Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080225616 | METHOD FOR INCREASING RETENTION TIME IN DRAM - The disclosure generally relates to a method and apparatus for decreasing the frequency of refreshing a memory cell in communication with a word line and a bit line. A method according to one embodiment includes: providing a DRAM circuit having a memory cell, a sense amplifier including a pre-charge circuit connected to a first voltage source and a back-to-back inverter including a first NMOS transistor having a source, a second NMOS transistor having a source, a first PMOS transistor having a source and a second PMOS transistor having a source; maintaining the voltage of the sources of the first and second PMOS transistors at a first voltage during normal operation; and raising the voltage of the sources of the first and second PMOS transistors from the first voltage to a second voltage during a refresh operation. | 09-18-2008 |
20080225617 | METHOD FOR HIGH SPEED SENSING FOR EXTRA LOW VOLTAGE DRAM - A method and apparatus are provided for sensing in low voltage DRAM memory cells. A method according to one embodiment includes: providing a DRAM circuit having a memory cell, a sense amplifier including a pre-charge circuit connected to a first voltage source and a back-to-back inverter including a first and second NMOS transistor, each having a source and a first and second PMOS transistor, each having a source. The method further includes the steps of maintaining the voltage of the sources of the first and second NMOS transistors at a first voltage during normal operation and lowering the voltage of the sources of the first and second NMOS transistors from the first voltage to a second voltage during a read operation. | 09-18-2008 |
20100141330 | POWER-DOWN CIRCUIT WITH SELF-BIASED COMPENSATION CIRCUIT - A circuit includes a first power supply node at a first power supply voltage; a gated-node; and a first control device coupled between the first power supply node and the gated-node. The first control device is configured to pass the first power supply voltage to the gated-node or to disconnect the gated-node from the first power supply voltage. A second control device is coupled between the first power supply node and the gated-node. The second control device is configured to pass a gated-voltage to the gated-node or disconnect the gated-node from the gated-voltage. A voltage-drop device is coupled between the first power supply node and the gated-node, wherein the voltage-drop device is serially connected with the second control device. A negative-feedback current source is connected in parallel with the voltage-drop device. The negative-feedback current source is configured to provide a current tracking a variation of the gated-voltage at the gated-node. | 06-10-2010 |
20100260002 | Circuit and Method for Small Swing Memory Signals - Circuits and methods for transmitting and receiving small swing differential voltage data to and from a memory are described. A plurality of memory cells is formed in arrays within a plurality of memory banks. Each memory bank is coupled to a pair of small swing differential voltage global bit lines that extend across the memory. A small signal write driver circuit is coupled to the global bit lines and configured to output a small signal differential voltage on the global bit lines during write cycles. A global sense amplifier is coupled to the global bit line pairs and configured to output a full swing voltage on a data line during a read cycle. Methods for providing small swing global bit line signals to memory cells are disclosed. The use of small swing differential voltage signals across the memory reduces power consumption and shortens memory cycle time. | 10-14-2010 |
20120023388 | Parity Look-Ahead Scheme for Tag Cache Memory - A device includes a tag cache memory array; a pre-parity unit configured to receive an address, and calculate and output a pre-parity bit calculated from all bits of the address. A comparator is configured to compare a tag read from the tag cache memory array with the address, and output a read-hit bit. The read-hit bit is true when the tag and the address are identical, and is false when the tag and the address are not identical. The device further includes a simplified parity-check unit configured to receive and perform operations on the pre-parity bit, the read-hit bit, and a parity bit from the tag cache memory array, and to output a read-parity bit. | 01-26-2012 |
20120098582 | Flip-Flop Circuit Design - A flip-flop circuit includes a precharge circuit that outputs a charge signal high when a received clock signal is LOW. A delay clock input circuit generates a delayed clock input controlled signal with the same value as an input signal when the clock signal is HIGH. A charge keeper circuit, upon receiving the charge signal and the delayed clock input controlled signal, generates a charge keeping signal, which equals the charged signal when the clock signal is LOW and equals the delayed clock input controlled signal when the clock signal is HIGH. A separator circuit can receive the charge keeping signal and clock signal and generate an inverted charge keeping signal. A storage circuit is configured to receive the inverted charge keeping signal, a present state signal, and inverted present state signal, and to generate a present state signal and an inverted present state signal. | 04-26-2012 |
20120188838 | MEMORY WITH WORD-LINE SEGMENT ACCESS - A memory comprises a row of bit cells, including a first plurality of bit cells and a second plurality of bit cells. A first word line segment driver is connected to the first plurality of bits cells. A second word line segment driver is connected to the second plurality of bits cells. The first and second word line segment drivers are selectively operable for activating one of the first and second pluralities of bit cells at a time to the exclusion of the other plurality of bit cells. A shared sense amplifier is coupled to at least one of the first plurality of bit cells and at least one of the second plurality of bit cells. The shared sense amplifier is configured to receive signals from whichever of the one first or second bit cell is activated by its respective word line segment driver at a given time. | 07-26-2012 |
