Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Comp. Ltd.

Ta-Ching Yeh

Hung-Chang Yu

A semiconductor device includes: a sense amplifier; a branched line selectively connectable to the amplifier; an array of bit lines connected to corresponding memory cells; and an intra-sense-amplifier recycling arrangement configured to do as follows including: recovering a first charge from a first bit line associated with a first one of the memory cells, the first charge being associated with a preceding first evaluation performed by the sense amplifier; and boosting the branched line to a reference voltage including reusing the first charge to at least partially charge the branched line; and wherein the sense amplifier is configured to make a second evaluation of a stored value in a second memory cell relative to the reference voltage.

Memory device with charge-recycling arrangement

A semiconductor device includes: a sense amplifier; a branched line selectively connectable to the sense amplifier; a recycling arrangement selectively connectable to the branched line; an array of memory cells; an array of bit lines connected to corresponding memory cells in the array of memory cells; a multiplexer configured to selectively connect the branched line to a selected one in the array of memory cells through a corresponding line amongst the array of bit lines; and a controller configured to control the recycling arrangement and the multiplexer to perform intra-sense-amplifier recycling of a gleaned amount of charge (gleaned charge) recovered from a first read operation to a second read operation.

Memory device with recycling arrangement for gleaned charge

A sense amplifier includes a first sample and hold circuit, a second sample and hold circuit, a latch-type amplifier. The first sample and hold circuit is coupled to a bit line and configured to sample and hold memory cell data during a pre-charge phase of a sensing operation. The second sample and hold circuit is coupled to a reference bit line and configured to sample and hold data of a reference memory cell data during the pre-charge phase of the sensing operation. The latch-type amplifier, coupled to the first sample and hold circuit and the second sample and hold circuit, and configured to compare the memory cell data and the reference cell data during an evaluation phase of the sensing operation to output a sensing signal. The sense amplifier is isolated from the bit line and the reference bit line during the evaluation phase of the sensing operation. A sensing method adapted to a sense amplifier and a non-volatile memory include a sense amplifier are also introduced.

Sense amplifier, sensing method and non-volatile memory using the same

A semiconductor device includes: first and second terminal switches connected correspondingly between the first and second terminals of a sense amplifier and corresponding first and second nodes; first and second recycle switches connected correspondingly between the first and second nodes and corresponding third and fourth nodes; and first and second capacitors connected correspondingly between the third and fourth nodes; and wherein the first and second recycle switches are configured to selectively connect the first and second capacitors correspondingly to the first and second nodes in phases including as follows: during a recovery phase in which first and second gleaned amounts of charge (first and second gleaned charges) are recovered from corresponding selected ones of bit lines; and during a reuse phase in which the first and second gleaned charges are reused from correspondingly onto selected corresponding ones of the array of bit lines.

Memory device and method of operating same

A semiconductor device including: a sense amplifier; a branched line selectively connectable to the amplifier; a recycling arrangement selectively connectable to the branched line; an array of bit lines connected to corresponding memory cells; a multiplexer configured to selectively connect the branched line to a selected one of the memory cells through a corresponding line amongst the array of bit lines; and a controller configured to control the recycling arrangement and the multiplexer to perform intra-sense-amplifier recycling of a gleaned amount of charge (gleaned charge) recovered from a first read operation to a second read operation.

A semiconductor device includes: a sense amplifier; a branched line selectively connectable to the sense amplifier; a recycling arrangement selectively connectable to the branched line; an array of bit lines connected to corresponding memory cells; a multiplexer configured to selectively connect the branched line to a selected one of the memory cells through a corresponding line amongst the array of bit lines; and a controller. The controller is configured to: permit, during a recovery phase in which a gleaned amount of charge (gleaned charge) is recovered, flow of charge (charge-flow) between the recycling arrangement and the branched line; interrupt, during a drainage phase in which the gleaned charge is preserved, charge-flow between the recycling arrangement and the branched line; and permit, during a reuse phase in which the gleaned charge is reused, charge-flow between the recycling arrangement and the branched line.

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Hsinchu, Taiwan

Ta-Ching Yeh