Driver device for selection lines for a multiplexer, to be used in a wide range of supply voltages, particularly for non-volatile memories

Abstract: A driver device for selection lines of a multiplexer, for use in a wide range of supply voltages, particularly for non-volatile memories, comprising: decoding means for selecting the bit lines of a memory matrix; a first decoupling transistor of a first polarity, supplied by the supply voltage; first inverter means that are cascade-connected to the decoupling transistor; and a second transistor of a second polarity that is feedback-connected between the output and the input of the inverter means. The driver device comprises switching means that are interposed between the decoding means and the input of the inverter means, the switching means being driven by control means, in order to transfer to the input of the inverter means a boost voltage that is higher than the supply voltage in order to provide faster reading of the memory matrix in the presence of low levels of the supply voltage.

Description: The present invention relates to a driver device for selection lines for a multiplexer, particularly for non-volatile memories, to be used in a wide range of supply voltages. Non-volatile memories use a multiplexer to select the particular bit line of the memory matrix that must be carried either in input to the sense amplifier to read the desired data item or in connection with structures that are adapted to program the elements. Generally, in order to select a given line a decoder (a multiplexer) is used that is formed by two buses, each with 16 lines to select a total of 256 lines (bit lines from 0 to 255). The bit lines are clustered into groups of 16 lines each and there are 16 such groups. The second bus is associated with the bit lines of the memory matrix. In this manner, a single line that carries the data item of the selected bit line is presented to the sense amplifier or to programming structures. A circuit that is currently used to drive the selection lines of such a multiplexer is shown in figure 1. The decoder buses are designated by YM/YN DEC. This circuit is compact and therefore widely used in the field of non-volatile memories. Generally, these memories have been proposed and developed for applications in which the value of the operating voltage varies in the range between 4.5 and 5.5 volts. Within this range of voltage values, the circuit shown in figure 1 is reliable and its performance is widely sufficient. Indeed, by considering the practical circuital embodiment of the inverter means designated by 2 in figure 1, i.e., considering therefore a CMOS inverter (not shown in figure 1), it can be seen that in view of the different voltage levels that are present at the input of the inverter with respect to the voltage levels that are present at the drain terminal of the P-type transistor that is part of the inverter 2, a situation may occur in which the inverter 2 cannot be considered free from currents, since the P-channel transistor does not switch off and if the supply voltage of the inverter 2 is brought to 12V there is a bad zero level. Assuming a supply voltage V DD of 5 V in input to the inverter 2, and assuming that the voltage at the drain terminal of the P-type transistor rises above V DD , then if the voltage difference between the gate terminal of the P-type transistor and its source terminal is greater than, or equal to, 1 V, the P-type transistor allows the passage of a current, towards the N-type transistor, that increases as the difference between the power supplies increases. In this manner, switching of the inverter is disturbed. Therefore, the addition of a decoupling transistor 1 and of a feedback transistor 3 causes the value of the voltage in input to the inverter to follow the voltage value that is present on the drain terminal of the P-type MOS included in the inverter 2. A drawback of this solution can be observed in the fact that at least in the initial portion, at the input of the inverter 2 a voltage is present that is lower than the supply voltage present on the decoding buses YM/YN DEC, before this voltage is raised by the triggering of the feedback transistor 3. The chart of figure 4 shows the level of the voltages at three nodes of the circuit of figure 1 and more specifically at the output of the decoding buses YM/YN DEC, node A, at the input of the inverter 2, node B, and at the output of the inverter, node C. In the chart of figure 4, the supply voltage (and therefore the voltage in output from the decoding bus) is assumed to be 4.5 V. The voltage carried on the node B is initially lower than the supply voltage due to the drop caused by the threshold voltage of the N-type transistor and therefore a voltage reduction occurs as shown by the initial portion of the curve, designated by B. Meanwhile, the node C is discharging, initially with a constant slope but, as a consequence of the switching on of the P-type feedback transistor 3, this slope increases and the node discharges to zero more rapidly. When the transistor 3 switches on, the P transistor