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:
Dec. 22, 1998
Filed:
Feb. 18, 1997
Lee E Cleveland, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Yuan Tang, San Jose, CA (US);
Jonathan Su, Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Chi Chang, Redwood City, CA (US);
Chung K Chang, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Abstract
A timing apparatus for monitoring when a memory array in a non-volatile storage device needs to be refreshed includes a programmable semiconductor device and detecting means for detecting when the amount of charge on the programmable semiconductor device has diminished to at most a threshold amount. In one embodiment, the programmable semiconductor device is a floating gate transistor programmed by adding charge to the floating gate. The detecting means monitors the I.sub.DS current of the transistor and determines an array refresh time when more than a negligible amount of I.sub.DS current is detected.