Read operations and circuits for memory devices having programmable elements, including programmable resistance elements
AssigneeAdesto Technologies Corporation
InventorsNad Edward Gilbert, Ishai Naveh, Narbeh Derhacobian
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A memory devices and methods can use multiple sense operations to detect a state of memory elements in a marginal state. In some embodiments, an evaluation circuit can generates an output value for a memory element in response multiple sense results for the same memory element. In other embodiments, a memory device can include both standard and strong read operations, where strong read operations apply more energy to a selected memory element than a standard read operation.
Claims29
A memory device, comprising:
- a memory array having a plurality of programmable elements;
- and
- a read circuit configured to detect a state of an accessed programmable element to generate read data, the read circuit configurable between at least a standard read mode and a strong read mode, the strong read mode applying more energy to an element being read than the standard read mode;
- and
- an evaluation circuit configured to generate a compare result from read data from the standard read mode and read data from the strong read mode.
A memory device, comprising:
- a memory array having a plurality of programmable elements;
- a read circuit configured to detect a state of an accessed programmable element to generate read data, the read circuit configurable between at least a standard read mode and a strong read mode, the strong read mode applying more energy to an element being read than the standard read mode;
- wherein
- each programmable element includes an anode electrode comprising at least one element ion conductible within the ion conducting layer;
- and
- in the standard read mode and the strong read mode, the read circuit applies a voltage that is negative from the anode electrode to a second electrode of the element.
A method of reading data from a memory device, comprising:
- in a strong read operation,
- accessing at least one of a plurality of memory elements,
- reading data from the at least one memory element with standard read conditions, and
- reading data from the same at least one memory element with strong read conditions that apply more energy to the at least one memory element than the standard read conditions.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.