Bias current generator circuit for a sense amplifier
US5168466A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 4, 1991 |
| Grant date | Dec 1, 1992 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 4, 2011 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11C16/28
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A bias voltage generator (12) provides a bias control voltage that is connected to a gate of transistor (32) to sink a predetermined amount of bias current. The bias voltage generator (12) is also connected to a gate of a transistor (31) to limit the voltage to a selected bit-line within an array of flash EEPROM cells (26). The predetermined bias current is summed with the current from a selected flash EEPROM cell (46). A reference current generator portion (22), establishes both a reference current and a reference voltage at a second input to a differential amplifier (35). A current-voltage (I-V) characteristic curve of the reference voltage at the second input of the differential amplifier is approximately symmetrically located between the I-V characteristic curves of a flash EEPROM cell when the logic state of the flash EEPROM cell is in an erased state and a programmed state.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.