Patent · US Expired

Reading circuit and method for a nonvolatile memory device

US7242619B2 · kind B2 · utility

1Cited by
3References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 28, 2005
Grant dateJul 10, 2007
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 20, 2025

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C16/28
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Described herein is a reading circuit for a nonvolatile memory device, wherein the currents flowing through an array memory cell to be read, and a reference memory cell with known contents, are converted into an array voltage and, respectively, into a reference voltage, which are compared to determine the contents of the array memory cell. The method envisages reducing the electrical stress to which the reference memory cell is subjected during reading, by generating and holding a sample of the reference voltage, then deselecting the reference memory cell, and then continuing reading using the sample of the reference voltage.

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