Dummy cell for providing a reference voltage in a memory array

Details Dummy cell for providing a reference voltage in a memory array Dummy cell for providing a reference voltage in a memory array

1995-12-22

1997-11-18

Dinh, Son T.

Static information storage and retrieval

Read/write circuit

Differential sensing

365156, 365174, G11C 1134

Patent

active

056894716

ABSTRACT:
A dummy cell in a memory array. The memory array includes a storage element for storing one of a first and a second state. The storage element is coupled to circuitry for reading the first or second state from the storage element. The storage element draws a first current when the first state is read by the circuitry. The storage element and circuitry are further coupled to the dummy cell which provides a reference voltage when the circuitry reads the first or second state from the storage element. The dummy cell draws a second current when the circuitry reads the first or second state from the storage element. The second current is not equivalent to the first the first current. In one embodiment, the dummy cell draws approximately half the current that the storage element draws when the circuitry reads the first state from the storage element. In another embodiment, the dummy cell includes a pass transistor which has a width which is approximately half the width of a pass transistor included in the storage element. In still another embodiment, the dummy cell includes a pass transistor which has a length which is approximately twice the length of a pass transistor included in the storage element.

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Feb. 26, 1993 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference, Session 16--Static Memories, Digest of Technical Papers, Paper FA 16.6, Entitled: A Single Bitline Cross-Point Cell Activation (SCPA) Architecture of Ultra Low Power SRAMs.
Feb. 26, 1993 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference, Session 16--Static Memories, Digest of Technical Papers, Paper FA 16.5, Entitled: A 16 Mb CMOS SRAM with a 2.3mm2 Single-Bit-Line Memory Cell.

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