阅读说明：本技术 用于读出放大器的浮置升压预充电方案 (Floating boost precharge scheme for sense amplifiers ) 是由 A·康特 L·基亚拉蒙特 A·R·M·里帕尼 于 2019-08-15 设计创作，主要内容包括：本公开的实施例涉及用于读出放大器的浮置升压预充电方案。一种感测结构包括：读出放大器核,其被配置为将测量电流与参考电流进行比较；共源共栅晶体管,其耦合到读出放大器核并且被配置为耦合到负载；开关,其耦合在共源共栅晶体管的偏置电压节点和控制端子之间；本地电容器,其具有耦合到共源共栅晶体管的控制端子的第一端子；第一晶体管,其耦合在本地电容器的第二端子和参考端子之间；以及控制电路,其耦合到第一晶体管的控制端子,该控制电路被配置为将本地电容器与参考端子断开以在共源共栅晶体管的控制端子中产生电压过冲,并且在将本地电容器与参考端子断开之后,通过调整第一晶体管的控制端子的电压来限制或减少电压过冲。(Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a floating boost precharge scheme for a sense amplifier. A sensing structure comprising: a sense amplifier core configured to compare the measurement current to a reference current; a cascode transistor coupled to the sense amplifier core and configured to be coupled to a load; a switch coupled between a bias voltage node and a control terminal of the cascode transistor; a local capacitor having a first terminal coupled to the control terminal of the cascode transistor; a first transistor coupled between the second terminal of the local capacitor and a reference terminal; and a control circuit coupled to the control terminal of the first transistor, the control circuit configured to disconnect the local capacitor from the reference terminal to produce a voltage overshoot in the control terminal of the cascode transistor, and to limit or reduce the voltage overshoot by adjusting a voltage of the control terminal of the first transistor after disconnecting the local capacitor from the reference terminal.)

1. A sensing structure, comprising:

a sense amplifier core configured to compare the measurement current to a reference current;

a cascode transistor coupled to the sense amplifier core and configured to be coupled to a load;

a switch coupled between a bias voltage node and a control terminal of the cascode transistor;

a local capacitor having a first terminal coupled to the control terminal of the cascode transistor;

a first transistor coupled between the second terminal of the local capacitor and a reference terminal; and

a control circuit coupled to a control terminal of the first transistor, the control circuit configured to disconnect the local capacitor from the reference terminal to produce a voltage overshoot in the control terminal of the cascode transistor, and to limit or reduce the voltage overshoot by adjusting a voltage of the control terminal of the first transistor after disconnecting the local capacitor from the reference terminal.

2. The sensing architecture of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to adjust the voltage of the control terminal of the first transistor based on a voltage across the switch.

3. The sensing structure of claim 1, wherein the control circuit comprises:

a second transistor coupled between the second terminal of the local capacitor and the reference terminal;

a third transistor coupled between the control terminal of the first transistor and the reference terminal; and

a first terminal configured to receive a first voltage, wherein the first terminal is coupled to a control terminal of the second transistor and to a control terminal of the third transistor.

4. The sensing structure of claim 3, wherein the control circuit further comprises:

a fourth transistor having a control terminal coupled to the control terminal of the first transistor;

a fifth transistor coupled between a power supply terminal of the control circuit and the fourth transistor, the fifth transistor having a control terminal coupled to the bias voltage node; and

a sixth transistor coupled between the power supply terminal of the control circuit and the fourth transistor, the sixth transistor having a control terminal coupled to the control terminal of the cascode transistor.

5. The sensing structure of claim 4, wherein the control circuit further comprises:

a seventh transistor coupled between the power supply terminal of the control circuit and the fifth transistor, the seventh transistor having a control terminal coupled to the first terminal; and

an eighth transistor coupled between the power supply terminal of the control circuit and the sixth transistor, the eighth transistor having a control terminal coupled to the first terminal.

6. The sensing architecture of claim 5, wherein the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth transistors are NMOS transistors, and wherein the seventh and eighth transistors are PMOS transistors.

7. The sensing architecture of claim 5, wherein the control circuit further comprises a ninth transistor coupled between the power supply terminal of the control circuit and the fifth transistor, the ninth transistor having a control terminal configured to receive a second bias voltage, and wherein the sense amplifier core is configured to receive the second bias voltage.

8. The sensing structure of claim 5, wherein the control terminal of the fourth transistor is coupled to a drain terminal of the fifth transistor.

9. The sensing structure of claim 1, further comprising:

a second switch coupled between a power supply terminal of the sensing structure and the cascode transistor; and

a third switch coupled between the second switch and the sense amplifier core.

