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:
Mar. 30, 1999
Filed:
May. 06, 1997
Applicant:
Inventors:
Mathieu Lisart, Aix En Provence, FR;
Laurent Sourgen, Aix En Provence, FR;
Assignee:
SGS-Thomson Microelectronics S.A., Saint Genis, FR;
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G11C / ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
365226 ; 36518901 ;
Abstract
To form a ramp signal for the programming of a memory cell without losing excess voltage in a control circuit, the output of a voltage pull-up circuit is connected to the programming input using a P type transistor. It is shown that this P type transistor then charges the memory array at constant current, prompting a linear increase of the voltage. This results in preventing the memory cell that is to be programmed from being subjected to excessively sudden variations of voltage. It is shown that by acting in this way, the integrated circuit can be made to work even with very low voltages.