Patent · US Expired

Column decoder for semiconductor memory device with prefetch scheme

US5835446A · kind A · utility

10Cited by
2References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateSep 19, 1996
Grant dateNov 10, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 19, 2016

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C7/1042
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and apparatus for implementing a prefetch scheme in which a plurality of data are simultaneously read from memory cells of sequential addresses synchronized to an external signal and serially transferred from the memory cells to a temporary latch circuit which has a number of bits corresponding to the member of bits in the prefetch scheme. The bits in the temporary latch circuit are multiplexed and sequentially driven out of the memory device. The memory device includes a plurality of memory cells which are connected to an input/output line pair through a plurality of column select gates, each of which is controlled by an independent chip select line. A sense amplifier is connected to the input/output line pair for sensing and amplifying data from the input/output lines and to transmit data to the input/output lines. A data output buffer transfers the data from the sense amplifier to the outside of chip.

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