10. The sensing architecture of claim 1, further comprising a bias stage configured to generate a bias voltage at the bias voltage node, wherein the bias stage comprises:

an amplifier having an output coupled to the output of the bias stage;

a common capacitor coupled to the output of the biasing stage; and

a tenth transistor having a control terminal coupled to the output of the biasing stage.

11. The sensing architecture of claim 1, wherein the cascode transistor is configured to be coupled to a memory cell as the load.

12. A non-volatile memory, comprising:

a plurality of memory cells arranged in rows and columns;

a row decoder coupled to the plurality of memory cells via a plurality of word lines;

a column decoder coupled to the plurality of memory cells via a plurality of bit lines;

a bias stage configured to generate a bias voltage; and

a plurality of sense amplifiers, wherein each sense amplifier comprises:

a sense amplifier core configured to compare the measurement current to a reference current;

a cascode transistor coupled between the sense amplifier core and one of the plurality of bit lines;

a switch coupled between an output of the biasing stage and a control terminal of the cascode transistor;

a local capacitor having a first terminal coupled to the control terminal of the cascode transistor;

a first transistor coupled between the second terminal of the local capacitor and a reference terminal; and

a control circuit coupled to a control terminal of the first transistor, the control circuit configured to: disconnecting the local capacitor from the reference terminal to produce a voltage overshoot in the control terminal of the cascode transistor; and limiting or reducing the voltage overshoot by adjusting a voltage of the control terminal of the first transistor after disconnecting the local capacitor from the reference terminal.

13. The non-volatile memory of claim 12, further comprising a controller configured to:

receiving a read request;

opening the switch in response to the read request; and

causing the control circuit to disconnect the local capacitor from the reference terminal in response to the read request.

14. The non-volatile memory of claim 13, wherein the controller causes the control circuit to disconnect the local capacitor from the reference terminal while opening the switch.

15. The non-volatile memory of claim 13, wherein each sense amplifier further comprises:

a second switch coupled between a power supply terminal of the sense amplifier and the cascode transistor; and

a third switch coupled between the second switch and the sense amplifier core, and wherein the controller is further configured to close the second switch when the switch is opened.

16. The non-volatile memory as in claim 12, wherein the bias stage comprises:

an amplifier having an output coupled to the output of the bias stage;

a common capacitor coupled to the output of the biasing stage; and

a tenth transistor having a control terminal coupled to the output of the biasing stage.

17. The non-volatile memory of claim 12, wherein each memory cell of the plurality of memory cells comprises a floating gate transistor.

18. A method of reading non-volatile memory, the method comprising:

generating a bias voltage at a bias terminal;

during the pre-charge phase, the first phase is,

disconnecting a control terminal of a cascode transistor from the bias terminal, the cascode transistor coupled between a sense amplifier core and a bit line of the non-volatile memory;

disconnecting a local capacitor coupled to the control terminal of the cascode transistor from a reference terminal; and

limiting or reducing voltage overshoot at the control terminal of the cascode transistor by adjusting a voltage of a control terminal of a first transistor coupled between the local capacitor and the reference terminal after disconnecting the local capacitor from the reference terminal.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein disconnecting the control terminal of the cascode transistor from the bias terminal comprises: opening a first switch coupled between the bias terminal and a control terminal of the cascode transistor, the method further comprising:

receiving a read request; and

in response to the read request, the read request is transmitted,

opening the first switch;

closing a second switch coupled between a power supply terminal and the cascode transistor; and

closing a third switch coupled between the cascode transistor and the bit line.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein adjusting the voltage of the control terminal of the first transistor comprises: adjusting the voltage of the control terminal of the first transistor based on a voltage across the first switch.

Technical Field

The present invention relates generally to an electronic system and method, and in particular embodiments, to a floating boost precharge scheme for a sense amplifier.

Background

In memory devices, such as non-volatile memory (NVM) devices, sense amplifiers are typically used to determine (read) the state (e.g., 0 or 1) of a cell by measuring the current associated with the memory cell. Typically, a sense amplifier compares a current associated with a memory cell to a reference current. Such a current may be of the order of a few pA. Typically, a memory device reads (in parallel) words formed of logic values stored in a selected page of memory cells (e.g., containing 64 to 256 memory cells) simultaneously by using multiple sense amplifiers. Typically, a memory device includes sense amplifiers for each memory cell (e.g., word or page) to be read simultaneously.

During a read operation, the sense amplifier typically has its terminals held to receive the measurement current and the reference current at a predetermined read voltage. For example, in a non-volatile memory device including memory cells implemented with their floating gate Metal Oxide Semiconductor (MOS) transistors, a read voltage is used to bias selected memory cells for reading so that their MOS transistors are conductive or non-conductive according to a stored logic value.

