Patent · US Expired

Architecture to suppress bit-line leakage

US6819593B2 · kind B2 · utility

3Cited by
6References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 13, 2002
Grant dateNov 16, 2004
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 26, 2023

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C16/0425
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method to suppress bit-line leakage in a nonvolatile memory cell is achieved. The method comprises providing an array of nonvolatile memory cells comprising source and bulk terminals. The array comprises a plurality of subarrays. The sources of all the nonvolatile cells in each subarray are coupled together to form a common subarray source. Bulks of all the nonvolatile cells in the array are coupled together to form a common array bulk. A first, non-zero voltage is forced between the common subarray source and the common array bulk for a first subarray that is selected for an access operation. A second, non-zero voltage is forced between the common subarray source and the common array bulk for a second subarray that is not selected for an access operation. The second, non-zero voltage inhibits bit line leakage in the second subarray.

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