Diode decoupled sensing method and apparatus
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.
InventorJames R. Eaton, Jr.
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of and apparatus for connecting the sense current line in a cross-point memory array greatly reduces the effect of reverse leakage from unaddressed row or column lines. Separate sense line segments are coupled to separate stripes of row or column lines. Each sense line segment is connected to a sense diode, and each sense diode is connected to a sense bus. Each sense diode provides the current path for sensing on a selected row or column line, while allowing the leakage of only one diode per sense line segment for the unaddressed row or column lines. This arrangement results in wider margins for sensing the state of data cells in a cross-point memory array and simpler circuitry design for the memory array.
Claims20
A memory storage device, comprising:
- a cross-point memory array, wherein the cross-point memory array comprises a first and second set of transverse electrodes that intersect at a plurality of cross-points;
- a memory element at each cross-point, wherein each memory element is switchable between a low and a high impedance state;
- address decoding circuitry coupled to the first and second set of transverse electrodes;
- striping circuitry coupled to the first set of transverse electrodes, wherein the electrodes of the first set of transverse electrodes are grouped together to form a set of stripes;
- a plurality of sense line segments, wherein each sense line segment is coupled to a separate stripe by a diode;
- and
- a sense bus coupled to each diode.
A memory storage device, comprising:
- a cross-point memory array, wherein the cross-point memory array comprises a first and second set of transverse electrodes that intersect at a plurality of cross-points;
- a memory element at each cross-point, wherein each memory element is switchable between a low and a high impedance state;
- address decoding circuitry coupled to the first and second set of transverse electrodes;
- striping circuitry coupled to the first set and second set of transverse electrodes, wherein the electrodes of the first set and second set of transverse electrodes are grouped together to form a first and second set of stripes;
- a plurality of sense line segments, wherein each sense line segment is coupled to a separate stripe of the first and second set of stripes by a diode;
- and
- a first sense bus coupled to each diode coupled to the stripes of the first set of stripes and a second sense bus coupled to each diode coupled to the stripes of the second set of stripes.
A method for sensing the state of a memory element in a memory storage device, comprising:
- (a) coupling striping circuitry to a first set of transverse electrodes, whereby the electrodes of the first set of transverse electrodes are grouped together to form a set of stripes;
- (b) generating a current along a selected electrode corresponding to the memory element;
- and
- (c) detecting whether the current flows in the selected electrode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.