Self-tracking sensing amplification circuit

• US 10,650,868 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2019
• Issued: 05/12/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ememory Technology Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ememory Technology Inc.
• Inventors: Hoang, Dung Le Tan, Hu, Hao-Chun, Huang, Po-Hao
• Primary Examiner(s): Bermudez Lozada, Alfredo
• Application Number:
  US16/281,099
• Publication Number:
  US 20190325923A1
• Time in Patent Office: 446 Days
• Field of Search: 36518521, 36518915, 365205, 365207
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 17/16 using electrically-fusible links
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 17/18 Auxiliary circuits, e.g. for writing into memory
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 5/147 Voltage reference generators, voltage or current regulators; Internally lowered supply levels; Compensation for voltage drops G11C5/141 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/065 Differential amplifiers of latching type
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/08 Control thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/12 Bit line control circuits, e.g. drivers, boosters, pull-up circuits, pull-down circuits, precharging circuits, equalising circuits, for bit lines
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/14 Dummy cell management; Sense reference voltage generators
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02107 Forming insulating materials on a substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02109 characterised by the type of layer, e.g. type of material, porous/non-porous, pre-cursors, mixtures or laminates
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02112 characterised by the material of the layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0217 the material being a silicon nitride not containing oxygen, e.g. SixNy or SixByNz H01L21/02126 and H01L21/0214 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/022 the layer being a laminate, i.e. composed of sublayers, e.g. stacks of alternating high-k metal oxides adhesion layers or buffer layers H01L21/02304, H01L21/02362
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02225 characterised by the process for the formation of the insulating layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02247 formation by nitridation, e.g. nitridation of the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/0226 formation by a deposition process per se C23C
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/28202 in a nitrogen-containing ambient, e.g. nitride deposition, growth, oxynitridation, NH3 nitridation, N2O oxidation, thermal nitridation, RTN, plasma nitridation, RPN
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/0603 characterised by particular constructional design considerations, e.g. for preventing surface leakage, for controlling electric field concentration or for internal isolations regions isolation regions between components H01L21/76; design considerations for integrated circuits H01L27/00; geometrical design considerations for devices H01L29/0657
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/0607 for preventing surface leakage or controlling electric field concentration
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/0638 for preventing surface leakage due to surface inversion layer, e.g. with channel stopper channel stoppers in combination with isolation region for integrated circuits H01L21/762
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/40114 the electrodes comprising a conductor-insulator-conductor-insulator-semiconductor structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/40117 : the electrodes comprising a charge-trapping insulator
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/408 : with an insulating layer with a particular dielectric or electrostatic property, e.g. with static charges or for controlling trapped charges or moving ions, or with a plate acting on the insulator potential or the insulator charges, e.g. for controlling charges effect or potential distribution in the insulating layer, or with a semi-insulating layer contacting directly the semiconductor surface
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 41/00 : Electrically erasable-and-programmable ROM [EEPROM] devices comprising floating gates

Abstract

A sensing amplification circuit includes a sensing amplifier and a trigger control circuit. The sensing amplifier receives a data voltage and a reference voltage, and outputs a first data signal and a second data signal by comparing the data voltage and the reference voltage. The trigger control circuit includes a logic circuit and a set-reset latch. The logic circuit receives the first data signal and the second data signal, and changes a first control signal from a first voltage level to a second voltage level when one of the first data signal and the second data signal changes its state. The first set-reset latch receives the first control signal and a second control signal, and generates a trigger signal to enable the sensing amplifier when the second control signal changes state and disable the sensing amplifier when the first control signal changes state.

Claims

1. A sensing amplification circuit, comprising:

a sensing amplifier configured to receive a data voltage and a reference voltage, and output a first data signal and a second data signal by comparing the data voltage and the reference voltage, wherein the first data signal and the second data signal become complementary after the sensing amplifier is enabled, and the first data signal and the second data signal are at a same state when the sensing amplifier is disabled; and

a trigger control circuit comprising;

a logic circuit coupled to the sensing amplifier, and configured to receive the first data signal and the second data signal, and change a first control signal from a first voltage level to a second voltage level when one of the first data signal and the second data signal changes its state; and

a first set-reset latch coupled to the sensing amplifier and the logic circuit, and configured to receive the first control signal and a second control signal, and generate a trigger signal to enable the sensing amplifier when the second control signal changes from the first voltage level to the second voltage level and disable the sensing amplifier when the first control signal changes from the first voltage level to the second voltage level.

2. The sensing amplification circuit of claim 1, further comprising:

a second set-reset latch configured to store and output read data according to the first data signal and the second data signal.