In many applications of sense amplifiers precise control of the sense voltage is required. For example, in a non-volatile memory device, the sense voltage should be maintained at a certain value in order to be able to correctly distinguish the logic value stored in the selected memory cell without altering the state of the memory cell (i.e., without overwriting the memory cell). This may be particularly important when the value of the sense voltage is relatively low (e.g., < 1-2V).

To this end, the sense amplifier is typically equipped with a voltage regulator for regulating the sense voltage to limit possible variations from its desired value. A typical implementation of such a voltage regulator is to have transistors (for example, MOS type transistors) in a cascode configuration. Since the cascode driver is a low impedance driver, this structure allows the terminals of the sense amplifier to be preloaded to the sense voltage in a relatively fast manner during the precharge phase. The cascode structure also allows for efficient separation of the bit lines from the core of the sense amplifier, which allows for proper operation even when the sense amplifier is coupled to a load having a high capacitance, such as a column of memory cells in a non-volatile memory device. In particular, in a cascode configuration with fixed control (e.g., a gate-type cascode configuration), the sense voltage is regulated by controlling the transistors of the voltage regulator with a bias voltage of a constant value (provided by a bias stage common to all sense amplifiers).

Disclosure of Invention

According to an embodiment, a sensing structure includes: a sense amplifier core configured to compare the measurement current to a reference current; a cascode transistor coupled to the sense amplifier core and configured to be coupled to a load; a switch coupled between a bias voltage node and a control terminal of the cascode transistor; a local capacitor having a first terminal coupled to the control terminal of the cascode transistor; a first transistor coupled between the second terminal of the local capacitor and a reference terminal;

and a control circuit coupled to the control terminal of the first transistor, the control circuit configured to disconnect the local capacitor from the reference terminal to produce a voltage overshoot in the control terminal of the cascode transistor, and to limit or reduce the voltage overshoot by adjusting a voltage of the control terminal of the first transistor after disconnecting the local capacitor from the reference terminal.

According to an embodiment, a non-volatile memory includes a plurality of memory cells arranged in rows and columns; a row decoder coupled to a plurality of memory cells via a plurality of word lines; a column decoder coupled to a plurality of memory cells via a plurality of bit lines; a bias stage configured to generate a bias voltage; and a plurality of sense amplifiers, wherein each sense amplifier includes a sense amplifier core configured to compare the measured current to a reference current; a cascode transistor coupled between the sense amplifier core and one of the plurality of bit lines; a switch coupled between an output of the biasing stage and a control terminal of the cascode transistor; a local capacitor having a first terminal coupled to the control terminal of the cascode transistor; a first transistor coupled between the second terminal of the local capacitor and a reference terminal; and a control circuit coupled to the control terminal of the first transistor, the control circuit configured to disconnect the local capacitor from the reference terminal to produce a voltage overshoot in the control terminal of the cascode transistor; and limiting or reducing the voltage overshoot by adjusting the voltage of the control terminal of the first transistor after disconnecting the local capacitor from the reference terminal.

According to an embodiment, a method of reading a non-volatile memory includes: generating a bias voltage at a bias terminal; disconnecting a control terminal of a cascode transistor from a bias terminal during a precharge phase, the cascode transistor coupled between a sense amplifier core and a bit line of a non-volatile memory; disconnecting a local capacitor coupled to a control terminal of the cascode transistor from the reference terminal; and after disconnecting the local capacitor from the reference terminal, limiting or reducing a voltage overshoot at the control terminal of the cascode transistor by adjusting a voltage of the control terminal of the first transistor coupled between the local capacitor and the reference terminal.

Drawings

For a more complete understanding of the present invention and the advantages thereof, reference is now made to the following descriptions taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an NVM according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a sensing structure of the NVM of FIG. 1, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows a detail of the sensing structure of FIG. 2, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows a timing diagram illustrating signals associated with the sense structures of FIGS. 2 and 3 during a read operation in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 shows details of the sense control circuit of FIG. 3 according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 shows a timing diagram illustrating signals associated with the sense control circuit of FIG. 5 during a read operation in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 illustrates waveforms of the NVM of FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 8 illustrates an embodiment method of reading a memory cell according to an embodiment of the invention.

Corresponding numerals and symbols in the various drawings generally refer to corresponding parts unless otherwise indicated. The drawings are drawn to clearly illustrate the relevant aspects of the preferred embodiments and are not necessarily drawn to scale. To more clearly illustrate certain embodiments, letters indicating changes in the same structure, material, or process steps may be followed by reference numerals.

Detailed Description

The making and using of the presently preferred embodiments are discussed in detail below. It should be appreciated, however, that the present invention provides many applicable inventive concepts that can be embodied in a wide variety of specific contexts. The specific embodiments discussed are merely illustrative of specific ways to make and use the invention, and do not limit the scope of the invention.

The following description illustrates various specific details to provide a thorough understanding of several example embodiments according to the present description. Embodiments may be obtained without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, etc. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring aspects of the embodiments. Reference in the specification to "an embodiment" means that a particular configuration, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, phrases such as "in one embodiment" that may be present at various points in the specification do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

The invention is described in conjunction with embodiments in the specific context of an NVM device having one or more sense amplifiers. Embodiments of the present invention may be used in other types of memory. Some embodiments may be used in devices other than memory devices, which benefit from the use of sense amplifiers.

Embedded non-volatile memory (eNVM) technology is shrinking. The reduced cell size is generally associated with a reduction in the reference current used to sense the state (e.g., 0 or 1) of the NVM cell. Reduced cell size is also associated with low gain. The low measurement current and low cell gain make it difficult to distinguish the state (e.g., 0 or 1) of the NVM cell. Increasing the accuracy of the reference current helps the sense amplifier determine the state (e.g., 0 or 1) of the NVM cell.

For example, reduced cell size is also associated with increased cell degradation due to cell cycling (i.e., programming and erasing of the cells). For example, the voltage at the control terminal of the memory device transistor should be limited to a predetermined level to avoid transistor damage or degradation.

Meanwhile, demands for low read current consumption and high read speed (low access time) are increasing.

Read speed can be increased by controlling the cascode transistors using a closed loop scheme, where the feedback loop includes an inverter operating in the linear region. Operating the inverter in the linear region causes the inverter to dissipate current (e.g., from Vdd, through the high-side transistor, through the low-side transistor, to ground) that is not used to precharge the bit line.

Current consumption may be reduced by operating the cascode transistors in an open loop, such as described in U.S. patent No. 9,679,618, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. However, known closed loop systems tend to be faster than known open loop systems because the closed loop system can cause a controlled overshoot at the gates of the cascode transistors coupled to the bit lines to be precharged.

In embodiments of the present invention, the NVM increases read speed by reducing the precharge phase time while maintaining low power consumption. The precharge phase time is reduced by causing an overshoot in the gate of the cascode transistor, which increases the charging speed of the bit line to be precharged. In some embodiments, the overshoot is controlled in a closed loop without using an inverter operating in the linear region.

FIG. 1 illustrates an NVM100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The NVM100 may be embedded in, for example, a microcontroller or processor, a security device or other secure element, an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) circuit, a memory device, or any other device or apparatus having integrated memory.

NVM100 includes a memory plane 102, a column decoder 104, a row decoder 106, a read/write (R/W) unit 108, an input/output (I/O) buffer 110, and a controller 112. The memory plane 102 includes a plurality of memory cells 114 arranged in rows and columns. The memory cells 114 of each row are coupled to the same word line (not shown). The memory cells 114 of each column are coupled to the same bit line (not shown). Each memory cell 114 may have a different state, such as a state represented by a logical value (i.e., 0 or 1).

During normal operation, controller 112 sends addresses and instructions (e.g., read or write) to row decoder 106 and column decoder 104. Row decoder 106 and column decoder 104 bias word lines and bit lines to select the memory cell 114 associated with the address.

For a write operation, the data to be written is received by the I/O buffer and transferred to R/W unit 108. Column decoder 104 configures memory plane 102 to program selected memory cells 114 by altering the values of unselected memory cells 114 to reflect the logic values of the data receivers from I/O buffer 110.

For a read operation, column decoder 104 configures the memory plane to read the logic value of selected memory cell 114 using sense amplifiers (not shown) in R/W unit 108. The read data is then transferred to the I/O buffer 110.

The memory cell 114 may be, for example, a floating gate MOS transistor. Other memory cell types may be used. For example, the memory cell 114 may be a Phase Change Memory (PCM) type, a Resistive Random Access Memory (RRAM) type, or a Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory (MRAM) type. One Time Programmable (OTP) cells may also be used.

R/W unit 108 includes circuitry for reading and writing to memory cells 114. For example, R/W cell 108 includes a sensing structure (not shown) that includes one or more sense amplifiers configured to determine the contents of memory cell 114. The sensing structure is configured to read one or more bits (e.g., words, such as 8-bit, 16-bit, or 32-bit words) at a time.

