Patent · US Active

Adjusting reference resistances in determining MRAM resistance states

US8902641B2 · kind B2 · utility

15Cited by
6References
19Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 10, 2012
Grant dateDec 2, 2014
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 31, 2032

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C11/1673
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Magneto-resistive memory bit cells in an array have high or low resistance states storing logic values. During read operations, a bias source is coupled to an addressed memory word, coupling a parameter related to cell resistance to a sense amplifier at each bit position. The sense amplifiers determine whether the parameter value is greater or less than a reference value between the high and low resistance states. The reference value is derived by averaging or splitting a difference of resistances of reference cells at high and/or low resistance states. Bias current is conducted over address lines with varying resistance, due to different distances between the sense amplifiers and addressed memory words, which is canceled by inserting into the comparison circuit a resistance from a dummy addressing array, equal to the resistance of the conductor addressing the selected word line and bit position.

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