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:
Aug. 04, 1998
Filed:
Oct. 24, 1996
Applicant:
Inventor:
Christophe J Chevallier, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Assignee:
Micron Quantum Devices, Inc., Santa Clara, CA (US);
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G11C / ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
36518503 ; 365208 ; 365168 ;
Abstract
An apparatus determining the state of a multistate memory cell. The apparatus includes three sense amplifiers, each with an associated reference cell which produces a reference voltage for input to each of the sense amplifiers. The apparatus includes circuitry which allows the reference cell currents to be varied to produce the reference voltages or pairs of reference voltages needed to accurately determine the threshold voltage and hence state of a programmed or erased memory cell.