Row decoder 106, column decoder 104, and I/O buffer 110 may be implemented in any manner known in the art. For example, in some embodiments, row decoder 106, column decoder 104, and I/O buffer 110 may be implemented using digital technology in a known manner.

The controller 112 is configured to control the NVM100 using a plurality of control signals 116 to perform, for example, a read operation or a write operation. The controller 112 may be implemented in any manner known in the art. For example, the controller 112 may be implemented using a state machine or other digital circuitry.

Read operations typically involve a precharge phase and a read (sense) phase. With reference to fig. 2-7, details of the structures and methods associated with performing a read operation on the NVM100 are described.

FIG. 2 shows a sensing structure 200 according to an embodiment of the invention. The sensing structure 200 is internal to the R/W cell 108 and includes n sense amplifiers 202, a bias stage 204, and a tuning capacitor 206. In some embodiments, the sensing structure 200 includes 8 (i.e., n-8) sense amplifiers 202. A different number of sense amplifiers (such as 16, 32, 38, 64, etc.) may be used.

During a read operation, the word line WL is used_iA group of memory cells 114 to be read is selected. During the precharge phase, the bit line BL associated with the selected memory cell 114 is biased to a read voltage. In some embodiments, the read voltage is between 1V and 2V. Can be used forOther read voltages are used.

After the precharge phase, and after the voltage of the bit line BL associated with the selected memory cell 114 has stabilized to the read voltage, the sense amplifier 202 compares the corresponding current Im with the corresponding reference current Iref to determine the state of the selected memory cell 114. The respective sense amplifier 202 generates a respective output Vout based on the state of the selected respective memory cell 114. For example, in some embodiments, memory cell 114 exhibits little or no measurement current Im (Im) when biased with a read voltage and storing a first logic value (e.g., 0 or 1)_low) And exhibits a higher measurement current Im (Im) when biased with a read voltage and storing a second logic value (e.g., 1 or 0)_high). By comparing the measured current Im to the reference current Iref, the sense amplifier 202 determines the logic value stored in the selected memory cell 114. In some embodiments, the reference current Iref is typically about

The biasing stage 204 is configured to generate a voltage V_biasAnd apply a voltage V_biasTo all sense amplifiers 202. In some embodiments, the bias stage 204 generates a voltage V_biasThe voltage is greater than the supply voltage Vdd. The bias stage 204 may generate the boosted voltage by using, for example, a charge pump (not shown). Other embodiments may generate voltage V_biasThe voltage thereof is equal to or less than the power supply voltage Vdd.

As shown in fig. 2, the adjustment capacitor 206 is common to all of the sense amplifiers 202. Capacitor 206 is configured to regulate voltage V_biasAnd filtering noise. Influencing voltage V_biasMay for example be caused by one or more of the measurement currents Im.

The precharge phase typically takes a significant amount of time of the total access time. Therefore, reducing the time to precharge the bit line BL associated with the selected memory cell 114 advantageously increases the read speed of the memory cell 114.

In an embodiment, the pre-charge time is reduced by causing a controlled overshoot in the gate of the cascode transistor. The overshoot is controlled by using a sensing control circuit that adjusts the voltage of the gate of the first transistor coupled between a local capacitor and ground, wherein the local capacitor is connected to the gate of the cascode transistor. In some embodiments, the sensing control circuit controls the voltage of the first transistor based on a difference between the voltage at the gate of the cascode transistor and the bias voltage.

FIG. 3 shows details of a sensing structure 200 according to an embodiment of the invention. For clarity, FIG. 3 shows a single sense amplifier 202. FIG. 4 shows a timing diagram illustrating signals associated with the sense structure 200 during a read operation according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 3 can be understood from fig. 4.

As shown in fig. 3, the bias stage 204 includes an amplifier 308, a transistor 310, and a current source 312. Sense amplifier 202 includes a sense amplifier core 328, a sense control circuit 314, transistors 322 and 324, a local capacitor 326, and switches 318 and 320.

When the NVM100 is not performing a read or write operation, the switch 316 is closed (i.e., conductive), the switches 318, 320, and 330 are open (i.e., non-conductive), and the transistor 324 is turned on (i.e., conductive), as shown in fig. 4. In this state, the voltage V_biasIs applied to the gate terminal of transistor 322 and the voltage across the terminals of capacitor 326 is equal to the voltage V_bias。

At the beginning of the precharge phase, switch 316 is opened, switches 318 and 330 are closed, and transistor 324 is opened, as shown in fig. 4. At this time, it is charged to a voltage V_biasCapacitor 326 is no longer connected to ground. As a result, current flows through switch 318 and transistor 322, and voltage V_cascodeBegins to overshoot beyond voltage V with the aid of the gate-source capacitance of transistor 322 (not shown)_bias. Voltage V_cascodeThe overshoot of (d) causes transistor 322 to turn on faster than without the overshoot.

