Winbond Electronics Corporation

Nexflash Technologies, Inc.

Poongyeub Lee

Joo Weon Park

Eungjoon Park

Kyung Joon Han

John Henry Bui

Oron Michael

Ting-Kuo Yen

Kwangho Kim

A level-shift buffer device includes an input buffer circuit, a configurable circuit and a level-shift circuit. The input buffer circuit receives input/output (I/O) supply voltage at a first voltage level among a plurality of voltage levels that are supported by the level-shift buffer device. The input buffer circuit generates a first input signal according to the first voltage level of the I/O supply voltage. The configuration circuit controls at least one transistor of the configurable circuit according to the configuration signal to generate a second input signal. The level-shift circuit generates an output signal at a second voltage level according to the second input signal and the configuration signal, wherein the level-shift circuit functions as an inverter or a level shifter in accordance with the configuration signal.

Level-shift buffer device, system and operating method thereof

In an aspect of the disclosure, a reference voltage holding circuit is provided. The reference voltage holding circuit is for maintaining a sense amplifier reference voltage provided by a sense amplifier reference circuit, and the reference voltage holding circuit includes: a reference voltage generating circuit configured to provide a bias reference voltage; a current generating circuit electrically coupled to the reference voltage generating circuit and configured to receive the bias reference voltage to output a standby bias voltage and a standby bias current; and a voltage pull-up circuit electrically coupled to the current mirror circuit and configured to provide for the standby bias current and to maintain the standby bias voltage which drives the sense amplifier reference voltage when reference voltage holding circuit operates under a standby operation and approximates the sense amplifier reference voltage as long as the sense amplifier reference voltage remains enabled.

Sense amplifier circuit with reference voltage holding circuit for maintaining sense amplifier reference voltage when the sense amplifier operates under standby mode

The data transmission apparatus includes a prior stage shift register circuit and a plurality of rear stage shift register circuits. The prior stage shift register circuit is coupled to a sense amplifying device of the memory, receives sensed data from the sense amplifying device and outputs a plurality of the readout data in series by bitwise shifting out the sensed data according to a shift clock signal. The plurality of rear stage shift register circuits are coupled to the prior stage shift register circuit and respectively coupled to a plurality of pads. The plurality of rear stage shift register circuits respectively receive the readout data and respectively bitwise transport the readout data to the pads according to a clock signal. Wherein, a frequency of the shift clock signal is less than a frequency of the clock signal.

Data transmission apparatus for memory and data transmission method thereof

The problem of bit disturb is reduced by discharging the floating bit lines of a nonvolatile memory array during programming. An illustrative virtual ground memory array uses single transistor floating gate type memory cells that are programmed using Fowler-Nordheim ('FN') tunneling, highly conductive and lengthy bit lines, buried and relatively short sub-bit lines and a programming discharge circuit for controlling spurious voltages on the bit lines that can arise when some of the bit lines are left floating during programming. Discharge control transistor respectively coupled to the bit lines direct current into a discharge section. A discharge section may be provided for each bit line, or shared by all bit lines. The discharge section may be a fixed circuit section for use through the programming process or may be selected from multiple discharge options.

Nonvolatile memory having bit line discharge, and method of operation thereof

A memory integrated circuit includes a nonvolatile memory array that is programmed in page mode. A volatile utility memory is connected to the memory array, and is at least a page in size so that an entire page of data that is either being programmed into or read from the memory array may be stored in the utility memory, thereby providing a single readily accessible and fully functional volatile memory that supports a variety of data operations such as nonvolatile memory programming, program-verify when supplemented with a program verify detector, data compare when supplemented with a comparator, and other operations including, in particular, operations that can benefit from the availability of a fast volatile memory to store an entire page of program data or read data. The outputs of the program verify detector, the comparator, and potentially the other operations circuits are furnished to a memory control circuit for controlling the memory or setting particular register values, or may be furnished as output through an I/O circuit that implements data input/output functions and performs various data routing and buffering functions for the integrated circuit memory.

Nonvolatile memory integrated circuit having volatile utility and buffer memories, and method of operation thereof

In an array of nonvolatile memory cells, as many memory cells as desired and indeed even the entire array of memory cells may be placed in a single region of the bulk, illustratively a p-well. Peripheral circuitry is used to in effect section the memory array into blocks and groups of blocks, and to establish suitable biasing and counter-biasing within those blocks and groups during page or block erase operations to limit erase disturb. Each group is provided with its own set of voltage switches, which furnishes the bias voltages for the various modes of operation, including erase. Each of the voltage switches furnish either a large positive voltage when its group is selected, or a large negative voltage when its group is unselected. The size of the group is established as a compromise between degree of erase disturb and substrate area required for the voltage switches.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Poongyeub Lee