3. The sensing amplification circuit of claim 1, wherein the sensing amplifier comprises:

a first transistor having a first terminal configured to receive a first system voltage, a second terminal, and a control terminal coupled to the first set-reset latch for receiving the trigger signal;

a second transistor having a first terminal coupled to the second terminal of the first transistor, a second terminal, and a control terminal configured to receive the reference voltage;

a third transistor having a first terminal coupled to the second terminal of the first transistor, a second terminal, and a control terminal configured to receive the data voltage;

a fourth transistor having a first terminal coupled to the second terminal of the second transistor, a second terminal configured to output the second data signal, and a control terminal;

a fifth transistor having a first terminal coupled to the second terminal of the third transistor, a second terminal coupled to the control terminal of the fourth transistor and configured to output the first data signal, and a control terminal coupled to the second terminal of the fourth transistor;

a sixth transistor having a first terminal coupled to the second terminal of the fourth transistor, a second terminal configured to receive a second system voltage, and a control terminal coupled to the control terminal of the fourth transistor; and

a seventh transistor having a first terminal coupled to the second terminal of the fifth transistor, a second terminal configured to receive the second system voltage, and a control terminal coupled to the control terminal of the fifth transistor.

4. The sensing amplification circuit of claim 3, wherein the sensing amplifier further comprises:

an eighth transistor having a first terminal coupled to the second terminal of the second transistor, a second terminal configured to receive the second system voltage, and a control terminal configured to receive the trigger signal;

a ninth transistor having a first terminal coupled to the second terminal of the third transistor, a second terminal configured to receive the second system voltage, and a control terminal configured to receive the trigger signal;

a tenth transistor having a first terminal coupled to the second terminal of the fourth transistor, a second terminal configured to receive the second system voltage, and a control terminal configured to receive the trigger signal; and

an eleventh transistor having a first terminal coupled to the second terminal of the fifth transistor, a second terminal configured to receive the second system voltage, and a control terminal configured to receive the trigger signal.

5. The sensing amplification circuit of claim 4, wherein:

the first transistor, the second transistor, the third transistor, the fourth transistor, and the fifth transistor are P-type transistors; and

the sixth transistor, the seventh transistor, the eighth transistor, the ninth transistor, the tenth transistor, and the eleventh transistor are N-type transistors.

6. The sensing amplification circuit of claim 5, wherein the first voltage level is higher than the second voltage level, and the first system voltage is higher than the second system voltage.

7. The sensing amplification circuit of claim 1, wherein the logic circuit is further configured to change the state of the first control signal from the second voltage level to the first second voltage level when the first data signal and the second data signal are at the same state when the sensing amplifier is disabled.

8. The sensing amplification circuit of claim 1, wherein the logic circuit comprises:

a first inverter having an input terminal configured to receive the first data signal, and an output terminal;

a second inverter having an input terminal configured to receive the second data signal, and an output terminal;

a NAND gate having a first input terminal coupled to the output terminal of the first inverter, a second input terminal coupled to the output terminal of the second inverter, and an output terminal; and

a third inverter having an input terminal coupled to the output terminal of the NAND gate, and an output terminal configured to output the first control signal.

9. The sensing amplification circuit of claim 8, wherein the logic circuit further comprises at least one delay element coupled to the output terminal of the third inverter, and configured to delay the first control signal.

10. The sensing amplification circuit of claim 1, wherein the logic circuit comprises:

an OR gate having a first input terminal configured to receive the first data signal, a second input terminal configured to receive the second data signal, and an output terminal; and

an inverter having an input terminal coupled to the output terminal of the OR gate, and an output terminal configured to output the first control signal.

11. The sensing amplification circuit of claim 1, wherein the first set-reset latch comprises:

a first NAND gate having a first input terminal configured to receive the first control signal, a second input terminal, and an output terminal;

a second NAND gate having a first input terminal coupled to the output terminal of the first NAND gate, a second input terminal configured to receive the second control signal, and an output terminal coupled to the second input terminal of the first NAND gate; and

an inverter having an input terminal coupled to the output terminal of the second NAND gate, and an output terminal configured to output the trigger signal.

12. The sensing amplification circuit of claim 1, wherein the second control signal is a pulse signal generated by an external pulse generator.

13. A method for operating a sensing amplification circuit, the sensing amplification circuit comprising a sensing amplifier and a trigger control circuit, the method comprising:

the trigger control circuit changing a trigger signal from a first voltage level to a second voltage level to enable the sensing amplifier;

the sensing amplifier outputting a first data signal and a second data signal complementary to the first data signal by comparing a data voltage and a reference voltage when the sensing amplifier is enabled; and

the trigger control circuit changing the trigger signal from the second voltage level to the first voltage level to disable the sensing amplifier after one of the first data signal and the second data signal changes its state;

wherein the first data signal and the second data signal are at a same state when the sensing amplifier is disabled.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the sensing amplification circuit further comprises a set-reset latch, and the method further comprises:

the set-reset latch storing read data according to the first data signal and the second data signal.