Patent classifications
G11C29/026
TIMED SENSE AMPLIFIER CIRCUITS AND METHODS IN A SEMICONDUCTOR MEMORY
A memory includes a memory cell, one bitline coupled to the memory cell, a sense amplifier coupled to the one bitline, a timing circuit configured to enable the sense amplifier during a read operation, a control circuit configured to enable the sense amplifier independent of the timing circuit, and a pull-up circuit configured to pull up the one bitline while the sense amplifier is enabled by the control circuit. The method includes enabling a sense amplifier in a read operation by a timing circuit. The sense amplifier is coupled to at least one bitline, and the at least one bitline is coupled to a memory cell. The method further includes enabling the sense amplifier independent of the timing circuit in a second operation and pulling up the at least one bitline by a pull-up circuit while the sense amplifier is enabled in the second operation.
Memory calibration device, system and method
A memory calibration system includes a memory array having a plurality of memory cells, a sensing circuit coupled to the memory array, and calibration circuitry. A pattern of test data is applied to the memory array in order to generate calibration information based on output provided by the first sensing circuit in response to the application of the pattern of test data to the memory array. The generated calibration information is stored in a distributed manner within memory cells of the memory array. Some of the generated calibration information may be combined with data values stored in the plurality of memory cells as part of one or more operations on the stored data values. The stored data values may be stored in an in-memory compute cluster of the memory array, such that operations on the stored data values include combining the multiple data values of the in-memory compute cluster with at least a portion of the generated calibration information as at least part of an in-memory compute operation for the in-memory compute cluster.
MEMORY AND OPERATION METHOD OF MEMORY
A method for operating a memory includes: activating a first row, and sensing and amplifying, by a first bit line sense amplifier array, data of memory cells of the first row; transferring data of first columns of the first row from the first bit line sense amplifier array to global input/output lines through first input/output sense amplifiers; storing data of the global input/output lines in the first columns of a dummy bit line sense amplifier array through dummy write drivers; transferring data of second columns of the first row from the first bit line sense amplifier array to the global input/output lines through the first input/output sense amplifiers; and storing the data of the global input/output lines in the second columns of the dummy bit line sense amplifier array through the dummy write drivers.
Extracting the resistor-capacitor time constant of an electronic circuit line
A resistor-capacitor (RC) sensor circuit of an electronic device is driven to a drive voltage using a representative copy of a current that drives an electronic circuit line of the electronic device. The RC sensor circuit is to sample voltages that are indicative of an RC time constant of the electronic circuit line. A first sample voltage is determined by sampling a first representative voltage generated at the RC sensor circuit by driving the RC sensor circuit with the representative copy of the current over a first time period. A second sample voltage is determined by sampling a second representative voltage generated at the RC sensor circuit by driving the RC sensor circuit with the representative copy of the current over a second time period. A ratio of the first sample voltage and the second sample voltage is indicative of the RC time constant of the electronic circuit line.
CONTINUOUS SENSING TO DETERMINE READ POINTS
A variety of applications can include devices or methods that provide read processing of data in memory cells of a memory device without predetermined read levels for the memory cells identified. A read process is provided to vary a selected access line gate voltage over time, creating a time-variate sequence where memory cell turn-on correlates with programmed threshold voltage. Total string current of data lines of a group of strings of memory cells of the memory device can be monitored during a read operation of selected memory cells of the strings to which a ramp voltage with positive slope is applied to an access line coupled to the selected memory cells. Selected values of the change of the total current with respect to time, from the monitoring of the total current, are determined. Read points to capture data are based on the determined selected values. Additional devices, systems, and methods are discussed.
Circuits and methods for compensating a mismatch in a sense amplifier
Circuits and methods for compensating mismatches in sense amplifiers are disclosed. In one example, a circuit is disclosed. The circuit includes: a first branch, a second branch, a first plurality of trimming transistors and a second plurality of trimming transistors. The first branch comprises a first transistor, a second transistor, and a first node coupled between the first transistor and the second transistor. The second branch comprises a third transistor, a fourth transistor, and a second node coupled between the third transistor and the fourth transistor. The first node is coupled to respective gates of the third transistor and the fourth transistor. The second node is coupled to respective gates of the first transistor and the second transistor. The first plurality of trimming transistors is coupled to the second transistor in parallel. The second plurality of trimming transistors is coupled to the fourth transistor in parallel.
AMPLIFIER WITH A CONTROLLABLE PULL-DOWN CAPABILITY FOR A MEMORY DEVICE
Methods, systems, and devices for operating an amplifier with a controllable pull-down capability are described. A memory device may include a memory array and a power circuit that generates an internal signal for components in the memory array. The power circuit may include an amplifier and a power transistor that is coupled with the amplifier. A pull-down capability of the amplifier may be controllable using an external signal that is based on a difference between a reference signal and the internal signal. The power circuit may also include a comparator that is coupled with the amplifier and configured to compare the reference signal and the internal signal. Components of the comparator may be integrated with components of the amplifier, may share a bias circuit, and may use nodes within the amplifier to control the comparator. A signal output by the comparator may control the pull-down capability of the amplifier.
Memory device with improved sensing structure
An example memory device with an improved sensing structure including a memory array comprising a plurality of sub-arrays of memory cells and structured in memory blocks, sense amplifiers coupled to the memory cells, and modified JTAG cells coupled in parallel to the outputs of the sense amplifiers and serially interconnected in a scan-chain structure integrating a JTAG structure and the sense amplifiers. In the example memory device, the scan-chain structures associated to each sub array are interconnected to form a unique chain as a boundary scan register. Further, in the example memory device, the boundary scan register is a testing structure to test interconnections of the sense amplifiers.
Bit line equalization driver circuits and related apparatuses, methods, and computing systems to avoid degradation of pull-down transistors
Bit line equalization driver circuits and related apparatuses, methods, and computing systems are disclosed. An apparatus includes an output inverter including a pull-up transistor and a pull-down transistor electrically connected in series between a pull-up node and a pull-down node. An output node is electrically connected between the pull-up transistor and the pull-down transistor. The pull-down transistor includes a short length transistor having a degradation voltage potential across the pull-down transistor below which the pull-down transistor is configured to operate to avoid degradation of the pull-down transistor. The apparatus also includes biasing circuitry configured to control voltage potentials at the pull-up node and the pull-down node to enable the output inverter to assert, at the output node, an output voltage potential that is greater than the degradation voltage potential higher than a low power supply voltage potential at the low power supply node.
Sensing Techniques for Resistive Memory
Various implementations described herein are related to a device having a sense amplifier that provides output data based on sensing a difference between input signals. The device may have a tracking circuit that tracks a resistive state of a bitcell and provides an input signal to the sense amplifier based on the tracked resistive state of the bitcell. The device may have a bitcell circuit that senses a data value associated with the resistive state of the bitcell and provides another input signal to the sense amplifier based on the sensed data value of the bitcell.