Patent · US Expired

Power-saving reading of magnetic memory devices

US6891768B2 · kind B2 · utility

97Cited by
5References
40Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 13, 2002
Grant dateMay 10, 2005
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 24, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C2013/0057
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Power-saving reading of magnetic memory devices. In one arrangement, a method includes pulsing a voltage on the array, and obtaining a voltage value indicative of a memory state of the target memory cell from the voltage pulse using a sensing circuit that is electrically connected to the target memory cell. In another arrangement, a method includes pulsing an array voltage on a plurality of row and column conductors of the array, connecting a sensing circuit to a conductor that is electrically coupled to the target memory cell, the sensing circuit including a sense element, and determining the voltage drop across the sense element of the sensing circuit during the voltage pulse, the voltage drop being indicative of a memory state of the target memory cell.

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