Magnetic memory cell sensing with first and second currents
US6826094B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 2, 2003 |
| Grant date | Nov 30, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 1, 2023 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11C11/16
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A magnetic memory includes a sense amplifier coupled to a memory cell. The sense amplifier includes a capacitor operative between a first voltage established by a first sense current flowing in a first direction and corresponding to an unknown logic state of the memory cell, and a second voltage established by a second sense current flowing in a second direction and corresponding to a known logic state of the memory cell. The sense amplifier includes detect logic configured to compare the second voltage to an upper and lower threshold voltage and provide the known logic state if the second voltage is less than the upper threshold voltage and greater than the lower threshold voltage, and provide a logic state opposite to the known logic state if the second voltage is equal to or greater than the upper threshold voltage or is equal to or less than the lower threshold voltage.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.