Patent ID: 7307866
Filing Date: 2007-12-11
Classification: G11C

Abstract:
1. A ferroelectric memory, comprising: a plurality of normal cells, each of which includes a first ferroelectric capacitor for holding data and a first transistor connected to a first electrode of the first ferroelectric capacitor; a first bit line connected to the first transistor; a first bit line precharge circuit which is a switch circuit provided between the first bit line and a ground; a word line connected to a gate of the first transistor, wherein the word line is deactivated to disconnect the first ferroelectric capacitor from the first bit line before the first bit line precharge circuit is driven to discharge a potential of the first bit line; a plurality of reference potential generation circuits; a plurality of sense amplifiers, each of which is connected to the first bit line and a corresponding one of the reference potential generation circuits and amplifies the potential difference between the potential of the first bit line and a reference potential generated by the corresponding reference potential generation circuit; a plurality of second bit lines connected to the reference potential generation circuits; a second bit line precharge circuit which is a switch circuit connected to the second bit lines; and a plurality of reset circuits, wherein the reference potential generation circuits are a plurality of reference cells connected to the sense amplifiers through the second bit lines, each of the reference cells includes the second transistor is connected to a corresponding one of the second bit lines, a gate of the second transistor is connected to a reference word line, a second electrode of the second ferroelectric capacitor is connected to a reference cell plate line, adjacent two of the reference cells are connected to a corresponding one of the reset circuits which writes different data in the adjacent two reference cells, and the second bit lines connected to the adjacent two reference cells are connected to each other through a level equalizer circuit which is a switch circuit; wherein the speed of discharging the potential of a first electrode of the second ferroelectric capacitor from a supply voltage to a ground voltage is slower than the speed of discharging the potential of the first bit line from the supply voltage to the ground voltage, and wherein the operation of discharging the potential of a first electrode of the second ferroelectric capacitor from the supply voltage to the ground voltage is started prior to the operation of discharging the potential of the first bit line from the supply voltage to the ground voltage.