Patent · US Expired

Method for performing write and read operations in a passive matrix memory, and apparatus for performing the method

US6606261B2 · kind B2 · utility

17Cited by
5References
23Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 6, 2001
Grant dateAug 12, 2003
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 6, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C11/22
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and apparatus for performing read and write operations in matrix-addressed memory array of memory cells is described. The memory cells comprising an electrically polarizable material exhibiting polarization remanence, in particular and electret or ferroelectric material, where a logical value stored in a memory cell is represented by an actual polarization state in the memory cell. The degree of polarization in the polarizable material is limited during each read and write cycle to a value defined by a circuit device controlling the read and write operations, with said value ranging from zero to an upper limit corresponding to saturation of the polarization and consistent with predetermined criterta for a reliable detection of a logic state of a memory cell.

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