that is part of the inverter 2 switches off. The point where the discharge of the node C changes its slope therefore corresponds to the point where the curve designated by B starts to increase so as to asymptotically reach the same level as the supply voltage. This situation is therefore satisfactory for supply voltage values between 4.5 and 5.5 V, since the memory reading times are sufficiently short. However, non-volatile memories operating at low voltage, i.e., with power supply values in the range between 2.7 and 3.3 volt, are currently increasingly demanded. For such low voltage values, the circuit of figure 1 has drawbacks that are due to the low input voltage level. Indeed, by considering the practical embodiment of the inverter means designated by 2 in figure 1, i.e., considering therefore a CMOS inverter (not shown in figure 1), it can be seen that due to the different voltage levels that are present at the input of the inverter with respect to the voltage levels that are present at the drain terminal of the P-type transistor that is part of the inverter 2, a situation may occur in which the inverter 2 is no longer able to switch rapidly or, worse still, remains at the so-called metastability level: an input voltage level at the inverter 2 is reached which is close to its trigger voltage. For these supply voltage levels, as shown by the chart of figure 5, a behavior is noted that is similar to the one observed in the chart of figure 4, but with discharge times for the node C that are considerably longer and therefore with a consequent increase in memory reading times. This occurs even in the presence of appropriate boost circuits. With these low supply voltage values, the feedback transistor 3 in fact takes longer to switch on with respect to the case with a higher supply voltage, and therefore the times increase as shown in the chart of figure 5. This is due to the fact that the input voltage to the inverter 2 is too low with respect to the supply that is present at that moment, and that said input voltage is also very close to the trigger value (equality between the input voltage and the output voltage) of the inverter 2, which is an equilibrium value. Furthermore, there is also the fact that the load in output from the circuit of figure 1 is high, since said circuit must drive a large number of transistors (16 in this case) for access to the bit lines of the memory matrix, which have considerable dimensions. A principal aim of the present invention is therefore to provide a driver device for selection lines for a multiplexer, particularly for non-volatile memories, that has optimum operating characteristics over a wide range of supply voltage values. Within the scope of this aim, an object of the present invention is to provide a driver device for selection lines for a multiplexer, particularly for non-volatile memories, that allows optimum operation even with low supply voltage levels. Another object of the present invention is to provide a driver device for selection lines for a multiplexer, particularly for non-volatile memories, that reduces the time required to reach operating levels in order to provide a faster memory reading time. Another object of the present invention is to provide a driver device for selection lines for a multiplexer, particularly for non-volatile memories, that can be easily integrated thanks to its small bulk. Another object of the present invention is to provide a device that is highly reliable and relatively easy to produce at competitive costs. This aim, these objects, and others which will become apparent hereinafter are achieved by a driver device for selection lines for a multiplexer, for use in a wide range of supply voltages, particularly for non-volatile memories, comprising: decoding means for selecting the bit lines of a memory matrix; a first decoupling transistor of a first polarity, supplied by the supply voltage; first inverter means that are cascade-connected to said decoupling transistor; and a second transistor of a second polarity that is feedback-connected between the output and the input of said inverter means; characterized in that it comprises switching means that are interposed between said decoding means and the input of said inverter means, said switching means being driven by control means, in order to transfer to the input of said inverter means a boost voltage that is higher than said supply voltage in order to provide faster reading of the memory matrix in the presence of low levels of said supply voltage. Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of the device according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein: figure 1 is a view of a driver circuit for the selection lines for a multiplexer, according to the prior art; figure 2 is a view of a driver circuit for the selection lines for a multiplexer, according to the present invention; figure 3 is a more detailed view of the driver circuit according to the invention, illustrated in figure 3; figure 4 is a chart plotting the voltage values at three nodes of the circuit of figure 1, with high supply voltage values; figure 5 is a chart plotting the voltage values of the circuit of figure 1, at the same three nodes of figure 4, with low supply voltage values; and figure 6 is a chart plotting the voltage values of the circuit according to the invention, at the same three nodes shown in figure 4. With reference to the above figures, the device according to the invention comprises a first circuit portion that is similar to the one shown in figure 1 and in which the same reference numerals have been assigned to identical elements. In detail, the input of the circuit is constituted by decoding means provided by decoding buses YM/YN DEC, and the output is also a YM/YN bus that carries the data item selected by means of the decoding, to feed it to the sense amplifier of the memory. The circuit shown in figure 2 must be understood as being repeated a number of times equal to the number of lines of the selection bus. Therefore, in the case of a memory with two sub-buses YM and YN, each with 16 lines, there will be 32 circuits. The decoding bus YM/YN DEC (therefore, to be exact, each line of the decoding bus) arrives in input to a first decoupling transistor 1, the gate terminal whereof is supplied at the supply voltage V DD . This transistor is of the N-channel type. The drain terminal of the transistor 1 is connected to an inverter 2 the output whereof is fedback, by means of a second transistor 3, to the input of said inverter. The output of the inverter 2 is the bus YM/YN (i.e., one of the lines of the bus YM/YN). In the second transistor 3, the drain terminal connected to the voltage for controlling access to the bit lines (columns) of the matrix, designated by VPCY, the source terminal is connected to the input of the inverter 2, and the gate terminal is connected to the output of the inverter 2. The second transistor 3 is of the P-channel type. The device according to the invention comprises switching means, which are advantageously provided by a third transistor 4 in which the drain terminal is connected to the input of the inverter 2, the source terminal is connected to the bus YM/YN DEC, and the gate terminal is connected to the output of control means 5. Said control means are conveniently provided by a second inverter 5. The third transistor 4 is of the N-channel type. The second inverter 5 is driven by a programming signal PG indicating the presence (when PG=1) or the absence (when PG=0) of programming of the memory matrix. The inverter 5 is supplied either by the voltage VPCX of the word lines of the memory matrix or by a boost voltage. Figure 3 illustrates the same circuit as figure 2, with the second inverter 5 circuitally embodied as a CMOS. The inverter 5 therefore comprises a first transistor 6 of the P-channel type and a second transistor 7 of the N-channel type, which are connected in the known inverting configuration. The chart of figure 6, similar to the charts of figures 4 and 5, plots the voltages at three nodes of the circuit shown in figures 2 and 3 and will be explained in detail with reference to the operation of the device according to the invention. With reference to figures 2, 3, and 6, the operation of the device according to the invention is as follows. During the reading of the memory matrix with a high supply voltage level (4.5-5.5 volts), the gate terminal of the transistor 4 receives a voltage that is equal to the supply voltage; in this manner, the voltage level transferred to the input node B of the inverter 2 is lower, by a threshold voltage, than the supply voltage, but is still sufficient to provide sufficiently fast switching. During reading with a low voltage level (2.7-3.3 volts) there are two possibilities: reading from the memory matrix in the normal way, by using the transistor 4 to carry to the input node of the inverter 2 a voltage level that is lower, by a threshold, than the supply voltage level, but with a consequent considerable slowing of the dynamics; or, if one wishes to provide particularly faster reading, by using a particular boost voltage that is already present in the device for other reasons. The inverter 5 that controls the voltage to be fed to the gate terminal of the transistor 4 is driven by the programming enabling signal PG, which is 1 during programming and 0 otherwise. The input voltage to the inverter 5, defined as VPCX, varies between the supply voltage V DD and the boost voltage. When it is not in the programming mode and when the boost voltage generated by an appropriate pumping circuit is active (it should be noted that the boost voltage, when present, is always higher than the supply voltage V DD ), said boost voltage is carried to the gate terminal of the transistor 4. In this manner it is possible to make the node A follow more quickly the voltage level that is present at the drain terminal of the P transistor of the inverter 2 (node B). Otherwise, if the signal PG becomes 1 (which indicates programming), the boost voltage is not necessary, since in the programming step it is not necessary to comply with particular speed specifications. In this case, the boost voltage