Sensing method and apparatus for resistance memory device

[0002] The present application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/939,655, filed on Aug. 28, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,577,525 issued on Jun. 10, 2003, the disclosure of which is herewith incorporated by reference in its entirety.

[0003] The present invention relates to the field of resistor-based memory circuits. More particularly, it relates to a method for precisely sensing the resistance value of a resistor-based memory cell, for example, a Magnetic Random Access Memory (MRAM) magnetic memory cell.

[0004] A resistor-based memory such as a magnetic random access memory (MRAM) typically includes an array of resistor-based magnetic memory cells. The logic state of such a magnetic memory cell is indicated by its resistance. One resistance value, e.g., the higher value, may be used to signify a logic high while another resistance value, e.g., the lower value, may be used to signify a logic low. The value stored in each memory cell can be determined by measuring the resistance value of the cell to determine whether the cell corresponds to a logic high or low. Such direct measurements are often difficult to simply and easily implement and require a number of comparators which increases the cost and size of the memory circuit. A simplified, more reliable method of sensing the resistance value of a resistor-based memory cell is desired.

[0005] The present invention provides a simple and reliable method and apparatus for sensing the logic state of a resistor-based memory cell. Resistance is measured by first charging a first capacitor to a predetermined voltage, discharging the first capacitor through a resistance to be measured while discharging a second capacitor through an associated reference resistance of known value and comparing the discharge characteristics e.g. the discharge voltage of two capacitors to determine a value of resistance to be measured relative to the reference resistance.

[0006] In one exemplary embodiment, a pair of second capacitors are used, each discharging through an associated reference resistance, one having a value corresponding to one possible resistance value of the resistance to be measured and the other having a value corresponding to another possible resistance value of the resistance to be measured. The combined discharge characteristics of the pair of second capacitors, e.g. an average of the discharge capacitor voltage, is compared with the discharge characteristics e.g. the discharge voltage of the first capacitor to determine a value of the resistance to be measured relative to an average value of the two reference resistances.

[0007] The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the detailed description of the exemplary embodiments of the invention given below with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

[0008] FIG. 1 shows the invention employed in an exemplary MRAM device;

[0009] FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of one aspect of the invention;

[0010] FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of an additional aspect of the invention;

[0011] FIG. 4 shows the discharge rate characteristics of capacitors employed in the invention;

[0012] FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of an additional aspect of the invention;

[0013] FIG. 6 shows a schematic diagram of an additional aspect of the invention; and

[0014] FIG. 7 shows the invention utilized in a computer system.

[0015] A portion of a MRAM array 100 with which the present invention may be used is shown in FIG. 1. The logical state of an MRAM memory element e.g. 204 is represented by the resistance of that element. In the present invention, resistance is determined by holding a voltage constant across a cell's resistive element and comparing a voltage produced by the current that flows through that resistive element with a voltage produced by the current flow through a known reference resistance. To read the binary state of a memory cell element, the absolute magnitude of resistance need not be known; only whether the resistance is above or below a value that is intermediate to the logic high and logic low values. Accordingly, to provide a reference current flow for comparison purposes the resistive elements within rightmost column 108 of array 100 are preprogrammed to hold all ‘0’ values, while those within column 110 immediately to its left are preprogrammed to hold all ‘1’ values. The current flowing through these two columns when a particular row line of the array 100 is selected by grounding a rowline, e.g. rowline 120, will heretofore be designated as I₀and I₁as shown in FIG. 1.

[0016] During the reading process, all column and row lines are driven with the same array voltage V_A, except for the one row line, e.g. 120 that is desired to be read. That row line 120 is driven to ground. When row 120 is grounded, a resistive element of a selected column, e.g. column 109, can be read by a sensing circuit 300 described below As shown in FIG. 1, both ends of all resistive elements not being measured are maintained at the same potential, V_A. Thus, unwanted current flow through these resistive elements due to “sneak” resistance is negligible. A current I_senseflows through the grounded resistive element of a selected column within the row 120 for allowing measurement of the resistance by the sensing circuit 300 (not shown in FIG. 1).

