Patent · US Expired

Sense circuit for reading data stored in nonvolatile memory cells

US5218570A · kind A · utility

34Cited by
5References
3Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 19, 1991
Grant dateJun 8, 1993
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 19, 2011

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C16/28
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A sense circuit for reading EPROM and ROM type memory cells employs a circuit for generating an offsetting current which is exempt of error during transients and which thus permits to achieve a reduced access time. On the other hand, the sense circuit maintains the intrinsic advantages of a current-offset sensing architecture which is represented by a substantially unlimited operating voltage range toward the maximum value VCC.sub.max. The current generating circuit is driven by means of a supplementary row of cells which is decoded at every reading and which replicates, during transients, the behaviour of the row selected for the reading.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.