Virtual ground sensing circuitry and related devices, systems, and methods for crosspoint ferroelectric memory
First Claim
1. A virtual ground sensing circuit, comprising:
- an operational amplifier comprising a non-inverting input, an inverting input, and an amplifier output;
a follower circuit including an n-MOS transistor and a p-MOS transistor, an input of the follower circuit including a gate of the n-MOS transistor operably coupled to a gate of the p-MOS transistor, and an output of the follower circuit including a source of the n-MOS transistor operably coupled to a source of the p-MOS transistor, the output of the follower circuit operably coupled to the inverting input of the operational amplifier;
a comparator configured to compare a sense node voltage at a drain of one of the n-MOS transistor and the p-MOS transistor to a reference voltage potential; and
another comparator configured to compare another sense node voltage at a drain of the other of the n-MOS transistor and the p-MOS transistor to another reference voltage potential.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A virtual ground sensing circuit includes a sense circuit configured to compare a reference voltage potential to a sense node voltage potential, and virtual ground circuitry operably coupled to the sense circuit. The virtual ground circuitry is configured to provide a virtual ground at a first bias voltage potential to a conductive line operably coupled to a selected ferroelectric memory cell, and discharge the conductive line to the sense node responsive to the selected ferroelectric memory cell changing from a first polarization state to a second polarization state. A method includes applying a second bias voltage potential to another conductive line operably coupled to the selected ferroelectric memory cell, and comparing a sense node voltage potential to a reference voltage potential. Electrical systems and computing devices include virtual ground sensing circuits.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A virtual ground sensing circuit, comprising:
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an operational amplifier comprising a non-inverting input, an inverting input, and an amplifier output; a follower circuit including an n-MOS transistor and a p-MOS transistor, an input of the follower circuit including a gate of the n-MOS transistor operably coupled to a gate of the p-MOS transistor, and an output of the follower circuit including a source of the n-MOS transistor operably coupled to a source of the p-MOS transistor, the output of the follower circuit operably coupled to the inverting input of the operational amplifier; a comparator configured to compare a sense node voltage at a drain of one of the n-MOS transistor and the p-MOS transistor to a reference voltage potential; and another comparator configured to compare another sense node voltage at a drain of the other of the n-MOS transistor and the p-MOS transistor to another reference voltage potential. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A virtual ground sensing circuit, comprising:
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an operational amplifier comprising a non-inverting input, an inverting input, and an amplifier output; a follower circuit including an n-MOS transistor and a p-MOS transistor, an input of the follower circuit including a gate of the n-MOS transistor operably coupled to a gate of the p-MOS transistor, and an output of the follower circuit including a source of the n-MOS transistor operably coupled to a source of the p-MOS transistor, the output of the follower circuit operably coupled to the inverting input of the operational amplifier; and a comparator configured to compare a sense node voltage at a drain of one of the n-MOS transistor and the p-MOS transistor to a reference voltage potential; wherein the drain of the one of the n-MOS transistor and the p-MOS transistor is operably coupled to a power supply voltage potential through a transistor configured to isolate the drain of the one of the n-MOS transistor and the p-MOS transistor from the power supply voltage potential during a sense operation. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A virtual ground sensing circuit, comprising:
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an operational amplifier comprising a non-inverting input, an inverting input, and an amplifier output; a follower circuit including an n-MOS transistor and a p-MOS transistor, an input of the follower circuit including a gate of the n-MOS transistor operably coupled to a gate of the p-MOS transistor, and an output of the follower circuit including a source of the n-MOS transistor operably coupled to a source of the p-MOS transistor, the output of the follower circuit operably coupled to the inverting input of the operational amplifier; a comparator configured to compare a sense node voltage at a drain of one of the n-MOS transistor and the p-MOS transistor to a reference voltage potential; and one or more other comparators configured to compare the sense node voltage to one or more other reference voltage potentials. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17)
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18. A virtual ground sensing circuit, comprising:
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an operational amplifier comprising a non-inverting input, an inverting input, and an amplifier output; a follower circuit including an n-MOS transistor and a p-MOS transistor, an input of the follower circuit including a gate of the n-MOS transistor operably coupled to a gate of the p-MOS transistor, and an output of the follower circuit including a source of the n-MOS transistor operably coupled to a source of the p-MOS transistor, the output of the follower circuit operably coupled to the inverting input of the operational amplifier; a comparator configured to compare a sense node voltage at a drain of one of the n-MOS transistor and the p-MOS transistor to a reference voltage potential; and a digital to analog converter (DAC) configured to provide the reference voltage potential to the comparator, wherein a multi-bit digital signal swept from a low digital value to a high digital value is applied to an input of the DAC during a sense operation. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification