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:
Jan. 30, 1990
Filed:
Sep. 30, 1988
Wen-Foo Chern, Boise, ID (US);
Ward D Parkinson, Boise, ID (US);
Zhitong Chen, Boise, ID (US);
Gary M Johnson, Boise, ID (US);
Tyler A Lowrey, Boise, ID (US);
Thomas M Trent, Boise, ID (US);
Micron Technology, Inc., Boise, ID (US);
Abstract
A pumpdown circuit uses voltage sensing to bring a low node to a potential of V.sub.SS +V.sub.T by first grounding the node and then floating the node to the V.sub.SS +V.sub.T potential. When a sensing node is at the V.sub.SS +V.sub.T potential, the sensing node is maintained at a level above ground by leakage current through a pump-up circuit. Biasing the digit and digit* lines to a potential V.sub.T above ground reduces current (amperage) requirement, because the digit and digit* lines do not have to be discharged completely to ground. The momentary discharge of the sense amp node to ground allows the sense amp to behave like a conventional sense amp during initial sensing, thereby allowing a minimum digit/digit* sensing potential to approximate ground plus V.sub.T.