Semiconductor integrated circuit device with a constant current source
US5986940A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Feb 26, 1998 |
| Grant date | Nov 16, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 26, 2018 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11C16/3404
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
The semiconductor integrated circuit device includes memory cells the conductive state of which is changed in accordance with the data stored therein when selected, a sensing circuit having sense nodes for sensing the data stored in the memory cell. A constant current source according to the present invention supplies a current corresponding to the leak current to be detected on the sense node, as a load current in a leak current check where the memory cell is set in a non-selected state and the leak current flowing through the memory cell is detected. Accordingly, the device can ensure a large reading margin even in checking the leak current flowing through the memory cell, prevent the increase in total area of the integrated circuit, and prevent the alternate current characteristics in the ordinary data reading from being adversely affected.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.