Patent · US Expired

Semiconductor memory

US5408438A · kind A · utility

12Cited by
4References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 31, 1994
Grant dateApr 18, 1995
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 31, 2014

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C11/419
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Plural memory cells are connected to a common word line. Provided in each memory cell are a bit line pair, a data line pair, a precharge circuit, a switch circuit, a timing control circuit, and a sense amplifier. Each timing control circuit provides a word line control signal and a switch control signal, before the output of the sense amplifier becomes definite and at a point in time when the potential of the bit line pair changes to such an extent that the sense amplifier becomes operatable. The switch control signal is applied to a corresponding switch circuit to separate the sense amplifier from the bit line pair. The word line control signal From each timing control circuit is applied to a single OR gate. The output of the OR gate, along with the output of a row decoder, is applied to an AND gate. The AND gate controls the word line for activation. When every word line control signal becomes LOW, the word line is made inactive to separate all the memory cells from the corresponding bit line pairs.

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