Yonsei University

Qualcomm Incorporated

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

Industry-academic Cooperation Foundation

Byung Kyu Song

Seung Hyuk Kang

Jung Pill Kim

Seong-Ook Jung

Taehui Na

Jisu Kim

Taehyun Kim

Sungryul Kim

Sara Choi

Tae Hyun Kim

Seong Ook Jung

Disclosed is a memory device for cancelling a sneak current. The memory device according to the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure includes a memory cell array which includes a plurality of word lines and a plurality of bit lines intersecting each other and memory cells disposed at intersections of the word lines and the bit lines; and a sensing circuit which supplies a bit line current to all or some of the bit lines, cancels a sneak current based on the bit line current by at least one switching control, and senses and amplifies data stored in the memory cell to output the sensed and amplified data.

Memory device for canceling sneak current

In an embodiment, an error detection and correction apparatus includes a positive edge triggered flip-flop that receives syndrome input based on a syndrome output a syndrome generator indicating whether or not input data includes an error, whereby the positive edge triggered flip-flop further provides a syndrome output to an error location decoder.

Error correction and decoding

Metal-oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistor offset-cancelling (OC), zero-sensing (ZS) dead zone, current-latched sense amplifiers (SAs) (CLSAs) (OCZS-SAs) for sensing differential voltages are provided. An OCZS-SA is configured to amplify received differential data and reference input voltages with a smaller sense amplifier offset voltage to provide larger sense margin between different storage states of memory bitcell(s). The OCZS-SA is configured to cancel out offset voltages of input and complement input transistors, and keep the input and complement input transistors in their activated state during sensing phases so that sensing is not performed in their 'dead zones' when their gate-to-source voltage (Vgs) is below their respective threshold voltages. In other aspects, sense amplifier capacitors are configured to directly store the data and reference input voltages at gates of the input and complement input transistors during voltage capture phases to avoid additional layout area that would otherwise be consumed with additional sensing capacitor circuits.

Metal-oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistor offset-cancelling (OC), zero-sensing (ZS) dead zone, current-latched sense amplifiers (SAs) (CLSAs) (OCZS-SAs) for sensing differential voltages

Error detection and correction decoding apparatus performs single error correction-double error detection (SEC-DED) or double error correction-triple error detection (DEC-TED) depending on whether the data input contains a single-bit error or a multiple-bit error, to reduce power consumption and latency in case of single-bit errors and to provide powerful error correction in case of multiple-bit errors.

Non-volatile (NV)-content addressable memory (CAM) (NV-CAM) cells employing differential magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) sensing for increased sense margin are disclosed. By the NV-CAM cells employing MTJ differential sensing, differential cell voltages can be generated for match and mismatch conditions in response to search operations. The differential cell voltages are amplified to provide a larger match line voltage differential for match and mismatch conditions, thus providing a larger sense margin between match and mismatch conditions. For example, a cross-coupled transistor sense amplifier employing positive feedback may be employed to amplify the differential cell voltages to provide a larger match line voltage differential for match and mismatch conditions. Providing NV-CAM cells that have a larger sense margin can mitigate sensing issues for increased search operation reliability. One non-limiting example of an NV-CAM cell that employs MTJ differential sensing is a ten (10) transistor (10T)-four (4) MTJ (10T-4MTJ) NV-TCAM cell.

Non-volatile (NV)-content addressable memory (CAM) (NV-CAM) cells employing differential magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) sensing for increased sense margin

A method of sensing a data value stored at a memory cell according to a dual mode sensing scheme includes determining, at a sensing circuit, whether a resistance of a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) element is within a first range of resistance values, within a second range of resistance values, or within a third range of resistance values. The MTJ element is included in the memory cell. The method also includes determining the data value stored at the memory cell according to a first mode of operation if the resistance of the MTJ element is within the first range of resistance values or within the third range of resistance values. The method further includes determining the data value stored at the memory cell according to a second mode of operation if the resistance of the MTJ element is within the second range of resistance values.

Dual mode sensing scheme

A sensing system may include a sense amplifier, a sensing circuit configured to sense a current difference, a data cell selectively coupled to the sensing circuit, a first reference cell selectively coupled to the sensing circuit, and a second reference cell selectively coupled to the sensing circuit. The resistance of the first reference cell and the second reference cell are different.

Growing community of inventors

Seoul, South Korea

Byung Kyu Song