Patent · US Expired

Method for nondestructively reading memory cells of an MRAM memory

US6388917B2 · kind B2 · utility

25Cited by

5References

14Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Infineon Technologies AG · DE

Inventors

Kurt Hoffmann · Taufkirchen, DE
Oskar Kowarik · Grafing, DE

Key dates

Filing date	Jul 25, 2001
Grant date	May 14, 2002
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Jul 25, 2021

Classification

Technology area (CPC G)Physics
CPC primaryG11C11/1673
WIPO fieldComputer technology
WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method for nondestructively reading memory cells of an MRAM memory, which includes steps of: determining a standard resistance of a memory cell at a voltage at which a resistance of the memory cell is independent of a stored content of the memory cell; determining an actual resistance of the memory cell at a voltage at which the resistance of the memory cell is dependent on the stored content of the memory cell; obtaining a normalized actual resistance of the memory cell by dividing the actual resistance by the standard resistance; obtaining a comparison result by comparing the normalized actual resistance with a reference value; and detecting the stored content of the memory cell dependent on the comparison result.

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