The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Date of Patent:
Nov. 10, 2020

Filed:

Jun. 06, 2019
Applicant:

Micron Technology, Inc., Boise, ID (US);

Inventors:

Kristen M. Hopper, Boise, ID (US);

Debra M. Bell, Boise, ID (US);

Aaron P. Boehm, Boise, ID (US);

Assignee:

Micron Technology, Inc., Boise, ID (US);

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G11C 5/14 (2006.01); G11C 11/22 (2006.01); G11C 11/4074 (2006.01); G06F 11/34 (2006.01); G06F 11/30 (2006.01); G11C 11/4076 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G11C 11/2297 (2013.01); G06F 11/3037 (2013.01); G06F 11/3058 (2013.01); G06F 11/3065 (2013.01); G06F 11/3495 (2013.01); G11C 11/221 (2013.01); G11C 11/2293 (2013.01); G11C 11/4074 (2013.01); G11C 11/4076 (2013.01);
Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for a current monitor for a memory device are described. A memory device may monitor potential degradation of memory cells on the device by monitoring the amount of current drawn by one or more memory cells. As the memory cells degrade, the current supplied to the memory cells may change (e.g., increase due to additional leakage current. The memory device may indirectly monitor changes in the current supplied to the memory cells by monitoring a voltage of a node of a transistor that controls the amount of current supplied to the array of memory cells. The voltage at the control node may be compared to a reference voltage to determine whether the two voltages differ by a threshold amount, indicating that the memory cells are drawing more current. The memory device may output a status indicator when the voltages differ, for example, by the threshold amount.


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