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:
Apr. 06, 2004
Filed:
Nov. 05, 2002
Ki Seog Kim, Ichon-Shi, KR;
Young Seon You, Sungnam-Shi, KR;
Won Yeol Choi, Seoul, KR;
Yoo Nam Jeon, Ichon-Shi, KR;
Hynix Semiconductor Inc., Ichon-Shi, KR;
Abstract
The present invention relates to a sensing circuit in a multi-level flash memory cell capable of exactly sensing a state of the multi-level flash memory cell by sensing four states of the multi-level flash memory cell based on first through third reference cells. The first reference cell has a threshold voltage by which a program or erase state of a floating gate can be determined in a state that a capacitor of the multi-level flash memory cell is discharged, a second reference cell has a threshold voltage by which a charge or discharge state of the capacitor can be determined with the floating gate of the multi-level flash memory cell being at a discharge state, and a third reference cell has a threshold voltage by which a charge or discharge state of the capacitor can be determined with the floating gate of the multi-level flash memory cell being at a program state.