Patent SG-11201807493W-A (SG)
Title: Ground reference scheme for a memory cell
Inventor: VIMERCATI DANIELE
IPC: G11C11/22
Filed: 2017-03-01
Abstract: INTERNATIONAL APPLICATION PUBLISHED UNDER THE PATENT COOPERATION TREATY (PCT) (19) World Intellectual Property -, Organization IIIMI41101110101011111 HO 11111011101 10110111011100111110 1111 III International Bureau 0.. .1 j ..... ..or::,„, (10) International Publication Number (43) International Publication Date WO 2017/151803 Al 8 September 2017 (08.09.2017) WIP0 I PCT (51) International Patent Classification: (81) Designated States (unless otherwise indicated, for every G1 1C 11/22 (2006.01) kind of national protection available): AE, AG, AL, AM, AO, AT, AU, AZ, BA, BB, BG, BH, BN, BR, BW, BY, (21) International Application Number: BZ, CA, CH, CL, CN, CO, CR, CU, CZ, DE, DJ, DK, DM, PCT/US2017/020251 DO, DZ, EC, EE, EG, ES, FI, GB, GD, GE, GH, GM, GT, (22) International Filing Date: HN, HR, HU, ID, IL, IN, IR, IS, JP, KE, KG, KH, KN, 1 March 2017 (01.03.2017) KP, KR, KW, KZ, LA, LC, LK, LR, LS, LU, LY, MA, MD, ME, MG, MK, MN, MW, MX, MY, MZ, NA, NG, (25) Filing Language: English NI, NO, NZ, OM, PA, PE, PG, PH, PL, PT, QA, RO, RS, (26) Publication Language: English RU, RW, SA, SC, SD, SE, SG, SK, SL, SM, ST, SV, SY, TH, TJ, TM, TN, TR, TT, TZ, UA, UG, US, UZ, VC, VN, (30) Priority Data: ZA, ZM, ZW. 15/057,914 1 March 2016 (01.03.2016) US (84) Designated States (unless otherwise indicated, for every (71) Applicant: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC. [US/US]; kind of regional protection available): ARIPO (BW, GH, 8000 S. Federal Way, Boise, ID 83716-9632 (US). GM, KE, LR, LS, MW, MZ, NA, RW, SD, SL, ST, SZ, (72) Inventors: VIMERCATI, Daniele; 8000 S. Federal Way, TZ, UG, ZM, ZW), Eurasian (AM, AZ, BY, KG, KZ, RU, Boise, ID 83716-9632 (US). DERNER, Scott, James; TJ, TM), European (AL, AT, BE, BG, CH, CY, CZ, DE, 8000 S. Federal Way, Boise, ID 83716-9632 (US). DI DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HR, HU, IE, IS, IT, LT, LU, VINCENZO, Umberto; 8000 S. Federal Way, Boise, ID LV, MC, MK, MT, NL, NO, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SI, SK, — 83716-9632 (US). KAWAMURA, Christopher, John; SM, TR), OAPI (BF, BJ, CF, CG, CI, CM, GA, GN, GQ, GW, KM, ML, MR, NE, SN, TD, TG). 8000 S. Federal Way, Boise, ID 83716-9632 (US). CAR- MAN, Eric, S.; 8000 S. Federal Way, Boise, ID 83716- Declarations under Rule 4.17: 9632 (US). — as to applicant's entitlement to apply for and be granted a Agent: KRAFT, Aaron, J.; Holland & Hart LLP, P.O. patent (Rule 4.1700) (74) Box 11583, Salt Lake City, UT 84147 (US). [Continued on next page] Title: GROUND REFERENCE SCHEME FOR A MEMORY CELL (54) (57) : Methods, systems, and devices for operating a ferroelectric memory cell or cells are described. A ground reference scheme may be em- ployed in a digit line voltage sensing operation. A positive voltage may be = Apply a positive voltage to a ferroelectric capacitor of the ferroelectric memory cell, applied to a memory cell; and after a voltage of the digit line of the cell has = wherein the ferroelectric capacitor is in -- reached a threshold, a negative voltage may be applied to cause the digit line = — electronic communication with a digit line s ••• 1005 voltages to center around ground before a read operation. In another ex- am vol e p ta l g e athat first is v eg o u lt a a lt g m e o an v ay in b e a ers p e p o l f ie t d he to fir a st m vo em itag o ry e m ce a ll y b ad then e n appli a second edtoa ref- - I = = erence capacitor that is in electronic communication with a digit line of the memory cell to cause the digit line voltages to center around ground before a — = = Determine that a vo tage of the digit line read operation. has reached a threshold in response to the ..‘ — applied positive voltage ‘*- 1010 = — Apply a negative voltage to the ferroelectric capacitor after the voltage of --, 11 the digit line reaches the threshold k. 1015 .4 en © GC 1000 ki) 11 ,-.... FIG. 10 IN 11 © N O WO 2017/151803 Al MIDEDIM01101DERMEMOMOVEMOIE11111111111111111110110111111 — as to the applicant's entitlement to claim the priority of Published: the earlier application (Rule 4.17(iii)) — with international search report (Art. 21(3))