Invention Grant
US08437196B2 Sense-amplifier circuit for non-volatile memories that operates at low supply voltages
有权
用于在低电源电压下工作的非易失性存储器的感应放大器电路
- Patent Title: Sense-amplifier circuit for non-volatile memories that operates at low supply voltages
- Patent Title (中): 用于在低电源电压下工作的非易失性存储器的感应放大器电路
-
Application No.: US12883072Application Date: 2010-09-15
-
Publication No.: US08437196B2Publication Date: 2013-05-07
- Inventor: Gianbattista Lo Giudice , Antonino Conte , Mario Micciche , Stefania Rinaldi
- Applicant: Gianbattista Lo Giudice , Antonino Conte , Mario Micciche , Stefania Rinaldi
- Applicant Address: IT Agrate Brianza
- Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
- Current Assignee: STMicroelectronics S.r.l.
- Current Assignee Address: IT Agrate Brianza
- Agency: Seed IP Law Group PLLC
- Priority: EP09425360 20090918
- Main IPC: G11C16/06
- IPC: G11C16/06

Abstract:
A sense-amplifier circuit includes: a comparison stage that compares a cell current that flows in a memory cell and through an associated bitline, with a reference current, for supplying an output signal indicating the state of the memory cell; and a precharging stage, which supplies, during a precharging step prior to the comparison step, a precharging current to the bitline so as to charge a capacitance thereof. The comparison stage includes a first comparison transistor and by a second comparison transistor, which are coupled in current-mirror configuration respectively to a first differential output and to a second differential output, through which a biasing current flows. The precharging stage diverts, during the precharging step, the biasing current towards the bitline as precharging current, and allows, during the comparison step, passage of part of the biasing current towards the first differential output, enabling operation of the current mirror.
Public/Granted literature
- US20110069554A1 SENSE-AMPLIFIER CIRCUIT FOR NON-VOLATILE MEMORIES THAT OPERATES AT LOW SUPPLY VOLTAGES Public/Granted day:2011-03-24
Information query