Source line driver
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorCheng-Hsiung Kuo
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A source line driver for a flash memory includes a plurality of source driving units and a control circuit to drive a plurality of source lines. Each source line is coupled to memory cells in a row. Each source driving unit drives the corresponding source line and is coupled to the control circuit at a common node. The control circuit is coupled between the common node. The control circuit is coupled between the common node and a ground line. When any memory cell is assigned to execute a program operation, the control circuit isolates the common node and the ground. When the memory cells are not assigned to execute the program operation, the control circuit couples the common node to the ground line.
Claims20
A source line driver for a flash memory to drive a plurality of source lines, each source line coupled to memory cells in a row, the source line driver comprising:
- a plurality of source driving units, each driving a corresponding source line and comprising:
- a latch circuit coupled between the corresponding source line and a corresponding inverting source line;
- and
- a first circuit coupling the corresponding source line to a common node when any memory cell is assigned to execute a program operation;
- and
- a control circuit coupled between the common node and a ground line, isolating the common node and the ground line when any memory cell is assigned to execute the program operation, and coupling the common node to the ground line when none of the memory cells is assigned to execute the program operation.
A flash memory comprising:
- a word line decoder controlling a plurality of word lines;
- a bit line decoder controlling a plurality of bit lines;
- a memory array comprising a plurality of memory cells formed by the interlaced word lines and bit lines;
- and
- a source line driver driving a plurality of source lines, each source line coupled to the memory cells in a row, the source line driver comprising:
- a plurality of source driving units, each driving a corresponding source line and comprising:
- a latch circuit coupled between the corresponding source line and a corresponding inverting source line;
- and
- a first circuit coupling the corresponding source line to a common node when any memory cell is assigned to execute a program operation;
- and
- a control circuit coupled between the common node and a ground line, isolating the common node and the ground line when any memory cell is assigned to execute the program operation, and coupling the common node to the ground line when none of the memory cells is assigned to execute the program operation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.