A sense amplifier circuit includes a sampling capacitor coupled to the input of an inverting amplifier. The output of the inverting amplifier is coupled to a transistor that includes a current terminal. The memory read operation includes two phases. During a first phase, a terminal of the capacitor is coupled to a first cell. During a second phase, the terminal of the capacitor is coupled a second cell.

In one embodiment, a sense amplifier circuit includes two current paths. Each path includes a transistor configured as a current source during a memory read operation and a second transistor. During the first phase of a memory read operation, the first current path is coupled to one cell and the second current path is coupled to a second cell. The sense amplifier circuit includes a capacitor that during a first phase of a memory read operation, is coupled between two corresponding nodes of the two paths to store a voltage difference between the two nodes. During the second phase, the cell/current path couplings are swapped and the capacitor is coupled to the control terminal of one of the second transistors to control the conductivity of the transistor for adjusting a voltage of an output node to indicate the value of the data being read.

Apparatuses and methods for sensing a resistance variable memory cell include circuitry to apply a programming signal to a memory cell in the array, the programming signal associated with programming resistance variable memory cells to a particular data state, and detect a change in resistance of the memory cell to determine if a data state of the memory cell changes from an initial data state to a different data state during application of the programming signal.

A semiconductor memory device contains a first memory cell including a first variable resistive element, and a first circuit for controlling a write performed for the first memory cell. The first circuit performs a first write for writing first data in the first memory cell in a first time, determines whether the first write fails or not, and performs a second write for writing the first data in the first memory cell in a second time longer than the first time, if the first write fails.

A Resistive random access memory (ReRAM) comprising: an array (M.sub.1) of cells (C.sub.ij) each connected to a first supply line (SL) set at a first supply potential, each cell being provided with a resistive element (1, 2) and a selection transistor (Ms.sub.1, Ms.sub.2), a read circuit (40.sub.0) associated with a given row of cells and comprising a sense amplifier (44.sub.0) of the latch type connected to a second supply line (45) set at a second supply potential, the device further comprising: a circuit for controlling read operations configured to during a reading: apply to said first bit line (BL.sub.0) a potential equal to said first supply potential (GND, VDD) while isolating the first bit line (BL.sub.0) from said sense amplifier (44.sub.0), then, couple the first bit line (BL.sub.0) to said sense amplifier (44.sub.0).

A memory cell array of a multi-time programmable non-volatile memory includes plural memory cells. The memory cell has the structure of 1T1C cell, 2T1C cell or 3T1C cell. Moreover, the floating gate transistors of the memory cells in different rows of the memory cell array are constructed in the same well region. Consequently, the chip size is reduced. Moreover, by providing proper bias voltages to the memory cell array, the program action, the erase action or the read action can be performed normally.

A read-write circuit mainly includes a read circuit and a write circuit. The write circuit comprises: a first voltage selector and a first voltage follower circuit that is electrically connected to the memristor storage array. The read-write circuit further includes a second voltage selector and a second voltage follower circuit that is electrically connected to the memristor storage array. Voltage stable following during bipolar writing is selected through the foregoing selector. Meanwhile, the reading circuit is provided with a variable resistor to select an access mode. The actual read-out voltage and the output voltage passing through the reference resistor under the same read voltage are input into a differential amplifier to obtain read-out data.

An embodiment method for programming a differential type phase-change memory device comprises, in a first time interval, programming a direct memory cell or the respective complementary one pertaining to a first programming driver by means of a current between SET and RESET; and, in the same first time interval, simultaneously programming a direct memory cell or the respective complementary one pertaining to a second programming driver by means of the same current between SET and RESET. The method further comprises, in a second time interval, programming the other direct memory cell or the respective complementary one pertaining to the first programming driver by means of the other current between SET and RESET; and, in the same second time interval, simultaneously programming the other direct memory cell or the respective complementary one pertaining to the second programming driver by means of the same other current between SET and RESET.

A storage circuit includes: the array of a memory cell MC including a variable-resistance element; a conversion circuit that converts the resistance value of each memory cell into the signal level of an electric signal; a reference signal generation circuit that generates a reference signal common to a plurality of columns; a correction circuit that corrects one of the signal level of the reference signal and the signal level of the electric signal for each column of the array of the memory cell; and an RW circuit that determines data stored in the memory cell belonging to a corresponding column by comparing one of the reference level and the signal level of the electric signal, corrected by the correction circuit, and the other of the reference level and the signal level of the electric signal.

A memory device includes a memory cell and a sense amplifier. The sense amplifier has a reference circuit configured to output a reference voltage and a sensing circuit connected to the memory cell. A comparator includes a first input and a second input, with the first input connected to the reference circuit to receive the reference voltage, and the second input connected to the memory cell. A precharger is configured to selectively precharge the sensing circuit to a predetermined precharge voltage.