sacco, Sabina Mognoni
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The non volatile memory device integrates, in one and the same chip, the array of memory cells, a voltage regulator which supplies a regulated operating voltage to a selected word line, and a short circuit detecting circuit. The short circuit detecting circuit detects the output voltage of the voltage regulator, which is correlated to the current for biasing the cells of the word line selected. Once settled to the steady state condition, the output current assumes one first value in the absence of short circuits, and one second value in the presence of a short circuit between the word line selected and one or more adjacent word lines. The short circuit detecting circuit compares the output current of the voltage regulator with a reference value and generates at output a short circuit digital signal which indicates the presence or otherwise of a short circuit.
A nonvolatile memory device comprising an array of memory cells having gate terminals connected to word lines, said word lines being parallel to one another and comprising at least one selected word line connected to an output node of a voltage generating circuit, said output node being traversed by a first current correlated to a biasing current of the memory cells, wherein it comprises a short circuit detecting circuit for receiving a signal correlated to said first current and having an output terminal issuing a short circuit signal which has a first level in the absence of a short circuit and a second level in the presence of a short circuit.
Method for the detection of a short circuit condition between word lines in a non-volatile memory device, comprising:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.