IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,767,899
Granted Patent B2
US 9,767,899 · App. 15/366,293 · Granted Sep 19, 2017

Access signal conditioning for memory cells in an array

Inventors: Christophe Chevallier (Palo Alto, CA); Chang Hua Siau (Saratoga, CA)
Assignee: Unity Semiconductor Corporation
G11C13/0033G11C13/003G11C13/004
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,767,899
App. No.
15/366,293
Granted
Sep 19, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

A memory is described having an array including two-terminal resistive memory elements (MEs) to retain stored data in an absence of electrical power and a disturb isolator circuit operatively coupled to the MEs to compensate for disturbances of a magnitude of a signal associated with a selected two-terminal resistive memory element in the array.

Claims (25)

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an array comprising two-terminal resistive memory elements (MEs) to retain stored data in an absence of electrical power; and

a disturb isolator circuit operatively coupled to the MEs to compensate for disturbances of a magnitude of a signal associated with a selected two-terminal resistive memory element in the array.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , where the disturbances are attributable to electrical or electromagnetic coupling on the selected two-terminal resistive memory element.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a positional characteristic adjuster coupled with the disturb isolator circuit.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the positional characteristic adjuster is configured to determine the magnitude of the signal as a function of a distance between a position of the selected two-terminal resistive memory and the disturb isolator.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the positional characteristic adjuster is configured to modify the magnitude based on an indicator signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the positional characteristic adjuster is configured to modify the magnitude based on an indicator signal via a feedback path, wherein the indictor signal represents the magnitude of the signal at a location in the array.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the signal is a read voltage signal and wherein the disturb isolator circuit is configured to compensate for disturbances of the magnitude of the read voltage signal associated with a particular word line of the array.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the disturbances is caused by repeated applications of read voltages to the array.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the magnitude is a target read voltage magnitude and wherein the disturb isolation circuit is configured to reduce the target read voltage magnitude.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the disturb isolation circuit is configured to reduce the target read voltage magnitude to approximate one-half the target read voltage magnitude.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the disturb isolation circuit is configured to reduce the magnitude of the read voltage signal while maintaining an access current equivalent to that associated with a first magnitude of the read voltage signal.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the disturb isolation circuit comprises a current enhancement array configured to generate an amount of current at a portion of the target read voltage magnitude.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the current enhancement array comprises a plurality of resistive memory elements coupled in parallel.

14. A method comprising:

identifying a selected two-terminal resistive memory element in an array comprising a plurality of two-terminal memory elements, to retain stored data in an absence of electrical power; and

conditioning an access signal to access the selected two-terminal resistive memory element in the array while isolating disturb effects on unselected two-terminal resistive memory elements in the array.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising determining the magnitude of the signal as a function of a distance between a position of the selected two-terminal resistive memory and a disturb isolator circuit.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising modifying the magnitude based on an indicator signal via a feedback path, wherein the indictor signal represents the magnitude of the signal at a location in the array.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the signal is a read voltage signal and wherein the method further comprises compensating for disturbances of the magnitude of the read voltage signal associated with a particular word line of the array.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the magnitude is a target read voltage magnitude and wherein the method comprises reducing the target read voltage magnitude.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein reducing the target read voltage magnitude comprises reducing the read voltage magnitude to approximate one-half the target read voltage magnitude.

20. The method of claim 17 , wherein the method comprises reducing the magnitude of the read voltage signal while maintaining an access current equivalent to that associated with a first magnitude of the read voltage signal.

21. The method of claim 17 , further comprising generating an amount of current at a portion of the target read voltage magnitude.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 14, 2016
From: CHEVALLIER, CHRISTOPHE; SIAU, CHANG HUA
To: UNITY SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 040737/0542 →
Continuity (7)
Continuation 15052627 · Feb 24, 2016
Continuation 14624891 · Feb 18, 2015
Continuation 14150521 · Jan 8, 2014
Continuation 13658697 · Oct 23, 2012
Continuation 13425247 · Mar 20, 2012
Division 12657895 · Jan 29, 2010
Related Publication 20170140816A1 · May 18, 2017