If no overshoot limiting mechanism is used, the voltage V_cascodeCan reach a value equal to Vdd ═ V_biasThe voltage of (c). During the precharge phase, the sense control circuit 314 monitors the voltage across the switch 316 and controls the gate of the transistor 324 to limit the voltage V_cascodeOvershoot of (3). For example, in some embodiments, the voltage V324 follows V_cascodeAnd V_biasThe difference between them increases. As a result, capacitor 326 is never connected to ground to transition from resistive to ground as shown in fig. 4. At the end of the precharge phase, transistor 324 is fully turned on, capacitor 326 is connected between the gate of transistor 322 and ground, and switch 316 is closed, as shown in fig. 4. In some embodiments, the capacitor 324 may be connected to ground using a different transistor (not shown) instead of or in addition to fully turning on the transistor 324.

At the beginning of the read phase, and on the bit line BL_jAfter the read voltage VBL is reached, switch 318 is opened and switch 320 is closed, as shown in FIG. 4. At this time, the sense amplifier core 328 is connected to the memory cell 114. During the read phase, the sense amplifier core 328 measures the measurement current Im (flowing through the switch 320, the transistor 322, and the switch 330) and compares it to the reference current Iref (not shown in fig. 3). The sense amplifier 328 generates an output Vout based on comparing the measured current Im with the reference current Iref.

As shown in FIG. 3, signal S controls switches 316, 318, and 320₃₁₆，S₃₁₈And S₃₂₀Generated by the controller 112. Signal S controlling switch 330₃₃₀Generated by column decoder 104. Switches 316, 318, 320, and 330 may be implemented in any manner known in the art. For example, switches 316, 318, 320, and 330 may be implemented with MOS transistors, such as NMOS and/or PMOS transistors.

The bias stage 204 generates a voltage V using an amplifier 308 and a transistor 310_bias. As shown, voltage V_biasIs applied to the gate of transistor 310 such that the voltage V_bias1Equal to VBL. Transistor 310 has similar characteristics as transistor 322 such that when V is_biasWhen applied to the transistor 322, electricity at the source of the transistor 322The voltage is equal to the voltage VBL.

As shown in fig. 3, the bias stage 204 receives a supply voltage Vdd. In some embodiments, the bias stage 204 receives a boosted voltage V that is higher than the supply voltage Vdd_boost. For example, the boost voltage Vdd may be generated by a charge pump. In some embodiments, the bias stage 204 may receive a supply voltage that is lower than Vdd.

Transistors 310, 322, and 324 are implemented as NMOS transistors. Those skilled in the art will recognize that other types of transistors, such as PMOS transistors, may also be used with appropriate modifications of the circuit.

Sense amplifier core 328 may be implemented in any manner known in the art. For example, some embodiments may use a differential amplifier to compare the measurement current Im with the reference current Iref and generate the output Vout. In some embodiments, the sense amplifier core 328 includes one or more latches. Other implementations are also possible.

The sensing control circuit 314 is configured to use the voltage V₃₂₄To control the transistor 324 to pass the enable voltage V_cascodeThe overshoot is also limited by the overshoot voltage to reduce the precharge time. In some embodiments, such as shown in fig. 3, the sense control circuit 314 controls the transistor 324 in a closed loop manner by monitoring the voltage across the switch 316. In other embodiments, the sense control circuit 314 generates the voltage V in an open loop manner₃₂₄Without monitoring the voltage across the switch 316. In an open-loop embodiment, the voltage V may be determined, for example, during a characterization phase (e.g., during manufacturing or testing of the memory device)₃₂₄The waveform of (2).

It should be understood that the voltage V shown in FIG. 4₃₂₄Are non-limiting examples of possible waveforms. Voltage V₃₂₄Different waveform shapes may be exhibited, such as, for example, a linear ramp.

FIG. 5 shows details of the sense control circuit 314 according to an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 6 shows a timing diagram illustrating signals associated with the sense control circuit 314 during a read operation in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 5 can be understood from fig. 6.

As shown in fig. 5, the sense control circuit 314 includes transistors 502, 504, 506, 508, 510, 512, 514, and 516, and terminals. The drain of transistor 508 is coupled to capacitor 326. The gates of transistors 510 and 512 are coupled across switch 316, respectively. The drain of transistor 514 is coupled to the gate of transistor 324. Terminal NEQ is coupled to the gates of transistors 504, 506, 508, and 514. Terminal BIASP is coupled to the gate of transistor 502.

