Patent ID: 11935607
Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS INTERNATIONAL N.V.
Field: Computer technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC G | IPC G

Claim 20:
21. The method of claim 18, further comprising detecting excess leakage within bit lines of the selected one of the memory sectors by:
a) deselecting all word lines within the memory array of the selected one of the memory sectors, and selecting one bit line within the memory array;
b) setting the variable current to have a magnitude that is within a threshold of zero;
c) increasing the variable current by a given amount, in response to the copy voltage being greater than the gate voltage, and waiting a given period of time;
d) when the increase in the variable current by the given amount results in the copy voltage becoming less than the gate voltage, asserting the leakage detection signal to thereby excess leakage within the selected bit line; and
e) when the increase in the variable current by the given amount does not result in the copy voltage becoming less than the gate voltage, returning to c).