Patent · US Expired

Memory bit line segment isolation

US7042765B2 · kind B2 · utility

108Cited by
10References
24Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 6, 2004
Grant dateMay 9, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 19, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C2216/22
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A single memory array (10) has an isolation circuit for isolating segments of a same bit line (Seg1 BL0, Seg2 BL0) from each other. The isolation circuit (16) permits memory cells located in one segment (12) of an array to be read while memory cells of another segment (14) of the array are being erased. In one example, the isolation circuit (16) electrically couples the segments during a read or program of memory cells located on the second segment (Seg2 BL0). Program information stored in the single memory array may always be accessed while a portion of the same array is erased. Dynamic variation of the size of the isolated bit line segment occurs when multiple isolation circuits are used to create more than two array segments.

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