Sgs-thomson Microelectronics S.r.l.

Hynix Semiconductor Inc.

Stmicroelectronics S.r.l.

Marco Maccarrone

Luigi Pascucci

Marco Olivo

Carla Maria Golla

Silvia Padoan

Guido Lomazzi

Ilaria Renna

An integrated programming circuitry for an electrically programmable semiconductor memory device comprises a plurality of programming load circuits, each one associated with a respective memory matrix portion or group of columns, and a plurality of programming load control circuits, each one controlling the activation of one respective programming load circuit according to the logic state of a respective data line carrying a datum to be programmed; the memory device comprises a group of redundancy bit lines and an associated redundancy programming load circuit; each programming load control circuit comprises decoding means supplied with signals which, when a defective column address is supplied to the memory device during programming, are generated from a matrix portion identifying code stored in a non-volatile register wherein the defective column address is stored, and switch means responsive to a decoded signal at the output of said decoding means to enable the activation of the redundancy programming load circuit according to the logic state of the data signal line and to cause the inhibition of the activation of the respective programming load circuit.

Integrated programming circuitry for an electrically programmable

A current source including a current mirror circuit and an active load circuit which form a reference branch, for setting a reference current value, and a mirroring branch, defining an output current value, connected between supply and ground. A voltage stabilizing transistor is interposed between the current mirror circuit and the load circuit in the reference branch only, and is so biased as to maintain its gate terminal at a predetermined voltage. As such, the potential with respect to ground of the drain terminal of the reference branch load transistor is fixed, so that its drain-source voltage drop (and the current through it) is substantially independent of supply voltage. The current source may be used to advantage in an oscillator for generating the: clock signal of a nonvolatile memory.

Current source having voltage stabilizing element

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Pavia, Italy

Marco Maccarrone