Altera Corporation

Abhishek B Sharma

Shankar Sinha

Shih-Lin S Lee

Brian L Wong

Brian Yung Fun Wong

Disclosed are apparatus and devices for programming and operating a programmable memory array portion coupled with a leakage reduction circuit. At the leakage reduction circuit, a frame bias signal that indicates a majority state of the memory array portion can be received. During idle states of the programmable memory array portion, at least one shared bit line of the memory array portion can be selectively biased based on the received frame bias signal. In one aspect, a first one of two bit lines is biased to a first state, while the second one of the two bits lines is biased to a second state that is opposite the first state. In a further aspect, the first state is a same state as the majority state of the memory array portion.

Systems and methods for reducing leakage current in memory arrays

Integrated circuits may have arrays of memory elements. Data may be loaded into the memory elements and read from the memory elements using data lines. Address lines may be used to apply address signals to write address transistors and read circuitry. A memory element may include a bistable storage element. Read circuitry may be coupled between the bistable storage element and a data line. The read circuitry may include a data storage node. A capacitor may be coupled between the data storage node and ground and may be used in storing preloaded data from the bistable storage element. The read circuitry may include a transistor that is coupled between the bistable storage element and the data storage node and a transistor that is coupled between the data storage node and the data line.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Abhishek B Sharma