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:
Oct. 07, 2008
Filed:
Aug. 01, 2005
Applicant:
Yoshinobu Yamagami, Nagaokakyo, JP;
Inventor:
Yoshinobu Yamagami, Nagaokakyo, JP;
Assignee:
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Osaka, JP;
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G11C 5/14 (2006.01); G11C 11/413 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
Abstract
When a memory cell is inactive, a memory cell power supply voltage control circuit decreases the power supply voltage supplied to the memory cell down to a memory cell holding voltage, thereby reducing the leak current flowing in the memory cell. By reducing the leak current, it is possible to reduce the power consumption of a semiconductor memory device and to increase the operating speed thereof. Moreover, the threshold voltage of transistors in the memory cell is kept low, thereby improving the operating characteristics of the semiconductor memory device at low power supply voltages.