20120287736 | SRAM Write Assist Apparatus - An SRAM write assist apparatus comprises a timer unit and a voltage divider. The voltage divider unit is configured to divide a voltage potential down to a lower level. The output of the voltage divider is connected to a memory cell in a write operation. The timer unit is configured to generate a pulse having a width inversely proportional to the voltage potential applied to a memory chip. Furthermore, the timer unit controls the period in which a lower voltage from the output of the voltage divider is applied to the memory cell. Moreover, external level and timing programmable signals can be used to further adjust the voltage divider's ratio and the pulse width from the timer unit. By employing the SRAM write assist apparatus, a memory chip can perform a reliable and fast write operation. | 11-15-2012 |
20120299622 | Internal Clock Gating Apparatus - An internal clock gating apparatus comprises a static logic block and a domino logic block. The static logic block is configured to receive a clock signal and a clock enable signal. The domino logic block is configured to receive the clock signal and a control signal from an output of the static logic block. The static logic block and the domino logic block are further configured such that an output of the domino logic block generates a signal similar to the clock signal in phase when the clock enable signal has a logic high state. On the other hand, the output of the domino logic block generates a logic low signal when the clock enable signal has a logic low state. Furthermore, the static logic block and the domino logic block can reduce the setup time and delay time of the internal clock gating apparatus respectively. | 11-29-2012 |
20120307574 | SRAM READ and WRITE Assist Apparatus - A SRAM READ and WRITE assist apparatus comprises a bit line voltage tracking block, a READ assist timer, a READ assist unit, a WRITE assist unit a WRITE control unit. The bit line voltage tracking block detects a voltage on a tracking bit line coupled to a plurality of tracking memory cells. In response to the voltage drop on the tracking bit line, the READ assist timer generates a READ assist pulse. When the READ assist pulse has a logic high state, an activated word line is pulled down to a lower voltage. Such a lower voltage helps to improve the robustness of SRAM memory circuits so as to avoid READ and WRITE failures. | 12-06-2012 |
20130100730 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WORD LINE SUPPRESSION - A memory access operation on a bit cell of a digital memory, e.g., a static random access memory (SRAM), is assisted by reducing the word line control voltage for reading and boosting it for writing, thus improving data integrity. The bit cell has cross coupled inverters for storing and retrieving a logic state via bit line connections through a passing gate transistor controlled by the word line. A level of a word line signal controlling the passing gate transistor is shifted from a first voltage value to a higher second voltage value to begin a memory access cycle. The level of the word line signal is shifted from the second voltage value to a third voltage value less than the second voltage value during the access cycle. The word line signal is maintained at the third voltage value for a time interval during the access cycle. | 04-25-2013 |
20130258747 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR READ ASSIST TO COMPENSATE FOR WEAK BIT - A memory assist apparatus includes a detection circuit and a compensation circuit. The detection circuit is configured to provide a detection signal indicating whether a bit line configured to provide read access to a data bit stored at a memory bit cell has a voltage below a predetermined threshold. The compensation circuit is configured to pull down the voltage of the bit line if the detection signal indicates that the voltage of the bit line is below the predetermined threshold. | 10-03-2013 |
20140219002 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ADAPTIVE TIMING WRITE CONTROL IN A MEMORY - A bit line, which is coupled to a resistive element of a memory cell is set to a first voltage level. The memory cell may be an MRAM cell or an RRAM cell. The resistive element is configured to have a first resistance in a first state of the memory cell and a second resistance in a second state of the memory cell. A source line, which is selectively coupled to the memory cell by an access transistor, is set to a second voltage level. A word line signal is asserted to apply a first bias voltage across the resistive element. The applied first bias voltage initiates a write operation at the memory cell. The word line signal is deasserted after a variable time duration based on a detection, during the write operation, of a current through the resistive element. | 08-07-2014 |
20150054485 | Bandgap Reference and Related Method - A device includes a proportional-to-absolute-temperature (PTAT) current source having a bandgap reference voltage node, and a negative temperature dynamic load having an input terminal electrically connected to the bandgap reference voltage node. | 02-26-2015 |
20150059362 | COOLING SYSTEM FOR 3D IC - A system and method of cooling a three dimensional integrated circuit (3D IC) using at least one thermoelectric cooler which is connected to the 3D IC by a plurality of conductive pillars. In some embodiments a controller controls power supply to the thermoelectric cooler, and a temperature monitor provides a temperature input to the controller. In some embodiments the controller maintains a temperature of a 3D IC within a predetermined range by cycling power to the thermoelectric cooler. | 03-05-2015 |
20150069316 | RESISTIVE RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY AND MANUFACTURING METHOD THEREOF - The present disclosure provides a semiconductor structure which includes a conductive layer and a resistance configurable structure over the conductive layer. The resistance configurable structure includes a first electrode, a resistance configurable layer over the first electrode, and a second electrode over the resistance configurable layer. The first electrode has a first sidewall, a second sidewall, and a bottom surface on the conductive layer. A joint between the first sidewall and the second sidewall includes an electric field enhancement structure. The present disclosure also provides a method for manufacturing the above semiconductor structure, including patterning a hard mask on a conductive layer; forming a spacer around the hard mask; removing at least a portion of the hard mask; forming a conforming resistance configurable layer on the spacer; and forming a second conductive layer on the conforming resistance configurable layer. | 03-12-2015 |