Patent ID: 6822923
Filing Date: 2004-11-23
Classification: G11C

Abstract:
A RAM memory circuit, comprising:a multiplicity of memory cells disposed in matrix form in rows and columns, said cells storing datum, said rows having row addresses, said columns having column addresses; word lines each being associated with a respective one of said rows; sense amplifiers each being associated with a respective one of said columns; data input/output means; a data path connected to said sense amplifiers and to said data input/output means for transferring data in either direction between said sense amplifiers and said data input/output means; each of said memory cells being addressable for writing in or reading out a datum by activation of said one word line associated with a respective one of said rows and by connecting a sense amplifier associated with a respective one of said columns to said data path; an addressing device having: a row decoder connected to said word lines for selecting said word line to be activated dependent upon a provided row address; and a column decoder connected to said sense amplifiers for selecting respective ones of said sense amplifiers to be connected to said data path dependent upon said column addresses provided thereto; and a control device connected to said word lines, said control device activating a selected one of said word lines and subsequently initiating a connection of said selected sense amplifiers to said data path, said control device, upon receiving an immediate-write command, being set to command a write operation to initiate a connection of said sense amplifiers selected by said column address provided to said data path at an instant ta+Tw, where: ta is an instant of an activation of said word line selected by said provided row address; and Tw is less than a charging time necessary, starting from said word line activation, to transfer the datum stored in one of said memory cells of said respective one of said rows to said respectively selected sense amplifier and to amplify the datum at said respectively selected sense amplifier.