US Patent No: 7,046,568
Number of patents in Portfolio can not be more than 2000
Memory sensing circuit and method for low voltage operation
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May 16, 2006
Issued date -
Dec 16, 2004
filing date -
11/015,199
serial no -
In Force
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Abstract
A sensing module operates with a sense amplifier sensing a conduction current of a memory cell via a coupled bit line under constant voltage condition in order to minimize bit-line to bit-line coupling. The rate of discharge of a dedicated capacitor as measured by a change in the voltage drop there across in a predetermined period is used to indicate the magnitude of the conduction current. The voltage cannot drop below a minimum level imposed by a circuit for maintaining the constant voltage condition on the bit line. A voltage shifter is used to boost the voltage during the discharge and to unboost the voltage after the discharge, so that the change in voltage drop properly reflects the rate of discharge without running into the minimum level.
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First Claim
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International Classification(s)
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Cited Art Landscape
| Patent Info | (Count) | # Cites | Year |
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| 5,418,752 Flash EEPROM system with erase sector select | 386 | 1992 | |
| 5,570,315 Multi-state EEPROM having write-verify control circuit | 644 | 1994 | |
| 5,650,970 semiconductor memory device having a flash write function | 31 | 1995 | |
| 5,774,397 Non-volatile semiconductor memory device and method of programming a non-volatile memory cell to a predetermined state | 449 | 1996 | |
| 5,903,495 Semiconductor device and memory system | 230 | 1997 | |
| 6,097,638 Semiconductor memory device | 86 | 1998 | |
| 6,011,287 Non-volatile semiconductor memory device | 107 | 1998 | |
| 6,046,935 Semiconductor device and memory system | 616 | 1999 | |
| 6,046,940 Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device | 74 | 1999 | |
| 6,373,746 Nonvolatile semiconductor memory having plural data storage portions for a bit line connected to memory cells | 194 | 2000 | |
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| 5,315,541 Segmented column memory array | 556 | 1992 | |
| 5,661,053 Method of making dense flash EEPROM cell array and peripheral supporting circuits formed in deposited field oxide with the use of spacers | 329 | 1994 | |
| 5,595,924 Technique of forming over an irregular surface a polysilicon layer with a smooth surface | 186 | 1994 | |
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| 6,011,725 Two bit non-volatile electrically erasable and programmable semiconductor memory cell utilizing asymmetrical charge trapping | 942 | 1999 | |
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| 6,731,539 Memory with offset bank select cells at opposite ends of buried diffusion lines | 41 | 2003 | |
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| 4,785,427 Differential bit line clamp | 60 | 1987 | |
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| 5,537,356 Nonvolatile semiconductor memory | 46 | 1995 | |
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| 5,245,571 Sense amplifier circuit implemented by bipolar transistor and improved in current consumption | 44 | 1991 | |
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| 5,872,739 Sense amplifier for low read-voltage memory cells | 56 | 1997 | |
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| 4,357,685 Method of programming an electrically alterable nonvolatile memory | 200 | 1980 | |
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| 6,744,667 BIT LINE CONTROL DECODER CIRCUIT, VIRTUAL GROUND TYPE NONVOLATILE SEMICONDUCTOR STORAGE DEVICE PROVIDED WITH THE DECODER CIRCUIT, AND DATA READ METHOD OF VIRTUAL GROUND TYPE NONVOLATILE SEMICONDUCTOR STORAGE DEVICE | 49 | 2002 | |
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| 5,920,502 Nonvolatile semiconductor memory with fast data programming and erasing function using ECC | 56 | 1997 | |
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| 6,504,757 Double boosting scheme for NAND to improve program inhibit characteristics | 57 | 2001 | |
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| 5,949,720 Voltage clamping method and apparatus for dynamic random access memory devices | 45 | 1998 | |
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| 5,093,806 Sensing and decoding scheme for a BiCMOS read/write memory | 61 | 1989 | |
Patent Citation Ranking
Maintenance Fees
| Fee | Large entity fee | small entity fee | micro entity fee | due date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7.5 Year Payment | $3600.00 | $1800.00 | $900.00 | Nov 16, 2013 |
| 11.5 Year Payment | $7400.00 | $3700.00 | $1850.00 | Nov 16, 2017 |
| Fee | Large entity fee | small entity fee | micro entity fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Surcharge - 7.5 year - Late payment within 6 months | $160.00 | $80.00 | $40.00 |
| Surcharge - 11.5 year - Late payment within 6 months | $160.00 | $80.00 | $40.00 |
| Surcharge after expiration - Late payment is unavoidable | $700.00 | $350.00 | $175.00 |
| Surcharge after expiration - Late payment is unintentional | $1,640.00 | $820.00 | $410.00 |