Sensing circuit for semiconductor device and sensing method using the same
US6198661A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 10, 1999 |
| Grant date | Mar 6, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 10, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11C16/26
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Sensing circuit for a semiconductor device and a sensing method using the same which allows sensing of a selected nonvolatile memory cell at a low voltage, a low power, and a fast speed, and has a high sensing reliability, the circuit including a bitline connected to a drain terminal of a memory cell through a Y-decoder, a senseline for sensing, and forwarding a data in the memory cell, a switching unit for switching between the bitline and the senseline, a first current supply unit disposed between a power source and the bitline for supplying a current to the bitline to the memory cell, a second current supply unit disposed between the power source and the senseline for supplying a current to the senseline, a voltage level shifter for providing a voltage difference between the bitline and the senseline, and a sense MOS transistor disposed between the senseline and the ground voltage and having a gate terminal connected to one end of the voltage level shifter.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.