During normal operation, the voltage V_BIASPIs held at the bias voltage. In some embodiments, the voltage V_BIASPAnd also to bias one or more transistors within the sense amplifier core 328.

Before the precharge phase begins, the voltage V_NEQIs high as shown in fig. 6. When the voltage V is_NEQWhen high, transistor 508 is turned on, connecting capacitor 326 to ground. When the voltage V is_NEQWhen high, transistor 514 is also turned on, thereby holding voltage V₃₂₄Low, this keeps transistor 324 off. Thus, capacitor 326 is charged to voltage V_cascode。

At the beginning of the precharge phase, switch 316 is opened and voltage V is applied_NEQTransition from high to low as shown in fig. 6. As a result, transistor 508 stops pulling capacitor 326 to ground and transistor 514 stops pulling the gate of transistor 324 to ground. Thus, node N₃₂₆Remaining floating. As a result, the voltage V_cascodeAn overshoot is started as shown in fig. 6.

Low voltage V_NEQTransistors 504 and 506 are also turned on. With voltage V_cascodeIncrease to above voltage V_biasTransistor 512 becomes more conductive and transistor 510 becomes less conductive. Thus, the current flowing through transistor 516 flows primarily through transistors 506 and 512. As a result, the voltage V applied to the gates of transistors 324 and 516₃₂₄And (4) increasing.

With voltage V₃₂₄Increasingly, transistor 324 becomes more conductive and pulls to ground node N₃₂₆Thereby reducing the voltage V_cascodeAs shown in fig. 6. In the pre-charging stageAt the end, voltage V_NEQTransitions from low to high to connect to the grounded capacitor 326 via transistor 508 and turns off transistors 504, 506 and 516 to prevent current flow through transistors 502, 504, 510, 512 and 516.

As shown in FIG. 6, in some embodiments, V_cascodeAbove V during the read phase_bias. During the read phase, V is due to charge sharing between the local capacitor 326 and the gate-source capacitance of the cascode transistor 322_cascodeIs kept higher than V_bias。

Advantages of some embodiments include increasing read speed while maintaining low power consumption. Additional advantages include not propagating noise associated with precharging the bit lines to voltage V by disconnecting the gates of the cascode transistors from the bias stage during the precharge phase_bias。

Fig. 7 shows waveforms of the NVM100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 7 also shows the waveforms of the open loop implementation described in U.S. patent No. 9,679,618, which does not use transistor 324 and control circuit 314 for comparison purposes. Curves 702 and 752 show voltage V in NVM100 and open loop implementations, respectively_cascode. Curves 704 and 754 show the voltage bitlines BL for the NVM100 and open-loop implementation, respectively_j. Curve 706 shows the voltage V of NVM100_NEQ. Curve 708 shows the voltage V of NVM100₃₂₄。

The voltage V of the NVM100 is shown by the curves 702 and 752_cascodeThan the voltage V of the open loop implementation disclosed in U.S. patent No. 9,679,618_cascodeThe overshoot of (a) is about 270mV higher (about 20% higher). Increasing the overshoot results in reducing the precharge time to 1.5ns in this example, which is about 2ns faster than the 3.5ns precharge time of the open loop implementation disclosed in U.S. patent No. 9,679,618.

FIG. 8 illustrates an embodiment method 800 of reading a memory cell according to an embodiment of the invention. The method 800 may be implemented, for example, by the NVM 100. The method 800 may also be implemented by other memory devices. The following description assumes that an NVM (such as NVM100) implements the method 800 of reading memory cells.

During step 802, an NVM, such as NVM100, generates a bias voltage. The bias voltage may be generated by a bias stage, such as bias stage 204. Other bias stage implementations may be used.

During step 804, the NVM receives an instruction to read one or more memory cells. For example, the instructions may be received by the controller 112.

During step 806, one or more memory cells are read. Step 806 includes a step 808 for precharging one or more selected bit lines associated with one or more memory cells to be read. Step 806 also includes step 810 for reading one or more memory cells. Although step 806 may be performed with respect to a single memory cell, it should be understood that multiple memory cells may be read simultaneously as described in steps 808 and 810.

Step 808 includes steps 812, 814, 816 and 818. During step 812, the control terminal of the cascode transistor (such as cascode transistor 322) is disconnected from the output of the bias stage. During step 814, a local capacitor, such as local capacitor 326, is disconnected from a reference terminal, such as a ground terminal. As a result, the control terminal of the cascode transistor is floating.

