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.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 17, 1988
Filed:
Jun. 09, 1986
Samir M Laymoun, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Roger V Rufford, Redwood City, CA (US);
Other;
Abstract
An improved memory cell circuit in which the collector of the 'ON' transistor is clamped to a variable voltage level to prevent saturation. Saturation is prevented by providing a mechanism for limiting the voltage between a first node in the word line circuit and the collector of the conducting transistor to a first level, while limiting the voltage between the first node and the collector of the nonconducting transistor to a second, lower level. In one embodiment, clamping transistors have their emitters coupled to the collectors of the memory cell transistors and their bases coupled to the word line. A common resistor couples the load resistors of a plurality of memory cells to the word line. In a second embodiment, the common resistor couples the bases of the clamping transistors to an intermediate node in a Darlington driver for the word line.