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:
May. 26, 2009
Filed:
May. 07, 2007
Min-chuan Wang, Taichung, TW;
Ching-sheng Lin, Tainan County, TW;
Chia-pao Chang, Taipei County, TW;
Keng-li Su, Hsinchu, TW;
Min-Chuan Wang, Taichung, TW;
Ching-Sheng Lin, Tainan County, TW;
Chia-Pao Chang, Taipei County, TW;
Keng-Li Su, Hsinchu, TW;
Industrial Technology Research Institute, Hsinchu, TW;
Abstract
The invention provides a multi-state sense amplifier, coupled to at least one memory cell and a plurality of reference cells. The source follower, coupled between a first node and the output terminal of the memory cell, clamps the voltage drop across the memory cell to generate a memory cell current flowing through the first node. The source follower circuit, coupled between a plurality of second nodes and the output terminals of the reference cells, clamps the voltage drops across the reference cells to generate a plurality of reference currents respectively flowing through the second nodes. The current mirror circuit, coupled to the first node and the second nodes, duplicates the memory cell current of the first node to affect the reference currents on the second nodes, thereby generating a memory cell voltage on the first node and a plurality of reference voltages on the second nodes.