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:
Feb. 01, 2000
Filed:
Jan. 28, 1999
Kazuhiko Miki, Yokohama, JP;
Hideo Sakai, Yokohama, JP;
Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Kawasaki, JP;
Abstract
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory of this invention includes a data storage read cell in which the threshold is set to turn on/off the read cell in accordance with storage data upon selection, a reference cell in which the threshold is set to turn on the reference cell upon selection, and a flip-flop type amplifier for reading out whether the read cell is an ON or OFF cell. In this nonvolatile semiconductor memory, whether the read cell is an ON or OFF cell is read out by comparing changes in bit line voltages of the read and reference cells using the flip-flop type sense amplifier by a method of performing precharge and then discharge. At this time, a word line connected to the read cell is set to a selected state in synchronism with the start of precharge, and a word line connected to the reference cell is set to a selected state in synchronism with the end of precharge.