Patent · US Expired

Data-dependent field compensation for writing magnetic random access memories

US6404671B1 · kind B1 · utility

25Cited by
4References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 21, 2001
Grant dateJun 11, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 21, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C11/16
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A field compensation circuit for selectively writing one or more selected magnetic memory cells in a magnetic random access memory (MRAM) includes a controller for detecting a characteristic representative of an anticipated interaction between a magnetic field emanating from a bit line corresponding to a selected memory cell and at least one stray magnetic field emanating from one or more bit lines associated with one or more memory cells in close relative proximity to the selected memory cell. A control signal generated by the controller is indicative of the detected characteristic. The field compensation circuit further includes a programmable current source operatively coupled to the bit line corresponding to the selected memory cell, the programmable current source including an input for receiving the control signal. The programmable current source generates a write current having a magnitude which varies in response to the control signal. In this manner, the write current flowing through a given bit line corresponding to a selected memory cell can be selectively adjusted to compensate for magnetic field interaction with adjacent bit lines.

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