DETECTING SWITCHING OF ACCESS ELEMENTS OF PHASE CHANGE MEMORY CELLS
First Claim
1. A memory comprising:
- a phase change storage element and an access element to switch from a high impedance condition to a low impedance condition;
a sense amplifier couplable to said element;
a read circuit couplable to said element to detect the switching of the access element; and
a circuit to enable the sense amplifier in response to the detection of the switching of the access element.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A memory includes a storage element (OUM) made of a phase-change material for storing a logic value and an access element (OTS) switching from a higher resistance condition to a lower resistance condition in response to a selection of the memory cell, the access element in the higher resistance condition decoupling the storage element from a read circuit and in the lower resistance condition coupling the storage element to the read circuit. The read circuit includes a sense amplifier to determine the logic value stored in the memory cell according to an electrical quantity associated with the memory cell. The read circuit further includes a detector that detects the switching of the access element by comparison to a delayed waveform or sensing a change in the column rate of change, and a circuit to enable the sense amplifier in response to the detection of the switching of the access element.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. A memory comprising:
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a phase change storage element and an access element to switch from a high impedance condition to a low impedance condition;
a sense amplifier couplable to said element;
a read circuit couplable to said element to detect the switching of the access element; and
a circuit to enable the sense amplifier in response to the detection of the switching of the access element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method comprising:
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switching an access element from a non-threshold condition to an threshold condition in response to selection of a memory cell;
detecting the switching of the access element, and enabling the determination of a memory cell state in response to the detection of the switching of the access element. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A system comprising:
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a controller; and
a phase change memory coupled to said controller including a storage element and an access element to switch from a high impedance condition to a low impedance condition, a sense amplifier couplable to said element, a read circuit couplable to said element to detect the switching of the access element and a circuit to enable the sense amplifier in response to the detection of the switching of the access element. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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Specification