Digital sensing circuit

• US 7,242,174 B1
• Filed: 06/07/2006
• Issued: 07/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Industrial Technology Research Institute
• Inventors: Sheu, Shyh-Shyuan, Chang, Wei-Jen, Lin, Jan-Ruei
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirshfeld; Andrew H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): He; Amy
• Application Number:
  US11/309,002
• Publication Number:
  US 20070152650A1
• Time in Patent Office: 398 Days
• Field of Search: 324/76.11, 365/189.01
• US Class Current: 324/76.11
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 10/00 Nanotechnology for information processing, storage or transmission, e.g. quantum computing or single electron logic
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/5664 using organic memory material storage elements
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/0014 comprising cells based on organic memory material
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 27/02 Sample-and-hold arrangements G11C27/04 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/067 Single-ended amplifiers

Abstract

A digital sensing circuit capable of sensing bit information stored in a bit cell of an organic memory is provided. The digital sensing circuit includes a current-to-voltage converter, a reset block circuit, and a sensing block circuit. The current-to-voltage converter converts a conduction current into a voltage signal. The sensing block circuit buffers and outputs the bit information according to the voltage signal. Therefore, the challenge of design and layout of the present invention is very low so that the yield rate will be improved. Hence, a practical memory device suitable for mass-production is achieved.

Claims

1. A digital sensing circuit used for sensing bit information stored in a bit cell of an organic memory, comprising:

a current-to-voltage converter, having a current terminal, used to convert a conduction current flowing through the current terminal into a voltage signal according to the conduction current;

a sensing block circuit, coupled to the current-to-voltage converter and used to receive the voltage signal, so as to buffer and output the bit information stored in the bit cell according to the voltage signal; and

a reset block circuit coupled to the current-to-voltage converter, wherein the reset block circuit is used to reset the voltage signal according to a first switch signal; and

wherein the current-to-voltage converter comprises;

a first transistor, with a first source/drain of the first transistor being connected to the current terminal of the current-to-voltage converter, with a gate of the first transistor being connected to a second switch signal; and

a capacitor, with a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal is connected to a second source/drain of the first transistor;

the second terminal is connected to a first potential; and

the voltage signal is obtained via the first terminal;

wherein the reset block circuit comprises;

a second transistor, with a first source/drain of the second transistor being connected to the first terminal of the capacitor, with a second source/drain of the second transistor being connected to a second potential, with a gate of the second transistor being connected to the first switch signal,

wherein, when the first transistor is conducted, the second transistor is not conducted; and

when the first transistor is not conducted, the second transistor is conducted.

2. The digital sensing circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein if the type of the first transistor is different from that of the second transistor, the first switch signal is the same as the second switch signal;

if the type of the first transistor is the same as that of the second transistor, the second switch signal is out of phase with the first switch signal.

3. The digital sensing circuit as claimed in claim 2, wherein the first switch signal and the second switch signal are a clock signal, and the digital sensing circuit utilizes the duty cycle of the clock signal to adjust individual conducting time of the first transistor and the second transistor.

4. The digital sensing circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first potential and the second potential both are ground potentials.

5. The digital sensing circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensing block circuit comprises:

a third transistor, with a first source/drain of the third transistor being connected to a third potential, with a gate of the third transistor being connected to a third switch signal; and

a fourth transistor, with a first source/drain of the fourth transistor being connected to a second source/drain of the third transistor, with a second source/drain of the fourth transistor being connected to a first potential, with a gate of the fourth transistor being connected to the voltage signal,

wherein, when the third transistor is not conducted, the first source/drain of the fourth transistor outputs the bit information stored in the bit cell of the organic memory.

6. The digital sensing circuit as claimed in claim 5, wherein the sensing block circuit further comprises:

a fifth transistor, with a first source/drain of the fifth transistor being connected to the third potential, with a gate of the fifth transistor being connected to the first source/drain of the fourth transistor; and

a sixth transistor, with a first source/drain of the sixth transistor being connected to a second source/drain of the fifth transistor, with a second source/drain of the sixth transistor being connected to the first potential, with a gate of the sixth transistor being connected to the gate of the fifth transistor, wherein the type of the fifth transistor is different from that of the sixth transistor, and the first source/drain of the sixth transistor outputs the bit information stored in the bit cell of the organic memory.

