Patent · US Expired

Method for setting the threshold voltage of a reference memory cell

US5784314A · kind A · utility

66Cited by
4References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 12, 1996
Grant dateJul 21, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 12, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C2029/5006
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method for setting the threshold voltage of a reference memory cell of a memory device is described, the reference memory cell being used as a reference current generator for generating a reference current which is compared by a sensing circuit of the memory device with currents sunk by memory cells to be sensed, belonging to a memory matrix of the memory device. The method comprises a first step in which the reference memory cell is submitted to a change in its threshold voltage, and a second step in which the threshold voltage of the reference memory cell is verified. The second step provides for performing a sensing of the reference memory cell using a memory cell with known threshold voltage belonging to the memory matrix as a reference current generator for generating a current which is compared by the sensing circuit with the current sunk by the reference memory cell.

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