Crocus-Technology Sa

Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique

Commissariat a L'energie Atomique Et Aux Energies Alternatives

Arm Limited

Commissariat a L'energie Atomique

Crocus Technology Inc.

Virgile Javerliac

Jean-Pierre Nozieres

Neal Berger

Mourad El Baraji

Christophe J Layer

Bernard Dieny

Nicolaas Klarinus Johannes Van Winkelhoff

Grégory Di Pendina

Guillaume Prenat

Bastien Jean Claude Aghetti

Christophe Layer

Yannick Marc Nevers

Kenneth Donald Mackay

Erwan Gapihan

Pierre Lemarchand

Laurent Christian Sibuet

Selma Laabidi

Salim Renane

Pierre Paoli

Fabrice Bernard-Granger

Kenneth Mackay

A circuit for reading a programmed resistive state of resistive elements of a resistive memory, wherein each resistive element may be programmed to be in a first or a second resistive state, wherein the circuit includes a current integrator suitable for integrating a difference in current between a reading current flowing through a first of the resistive elements and a reference current.

Reading circuit for resistive memory

A multi-port memory cell including: first and second magnetoresistive elements, each of which is programmable so as to adopt at least two resistive states, in which: the first magnetoresistive element is coupled with a first output line and is programmable by the direction of a current which is passed through same; and the second magnetoresistive element is coupled with a second output line and is arranged so as to be magnetically coupled with the first magnetoresistive element, the second magnetoresistive element being programmable by a magnetic field generated by the first magnetoresistive element.

Multi-port non-volatile memory

A memory array including: a first volatile memory cell including first and second cross-coupled inverters between first and second storage nodes; a first non-volatile memory cell including at least one resistive element that can be programmed to take one of at least two resistive states; and a control circuit adapted to couple the first non-volatile memory cell to the first and second storage nodes in order to generate a current for programming the resistive state of the at least one resistive element.

Method and circuit for programming non-volatile memory cells of a volatile/non-volatile memory array

A memory array including: a plurality of volatile memory cells, each including a latch; and a plurality of non-volatile memory cells, each including at least one resistive element that can be programmed by the direction of a current passed therethrough in order to take at least two resistive states, each of the non-volatile memory cells being associated with a corresponding cell from the volatile memory cells.

Memory provided with associated volatile and non-volatile memory cells

The invention concerns a memory device comprising: a first memory cell comprising a first resistive non-volatile data storage element programmable to store a first bit of data; and a second memory cell comprising a second resistive non-volatile data storage element programmable to store a second bit of data; wherein said first resistive element is configured to have a first data retention duration, and said second resistive element is configured to have a second data retention duration different from said first data retention duration.

Non-volatile memory device

A latching circuit has an input for receiving the data value, an output for outputting a value indicative of the data value, a clock signal input for receiving a clock signal; and a pass gate. A feedback loop has two switching circuits arranged in parallel between two inverting devices, a first of the two switching circuits is configured to be off and not conduct in response to a control signal having a predetermined control value and a second of the two switching circuits is configured to be on and conduct in response to the control signal having the predetermined control value. A control signal controlling the two switching circuits is linked such that the switching devices switch their conduction status and the access control device act together to update the data value within the feedback loop.

Low power latching circuits

A memory device includes a plurality of magnetic random access memory (MRAM) cells, a field line, and a field line controller configured to generate a write sequence that traverses the field line. The write sequence is for writing a multi-bit word to the plurality of MRAM cells. The multi-bit word includes a first subset of bits having a first polarity and a second subset of bits having a second polarity. The write sequence writes concurrently to at least a subset of the plurality of MRAM cells corresponding to the first subset of bits having the first polarity, then subsequently writes concurrently to a remaining subset of the plurality of MRAM cells corresponding to the second subset of bits having the second polarity.

Apparatus, system, and method for writing multiple magnetic random access memory cells with a single field line

A memory device including an array of memory cells arranged as a plurality of rows and columns. Write circuitry then controls a voltage level of the associated at least one bit line for each of the addressed memory cells to cause write data to be written into the addressed memory cells. In the presence of an asserted erase signal, a decoder circuitry's operation is modified such that it issues, independently of the clock signal, an asserted word line signal on the word line associated with each row in a predetermined erase region of the array. Further, the write circuitry's operation is modified so that it controls the voltage level of the associated at least one bit line for each memory cell in the predetermined erase region, in order to cause erase write data to be written into the memory cells of the predetermined erase region.