7. The digital sensing circuit as claimed in claim 6, wherein the fifth transistor is a P-type transistor and the sixth transistor is an N-type transistor.

8. The digital sensing circuit as claimed in claim 7, the first potential is a ground potential, and the third potential is a power-source potential.

9. The digital sensing circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sensing block circuit is further connected to a sample and hold circuit that is used to shape and output the bit information stored in the bit cell of the organic memory.

10. The digital sensing circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the organic memory is a non-volatile memory.

11. A digital sensing circuit used for sensing bit information stored in a bit cell of one of a phase-change memory and a magnetic memory, comprising:

a current-to-voltage converter, having a current terminal, used to convert a conduction current flowing through the current terminal into a voltage signal according to the conduction current;

a sensing block circuit, coupled to the current-to-voltage converter and used to receive the voltage signal, so as to buffer and output the bit information stored in the bit cell according to the voltage signal; and

a reset block circuit coupled to the current-to-voltage converter, wherein the reset block circuit is used to reset the voltage signal according to a first switch signal; and

wherein the current-to-voltage converter comprises;

a first transistor, with a first source/drain of the first transistor being connected to the current terminal of the current-to-voltage converter, with a gate of the first transistor being connected to a second switch signal; and

a capacitor, with a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal is connected to a second source/drain of the first transistor;

the second terminal is connected to a first potential; and

the voltage signal is obtained via the first terminal;

wherein the reset block circuit comprises;

a second transistor, with a first source/drain of the second transistor being connected to the first terminal of the capacitor, with a second source/drain of the second transistor being connected to a second potential, with a gate of the second transistor being connected to the first switch signal,

wherein, when the first transistor is conducted, the second transistor is not conducted; and

when the first transistor is not conducted, the second transistor is conducted.

12. The digital sensing circuit as claimed in claim 11, wherein if the type of the first transistor is different from that of the second transistor, the first switch signal is the same as the second switch signal;

if the type of the first transistor is different from that of the second transistor, the second switch signal is out of phase with the first switch signal.

13. The digital sensing circuit as claimed in claim 12, wherein the first switch signal and the second switch signal are a clock signal, and the digital sensing circuit utilizes the duty cycle of the clock signal to adjust the individual conducting time of the first transistor and the second transistor.

14. The digital sensing circuit as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first potential and the second potential both are ground potentials.

15. The digital sensing circuit as claimed in claim 11, wherein the sensing block circuit comprises:

a third transistor, with a first source/drain of the third transistor being connected to a third potential, with a gate of the third transistor being connected to a third switch signal; and

a fourth transistor, with a first source/drain of the fourth transistor being connected to a second source/drain of the third transistor, with a second source/drain of the fourth transistor being connected to a first potential, with a gate of the fourth transistor being connected to the voltage signal,

wherein, when the third transistor is not conducted, the first source/drain of the fourth transistor outputs the bit information stored in the bit cell.

16. The digital sensing circuit as claimed in claim 15, wherein the sensing block circuit further comprises:

a fifth transistor, with a first source/drain of the fifth transistor being connected to the third potential, with a gate of the fifth transistor being connected to the first source/drain of the fourth transistor; and

a sixth transistor, with a first source/drain of the sixth transistor being connected to a second source/drain of the fifth transistor, with a second source/drain of the sixth transistor being connected to the first potential, with a gate of the sixth transistor being connected to the gate of the fifth transistor, wherein the type of the fifth transistor is different from that of the sixth transistor, and the first source/drain of the sixth transistor outputs the bit information stored in the bit cell.

17. The digital sensing circuit as claimed in claim 16, wherein the fifth transistor is a P-type transistor and the sixth transistor is an N-type transistor.

18. The digital sensing circuit as claimed in claim 17, the first potential is a ground potential and the third potential is a power-source potential.

19. The digital sensing circuit as claimed in claim 11, wherein the sensing block circuit is further connected to a sample and hold circuit that is used to shape and output the bit information stored in the bit cell.