Patent · US Active

Semiconductor memory for disconnecting a bit line from a sense amplifier in a standby period and memory system including the semiconductor memory

US7660184B2 · kind B2 · utility

15Cited by
5References
29Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateJul 24, 2007
Grant dateFeb 9, 2010
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 10, 2027

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C2211/4067
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Each memory block has a plurality of memory cells, and word lines and bit lines connected to the memory cells. Precharge switches connect the bit lines to a precharge line. A switch control circuit controls an operation of the precharge switches and sets a cutoff function that turns off connection switches in a standby period in which no access operation of the memory cells is performed. Since connections of the bit lines and the precharge switch and those of the bit lines and the sense amplifier are cut off in the standby period, if a short circuit failure is present between a word line and a bit line, a leak current can be prevented from flowing from the word line to a precharge voltage line and so on.

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