IP Library Granted Patent US 11,373,707
Granted Patent B2
US 11,373,707 · App. 16/417,518 · Granted Jun 28, 2022

Method and apparatus for configuring array columns and rows for accessing flash memory cells

Inventors: Hieu Van Tran (San Jose, CA); Anh Ly (San Jose, CA); Thuan Vu (San Jose, CA); Vipin Tiwari (Dublin, CA); Nhan Do (Saratoga, CA)
Assignee: SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.
G11C16/08G11C16/0425G11C16/10G11C16/14G11C16/24G11C16/26G11C16/28G11C16/32G11C16/3418G11C16/3427G11C2216/04G11C2216/22
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,373,707
App. No.
16/417,518
Granted
Jun 28, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A non-volatile memory device is disclosed. The non-volatile memory device comprises an array of flash memory cells comprising a plurality of flash memory cells organized into rows and columns, wherein the array is further organized into a plurality of sectors, each sector comprising a plurality of rows of flash memory cells, and a row driver selectively coupled to a first row and a second row.

Claims (12)

1. A non-volatile memory device comprising:

an array of flash memory cells comprising a plurality of flash memory cells organized into rows and columns, wherein the array is further organized into a plurality of sectors, each sector comprising a plurality of adjacent rows of flash memory cells;

a row driver for asserting a first row and a second row at the same time during read operations to read data from a first cell in the first row and a second cell in the second row; and

a differential sense amplifier for outputting an output bit based on a difference between data read from the first cell and data read from the second cell, the differential sense amplifier comprising a built-in offset to cause the output bit to be a preferred value when the first cell and the second cell contain an identical value.

2. The non-volatile memory device of claim 1 , wherein the first row is in a first sector and the second row is in a second sector.

3. The non-volatile memory device of claim 1 , wherein the memory cells are split gate flash memory cells.

4. The non-volatile memory device of claim 2 , wherein program disturb of the first sector does not impact program disturb of the second sector.

5. The non-volatile memory device of claim 3 , further comprising an erase gate decoder selectively coupled to the array.

6. The non-volatile memory device of claim 3 , further comprising a control gate decoder selectively coupled to the array.

7. The non-volatile memory device of claim 3 , further comprising a source line decoder selectively coupled to the array.

8. The non-volatile memory device of claim 1 , wherein the memory cells are split gate flash memory cells.

9. The non-volatile memory device of claim 2 , wherein the memory cells are split gate flash memory cells.

Assignments (12)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 14, 2022
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 060894/0437 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 11, 2022
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 059363/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 10, 2022
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 059863/0400 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 9, 2022
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 059358/0335 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 28, 2022
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 059263/0001 →
GRANT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT RIGHTS Recorded Nov 19, 2021
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 058214/0625 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 4, 2021
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 057935/0474 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 24, 2020
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INCORPORATED; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 055671/0612 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC.; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 053468/0705 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2020
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC.; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 052856/0909 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 30, 2020
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC.; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
Reel/Frame 053466/0011 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 24, 2020
From: MICROCHIP TECHNOLOGY INC.; SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.; ATMEL CORPORATION; MICROSEMI CORPORATION; MICROSEMI STORAGE SOLUTIONS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 053311/0305 →