Memory device and a method for erasing data stored in the memory device

An integrated circuit includes processing circuitry that includes a plurality of critical path circuits. These critical path circuits include variable delay circuits which add an additional delay in to a path delay through each of the critical path circuits so as to adjust the path delay to match a target path delay. Variable delay circuit includes a tank capacitor which is charged or discharged to generate a control voltage. This control voltage serves to control a power supply voltage fed to an inverter chain. Variation in the power supply voltage of the inverter chain adjust the propagation speed of a processing signal through the inverter chain and accordingly adjusts the additional delay imposed by the variable delay circuit.

Integrated circuit with timing adjustment mechanism

A device for performing a 'logic function' consisting of a magnetic structure including at least a first magnetoresistive stack including a first ferromagnetic layer and a second ferromagnetic layer separated by a non-ferromagnetic interlayer and at least one first line of current situated in the vicinity of the first magnetoresistive stack and generating in the vicinity of the first stack a magnetic field when an electric current passes through it. The first line includes at least two current input points so that two currents can be added together in the first line, with the sum of the two currents being determined by the logic function.

Magnetic device for performing a logic function

A magnetic random access memory (MRAM) cell with a thermally assisted writing procedure comprising a magnetic tunnel junction formed from a magnetic storage layer, a reference layer, and an insulating layer inserted between the reference layer and the storage layer; and a first strap portion laterally connecting one end of the magnetic tunnel junction to a first selection transistor; wherein the cell further comprises a second strap portion extending opposite to the first strap portion and connecting laterally said one end of the magnetic tunnel junction to a second selection transistor, and in that said first and second strap portions being adapted for passing a portion of current via the first and second selection transistors. The disclosed cell has lower power consumption than conventional MRAM cells.

Active strap magnetic random access memory cells configured to perform thermally-assisted writing

A method for writing a magnetic random access memory-based ternary content addressable memory cell comprising a first magnetic tunnel junction being formed from a storage layer, a sense layer having a magnetization direction adjustable relative to the magnetization of the storage layer, and an insulating layer between the storage and sense layers; a sense line coupled with the storage layer; a first field line and a second field line, and the first field line being orthogonal to the second field line; comprising: providing a first write data to said storage layer via the second field line to store a first stored data with a high or low logic state; characterized in that, the method further comprises providing the first write data to said storage layer via the first field line to store the first stored data with a masked logic state.

Ternary Content Addressable Magnetoresistive random access memory cell

The present disclosure concerns a magnetic random access memory-based ternary content addressable memory cell, comprising a first and second magnetic tunnel junction respectively connected to a first and second straps extending on each side of the first and second magnetic tunnel junctions, respectively; a first and second selection transistors, respectively connected to one extremity of the first and second straps; a first and second current lines; and a conductive line electrically connecting in series the first and second magnetic tunnel junctions at their ends opposed to the ones connecting the first and second straps. The cell disclosed herein has smaller size and can be advantageously used in memory devices having a high cell density array.

Ultimate magnetic random access memory-based ternary cam

Magnetic random access memory (MRAM) cell with a thermally assisted switching writing procedure and methods for manufacturing and using same. The MRAM cell includes a magnetic tunnel junction that has at least a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer, and an insulating layer disposed between the first and a second magnetic layers. The MRAM cell further includes a select transistor and a current line electrically connected to the junction. The current line advantageously can support a plurality of MRAM operational functions. The current line can fulfill a first function for passing a first portion of current for heating the junction and a second function for passing a second portion of current in order to switch the magnetization of the first magnetic layer.

System and method for writing data to magnetoresistive random access memory cells

A memory unit with one field line; at least two thermally-assisted switching magnetic tunnel junction-based magnetic random access memory cells, each cell comprising a magnetic tunnel junction having an insulating layer disposed between a magnetic storage layer and a magnetic reference layer; wherein a selection transistor is connected to the magnetic tunnel junction; the one field line is used for passing a field current for switching a magnetization of the storage layer of the magnetic tunnel junctions of the cells. A magnetic memory device can be formed by assembling an array of the memory units, wherein at least two adjacent magnetic tunnel junctions of the cells can be addressed simultaneously by the field line. The memory unit and magnetic memory device have a reduced surface area. Magnetic memory devices with an increased density of memory units can be fabricated resulting in lower die fabrication cost and lower power consumption.

Growing community of inventors

Grenoble, France

Virgile Javerliac