would entail useless consumption on the part of the device. Then, in this situation, the output signal from the inverter 5 has a low level and therefore the transistor 4 is off. The chart of figure 6 plots the voltages at the usual nodes A, B, and C of the circuit shown in figures 1, 2, and 3. This chart shows that the node B closely follows the behavior of the node A, since the full level of the supply voltage can be transferred onto said node. Therefore, in the presence of the boost voltage it is possible to transfer in input to the inverter 2 a voltage that is equal to the supply voltage, improving the performance of the device in terms of reading speed. Comparison with the chart of figure 5, which applies to the same voltage values, clarifies the significant performance improvement of the circuit in terms of the time required to reach the operating level. In particular, it is noted that the node B does not suffer a voltage drop with respect to the supply voltage (2.7 V), differently from what is shown in the chart of figure 5. The circuit shown in figures 2 and 3, according to the invention, is provided for each line of the decoding buses YM/YN DEC; therefore, with respect to the circuit of figure 1, there is only the addition of an N-channel transistor, since there is a single inverter 5 for the 32 lines of the decoding buses YM/YN DEC. In practice, it has been observed that the device according to the invention fully achieves the intended aim, since it allows to transfer in input to the inverter 2, whenever a boost voltage is active, a voltage level that is assuredly higher than the supply voltage, and this is considerably important when the supply voltage has a low level. In this manner, with a circuit modification entailing a very small area occupation, the circuit has been adapted to operation in a wide range of supply voltage values, overcoming the drawbacks of conventional solutions. The device thus conceived is susceptible of numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the inventive concept. Thus, for example, the transistor 4 shown in figures 2 and 3 as being of the N-channel type can also be of the P-channel type. In this case, the programming signal in input to the inverter 5 is the inverted programming signal. Finally, all the details may be replaced with other technically equivalent elements. In practice, the materials employed, so long as they are compatible with the specific use, as well as the dimensions, may be any according to the requirements and the state of the art. Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the interpretation of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims: Driver device for selection lines for a multiplexer, for use in a wide range of supply voltages, particularly for non-volatile memories, comprising: decoding means (YM/YN DEC) for selecting the bit lines of a memory matrix; a first decoupling transistor (1) of a first polarity, controlled by the supply voltage (V DD ); first inverter means (2) that are cascade-connected to said decoupling transistor (1); and a second transistor (3) of a second polarity that is feedback-connected between the output and the input of said inverter means (2); characterized in that it comprises switching means (4) that are interposed between said decoding means (YM/YN DEC) and the input of said inverter means (2), said switching means (4) being controlled by control means (5), in order to transfer to the input of said inverter means (2) a boost voltage that is higher than said supply voltage (V DD ) in order to provide faster reading of the memory matrix in the presence of low levels of said supply voltage (V DD ). Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said control means (5) receive in input a programming enabling signal (PG), said control means (5) being supplied by a voltage level that can be switched between said supply voltage (VPCX) and said boost voltage (BOOST), which is higher than said supply voltage, said switching being triggered by said programming enabling signal. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said switching means (4) comprise a transistor, said transistor being off when said programming enabling signal (PG) indicates a step for programming said memory matrix. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that said transistor (4) is an N-channel type transistor. Device according to claim 3, characterized in that said transistor (4) is a transistor of the P-channel type. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said control means (5) comprise a complementary MOS inverter. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said first decoupling transistor (1) of a first polarity is a transistor of the N-channel type. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that said second transistor (3) of a second type of polarity is a transistor of the P-channel type.

Inventors: PASCUCCI LUIGI, PASCUCCI, LUIGI
Applicants: ST MICROELECTRONICS SRL, STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
Application year: 1996
Main classification: G11C16
IPC codes: G11C16, G11C7