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. 29, 2000
Filed:
Nov. 02, 1998
Gary F Derbenwick, Colorado Springs, CO (US);
David A Kamp, Monument, CO (US);
Michael Cordoba, Colorado Springs, CO (US);
George B Coombe, Colorado Springs, CO (US);
Celis Semiconductor Corporation, Colorado Springs, CO (US);
Abstract
A ferroelectric integrated circuit memory includes a memory cell having a ferroelectric capacitor, one electrode of which is connected to a bit line through a transistor, and the other electrode of which is connected to a plate line. The bit line is also connected to system ground through a precharge transistor. In a read cycle, the precharge transistor remains on after the word line goes high connecting the capacitor to the bit line. At least a portion of the linear displacement current that flows to the bit line is drained off to ground via the precharge transistor, thereby increasing the switching voltage across the ferroelectric capacitor. The precharge transistor is turned off before or during the switching of the ferroelectric capacitor. The signal applied to the gate of the precharge transistor is boosted above the supply voltage of the memory to shorten the cycle time.