Ferroelectric memory device

• US 5,926,413 A
• Filed: 07/15/1998
• Issued: 07/20/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Yamada, Junichi, Koike, Hiroki
• Primary Examiner(s): Mai, Son
• Application Number:
  US09/115,344
• Time in Patent Office: 370 Days
• Field of Search: 365/145, 365/149, 365/210, 365/205
• US Class Current: 365/145
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/22 using ferroelectric elements

Abstract

It is an object of the invention to provide a method for generating a reference voltage by means of a sense amplifier in a ferroelectric memory device in a 1T1C type (One Transistor One Capacitor type). The directions of the polarizations of dummy cell DMC1 and DMC2 are set so that they are not inverted in case that data stored therein are read. Transistors T1 and T2 are added to the sense amplifier in order to make it be unbalanced, when a datum stored in a memory cell is read. In case that a datum stored in the memory cell is read, the transistor on the dummy cell side is on and that on the memory cell side is off. Widths of channels of T1 and T2 are selected so that an apparent reference voltage is slightly higher than a voltage read on a bit line in case that the polarization of the dummy cell is not inverted.

Claims

1. A ferroelectric memory device composed of plural pairs of bit lines adjacent to each other, each of which comprising:

plural memory cells connected with said respective bit lines, each of said memory cells being composed of a ferroelectric capacitor and a MOS transistor,

wherein a direction of a polarization of ferroelectric material of said ferroelectric capacitor corresponds to a datum stored in said memory cell,

two dummy cells respectively connected with said bit lines, each of said dummy cells having a same structure and a same ferroelectric capacitor as those of said memory cell,

wherein a direction of a polarization of ferroelectric material of a ferroelectric capacitor of said dummy cell is set so that it is not inverted in case that a datum stored in said dummy cell is read, and

a sense amplifier, which is connected with said bit lines, provided with means for generating offset therein by intentionally making it be unbalanced, and reads said datum stored in said memory cell with reference to a voltage generated by said offset and a signal voltage read from said dummy cell.

2. The ferroelectric memory device as defined in claim 1, wherein:

said means for generating offset comprises two MOS transistors, which are respectively connected with circuit elements of said sense amplifier being in series with said respective bit lines, and one of them is made to be on in case that said datum stored in said dummy cell is read.

3. A ferroelectric memory device according to claim 2, wherein:

said two MOS transistors are PMOS transistors.

4. A ferroelectric memory device according to claim 2, wherein:

said two MOS transistors are NMOS transistors.