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. 05, 2000
Filed:
Sep. 15, 1999
Takaki Kohno, Tokyo, JP;
NEC Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A semiconductor memory device comprises matrix memory cell banks, a reference cell bank device, and a sense circuit. The matrix memory cell banks and the reference cell bank device have deputy bit lines which are implemented by embedded diffused layers, respectively. Each of the matrix memory cell banks comprises a first set of memory cells. The first set of memory cells are for holding data. The reference cell bank device comprises a predetermined number of reference cell banks which are directly connected. Each of the reference cell banks comprises a second set of reference cells. The reference cells are for holding reference voltages. The sense circuit receives data voltages which are read out from the matrix memory cell banks and the reference voltages from the reference cell bank device to determine levels of the data voltages by comparing the data voltages with the reference voltages.