Patent ID: 7355916

Claim:
A reference current generation circuit to generate a reference current for data sensing circuitry, the reference current generation circuit comprising: a plurality of reference networks, wherein each reference network includes: a current driver including a transistor having an output which is coupled to a signal line; and a reference cell network wherein the reference cell network includes a plurality of reference cells, and wherein each reference cell is programmed to one of a plurality of data states, and wherein: (i) a majority of the reference cells of at least one of the reference cell networks are programmed to a second data state and (ii) a minority of the reference cells of the at least one of the reference cell network is/are programmed to a first data state; and an equal number of the reference cells of at least one of the reference cell networks are programmed to a first data state and to a second data state; and a reference current driver including a transistor which is coupled to the plurality of reference networks via the signal line to generate the reference current.