During step 816, a control circuit, such as control circuit 314, limits voltage overshoot in the control terminal of the cascode transistor. The voltage overshoot may be limited by adjusting a control terminal of a first transistor coupled between the local capacitor and the reference terminal. In some embodiments, the control circuit adjusts the control terminal of the first transistor based on the output of the bias stage and a voltage at the control terminal of the cascode transistor.

During step 818, the bit line associated with the memory cell to be read is charged to a read voltage. In some embodiments, the latency is fixed. In other embodiments, the voltage of the bit line is monitored (measured), and the latency is based on the measured voltage of the bit line, such as when dummy sensing is used to close the read window. After the bit lines are charged, the memory cells are read during step 810.

During step 820, the bit lines that are already at the read voltage are connected to a corresponding sense amplifier core, such as sense amplifier core 328. The sense amplifier core compares the measured current (such as the measured current Im flowing through the corresponding bit line) to a reference current (such as the reference current Iref) and determines the value stored in the corresponding memory cell based on the comparison during step 822.

Example embodiments of the present invention are summarized herein. Other embodiments may also be understood from the entire specification and claims submitted herein.

Example 1 a sensing structure includes a sense amplifier core configured to compare a measurement current to a reference current; a cascode transistor coupled to the sense amplifier core and configured to be coupled to a load; a switch coupled between a bias voltage node and a control terminal of the cascode transistor; a local capacitor having a first terminal coupled to the control terminal of the cascode transistor; a first transistor coupled between the second terminal of the local capacitor and a reference terminal; and a control circuit coupled to the control terminal of the first transistor, the control circuit configured to disconnect the local capacitor from the reference terminal to produce a voltage overshoot in the control terminal of the cascode transistor, and to limit or reduce the voltage overshoot by adjusting a voltage of the control terminal of the first transistor after disconnecting the local capacitor from the reference terminal.

Example 2 the sensing structure of example 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to adjust a voltage of the control terminal of the first transistor based on a voltage across the switch.

Example 3 the sensing architecture of one of examples 1 or 2, wherein the control circuit includes a second transistor coupled between the second terminal of the local capacitor and the reference terminal; a third transistor coupled between the control terminal and the reference terminal of the first transistor; and a first terminal configured to receive a first voltage, wherein the first terminal is coupled to a control terminal of the second transistor and to a control terminal of the third transistor.

Example 4 the sensing structure of one of examples 1 to 3, wherein the control circuit further includes a fourth transistor having a control terminal coupled to the control terminal of the first transistor; a fifth transistor coupled between the power supply terminal of the control circuit and the fourth transistor, the fifth transistor having a control terminal coupled to the bias voltage node; and a sixth transistor coupled between the power supply terminal of the control circuit and the fourth transistor, the sixth transistor having a control terminal coupled to the control terminal of the cascode transistor.

Example 5 the sensing structure of one of examples 1 to 4, wherein the control circuit further includes a seventh transistor coupled between the power supply terminal of the control circuit and the fifth transistor, the seventh transistor having a control terminal coupled to the first terminal; and an eighth transistor coupled between the power supply terminal of the control circuit and the sixth transistor, the eighth transistor having a control terminal coupled to the first terminal.

Example 6 the sensing structure of one of examples 1 to 5, wherein the first transistor, the second transistor, the third transistor, the fourth transistor, the fifth transistor, and the sixth transistor are NMOS transistors, and wherein the seventh transistor and the eighth transistor are PMOS transistors.

Example 7 the sensing architecture of one of examples 1 to 6, wherein the control circuit further includes a ninth transistor coupled between the power supply terminal of the control circuit and the fifth transistor, the ninth transistor having a control terminal configured to receive the second bias voltage and wherein the sense amplifier core is configured to receive the second bias voltage.

Example 8 the sensing structure of one of examples 1 to 7, wherein the control terminal of the fourth transistor is coupled to the drain terminal of the fifth transistor.

Example 9 the sensing structure of one of examples 1 to 8, further comprising a second switch coupled between the power supply terminal of the sensing structure and the cascode transistor; and a third switch coupled between the second switch and the sense amplifier core.

Example 10 the sensing architecture of one of examples 1 to 9, further comprising a bias stage configured to generate a bias voltage at a bias voltage node, wherein the bias stage comprises an amplifier having an output coupled to an output of the bias stage; a common capacitor coupled to an output of the bias stage; and a tenth transistor having a control terminal coupled to the output of the biasing stage.

Example 11 the sensing architecture of one of examples 1 to 10, wherein the cascode transistor is configured to be coupled to the memory cell as a load.