MEMORY CIRCUIT HAVING NON-VOLATILE MEMORY CELL AND METHODS OF USING
First Claim
1. An article of manufacture comprising a memory circuit comprising:
- volatile output circuitry (VOC); and
a programmable non-volatile memory (NVM) cell configured to generate an NVM output signal indicative of a program state of the NVM cell, the NVM cell comprising;
a first anti-fuse device;
a second anti-fuse device;
a first select device connected in series with the first anti-fuse device at a first node;
a second select device connected in series with the second anti-fuse device at a second node;
a first pass device connected between the first node and a VOC input node of the volatile output circuitry and usable to selectively pass a voltage at the first node to the VOC input node; and
a second pass device connected between the second node and the VOC input node and usable to selectively pass a voltage at the second node to the VOC input node, wherein the volatile output circuitry is connected to receive the NVM output signal from the NVM cell at the VOC input node and generate a VOC output signal indicative of the program state of the NVM cell.
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Accused Products
Abstract
One aspect relates to a memory circuit that has a programmable non-volatile memory (NVM) cell configured to generate an NVM output signal indicative of a program state of the NVM cell and to configure a volatile output based on the program state of the NVM cell. The NVM cell comprises a first anti-fuse device, a first select device connected in series with the first anti-fuse device at a first node, and a first pass device. The memory circuit also may have a programmable (independently of the NVM cell) volatile memory (VM) cell configured to receive the NVM output signal at a VM input node and to generate a VM output signal indicative of the program state of the VM cell. The NVM cell may have two NV elements that are separately programmable and are separately selectable via separate access transistors to drive the VM input node.
23 Citations
24 Claims
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1. An article of manufacture comprising a memory circuit comprising:
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volatile output circuitry (VOC); and a programmable non-volatile memory (NVM) cell configured to generate an NVM output signal indicative of a program state of the NVM cell, the NVM cell comprising; a first anti-fuse device; a second anti-fuse device; a first select device connected in series with the first anti-fuse device at a first node; a second select device connected in series with the second anti-fuse device at a second node; a first pass device connected between the first node and a VOC input node of the volatile output circuitry and usable to selectively pass a voltage at the first node to the VOC input node; and a second pass device connected between the second node and the VOC input node and usable to selectively pass a voltage at the second node to the VOC input node, wherein the volatile output circuitry is connected to receive the NVM output signal from the NVM cell at the VOC input node and generate a VOC output signal indicative of the program state of the NVM cell. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for operating a programmable Non-Volatile Memory (NVM) cell configured to generate an NVM output signal indicative of a program state of the NVM cell, the NVM cell comprising:
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a first anti-fuse device; a second anti-fuse device; a first select device connected in series with the first anti-fuse device at a first node; a second select device connected in series with the second anti-fuse device at a second node; a first pass device connected between the first node and a NVM output node of the volatile output circuitry and usable to selectively pass a voltage at the first node to the NVM output node; and a second pass device connected between the second node and the NVM output node and usable to selectively pass a voltage at the second node to the NVM output node, the method comprising reading a bit value from the NVM cell by; turning off the first select device; applying a read voltage to the first anti-fuse device'"'"'s gate; and turning on the first pass device to pass a voltage at the first node to the NVM output node, wherein; when the first anti-fuse device is blown, the voltage at the first node passed to the NVM output node will be at a first level; and when the first anti-fuse device is not blown, the voltage at the first node passed to the NVM output node will be at a second level different from the first level - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. An article of manufacture comprising a memory circuit comprising:
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a programmable non-volatile memory (NVM) cell configured to generate an NVM output signal indicative of a program state of the NVM cell, the NVM cell comprising a first anti-fuse device, a first select device connected in series with the first anti-fuse device at a first node, and a first pass device; a programmable volatile memory (VM) cell configured to receive the NVM output signal at a VM input node and to generate a VM output signal indicative of the program state of the VM cell, wherein the first pass device is connected between the first node and the VM input node and usable to selectively pass a voltage at the first node to the VM input node, and control logic configured to (i) program the NVM cell by turning off the first pass device and turning on the first select device to apply a program voltage level across a gate oxide layer of the first anti-fuse device to create a permanent breakdown path through the gate oxide layer and to (ii) cause the VM cell to be configured by the programmed NVM cell by turning off the first select device, applying a read voltage to a gate of the first anti-fuse device, and turning on the first pass device to change the voltage at the VM input node using sufficient current flow through the gate oxide layer of the first anti-fuse device by an amount sufficient to flip the VM output signal. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24)
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Specification