Method and apparatus for sensing in a memory
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorScott J. Derner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and a memory for sensing a state of a memory cell while the memory cell capacitor is isolated from a data line are described. An activation device of the memory cell can be enabled to couple the memory cell capacitor to a parasitic capacitance of the active data line for charge sharing. The activation device can then be disabled to isolate the memory cell capacitor from the active data line. The state of the memory cell can then be sensed while the memory cell capacitor is isolated from the active data line. After the sense operation, the activation device can be re-enabled in order to restore the data to the memory cell capacitor that was destroyed during the sense operation.
Claims23
A method for sensing a memory cell, the method comprising:
- coupling a memory cell capacitor to a data line;
- decoupling the memory cell capacitor from the data line;
- and
- sensing a state of the memory cell while the memory cell capacitor is decoupled from the data line.
A method for sensing a memory cell, the method comprising:
- enabling the memory cell such that charge sharing occurs between a memory cell capacitor and an active data line;
- disabling the memory cell after the charge sharing;
- comparing a voltage or current on the active data line with a voltage or current on a reference data line to determine a state of the memory cell while the memory cell is disabled;
- and
- restoring original data to the memory cell capacitor.
A memory comprising:
- an array of memory cells comprising a plurality of data lines, a memory cell of the array of memory cells comprising an activation device and a memory cell capacitor;
- and
- circuitry coupled to the array of memory cells, the circuitry configured to enable the activation device, disable the activation device after charge sharing between the memory cell capacitor and a data line has occurred, and activate a sense circuit to sense a state of the memory cell while the memory cell capacitor is isolated from the data line.
A method for sensing a memory cell, the method comprising:
- applying a signal to a gate of an activation device of the memory cell such that the signal includes a first voltage level during a first time interval and a second voltage level during a second time interval, wherein the first voltage level is different from the second voltage level;
- sensing a state of the memory cell during the second time interval;
- and
- restoring the state to the memory cell during a third time interval when the signal is at a third voltage level wherein the third voltage level is substantially equal to the first voltage level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.