Sgs-thomson Microelectronics S.r.l.

Marcello Cane

Mauro Luigi Sali

Fabio Tassan Caser

Corrado Villa

Marco Dallabora

Stefan Schippers

The invention relates to a row decoding circuit for an electrically programmable and erasable semiconductor non-volatile storage device of the type which includes a matrix of memory cells laid out as cell rows and columns and is divided into sectors, said circuit being input row decode signals and supply voltages in order to drive an output stage incorporating a complementary pair of high-voltage MOS transistors of the pull-up and pull-down type, respectively, which are connected to form an output terminal connected to the rows of one sector of the matrix, characterized in that a MOS transistor of the P-channel depletion type with enhanced gate oxide is provided between the output terminal and the pull-down transistor. The control terminal of the depletion transistor forms a further input of the circuit.

Row decoding circuit for a semiconductor non-volatile electrically programmable memory and corresponding method

Row decoding circuit for a semiconductor non-volatile electrically

Row decoding circuit for semiconductor non-volatile electrically

A voltage regulator for electrically programmable non-volatile memory cells includes a gain stage which is supplied a voltage from a voltage booster connected to a supply voltage reference, having an input terminal connected to an output of a voltage divider and an output terminal connected to a pull-up transistor of a pull-up and pull-down differential pair to output the regulated voltage for programming at least one column or bit line of the memory cells. The voltage regulator also includes a second gain stage having an input terminal connected to a second output of the voltage divider. The second stage has an output connected to turn on the pull-down transistor in the complementary pair upon the regulated voltage exceeding a predetermined value.

Voltage regulator for semiconductor non-volatile electrically

The invention relates to a programming method and device for detecting an error and inhibiting writing into a memory. The invention provides for the inclusion, in the standard programming method, of a checking step for interrupting the programming procedure and generating an error signal detecting the attempted overwriting of a '0' with a '1'. The checking step of the inventive programming method provides for an initial comparison between the contents of a plurality of bits being programmed and a corresponding plurality of bits to be written in, the generation of an error signal upon detection of homolog pairs with a value of 'one', and the interruption of the byte programming procedure to prevent a '1' from being written over a '0'.

Method and programming device for detecting an error in a memory

An erase voltage control circuit for an electrically erasable non-volatile memory cell having a control electrode and a first electrode. The circuit includes negative voltage generator means for generating a negative erase voltage to be supplied to the control electrode of the memory cell and means for electrically coupling the first electrode to a voltage supply. The circuit further includes control means for selectively deactivating the negative voltage generator means when a current supplied by the voltage supply to the first electrode of the memory cell reaches a predetermined value.

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Piobesi d'Alba, Italy

Marcello Cane