[0017] FIG. 2 shows a circuit 200 for regulating current through and voltage across a resistive element 204 being measured. An operational amplifier 220 has one terminal 222 connected to V_A, while the other terminal 224 is connected to the column line 109 for the resistance element 204 which is being sensed. The gate 242 of NMOS transistor 240 is connected to the output of operational amplifier 220. The source 246 of transistor 240 is connected to one terminal of the resistive element 204 being read, while the other terminal of resistive element 204 is driven to ground by the grounding of wordline 120 described earlier. Operational amplifier 220 and transistor 240 act in concert to keep one terminal of resistive element 204 stably at V_Adespite the fact that the other terminal is grounded. In this way, I_sensecan flow through transistor 240 and resistive element 204, while current lost through sneak resistor 225 is minimized.

[0018] To sense the amount of resistance of resistance element 204, the current flow through resistance element 204 must be determined, since the voltage across resistance element 204 is held constant at V_A. FIG. 3 shows how the current regulating circuit 200 combined with a voltage comparator 304, and a reference voltage generating circuit 115 to provide a method and apparatus for determining current flow through sensed resistance element 204. As shown in FIG. 3, the active wordline 120 is also connected to reference resistance elements R0 and R1 associated with column lines 108 and 110, which are pre-set to ‘0’ and ‘1’ resistance values respectively. Each column line of array 110 which has resistance elements which may be written to or read has its own sensing circuit and comparator which are active when the column is addressed to select with the grounded rowline, which resistive memory element within a given row is being read. Thus, connection line 320 shows how the reference voltage generating circuit 115 is connected to other columns of array 100. As noted, each column line (e.g. 109 shown in FIG. 3.) has a voltage having a reference input 113 and sensed voltage input 116.

[0019] The reference voltage generating circuit 115 includes a first 202 and second 244 regulating circuit each associated with a respective reference resistance element 108, 110. These regulating circuits respectively hold the voltage across reference resistors elements 108 and 110 at V_Ain the manner described above with reference to FIG. 2. The resistance elements R₀, R₁have respective known resistance values corresponding to one of the logic states of a memory element and the other corresponding to the other possible logic state. The reference voltage generating circuit 115 also includes capacitors C₁and C₀respectively associated with the reference resistance elements R₀and R₁. Each of the capacitors C₁and C₀has one lower terminal grounded and the other upper terminal connectable to a common voltage line 132 through a respective switch element 134, 136. The switch elements 134, 136 are configured to connect the upper terminals of the capacitors C₁, C₀to either a source of voltage V_Aor to the common voltage line 132. The common voltage line 132 is connected to the reference voltage input 113 of comparator 304.

[0020] As noted, the comparator 304 also has a voltage input 116. This is connected through another switch element 206 to an upper terminal of a sensing capacitor C_sense, the lower terminal of which is grounded. Switch element 206 is adapted to connect the upper terminal of comparator C_senseto either a source of voltage V_Aor to the input 116 of comparator 304. The input 116 is also connected to the upper (drain) terminal of transistor 240 which has it's source terminal connected to the resistance element 204, the resistance of which is to be measured.

[0021] All of the switch elements 134, 136 and 206 switch together to either connect the upper terminals of capacitors C_sense, C₁, an C₀to the voltage V_A, or to connect the upper terminal of capacitor C_senseto input 116 and the upper terminals of capacitors C₁and C₀to common voltage line 132. When the switch elements are in the latter condition the capacitors C_sense, C₁, and C₀are connected in a way which provides the current flows I0, I1 and Isense through respective resistance elements R0, R1 and 204.

[0022] The circuit of FIG. 3 operates as follows. Capacitors C_sense, C₁, and C₀are first fully charged to V_Aby switch elements 134, 136206 simultaneously connecting their upper terminals to a V_Avoltage source. After the capacitors C_sense, C₁, and C₀are charged the switch elements 134, 136, and 206 are simultaneously operated to connect the upper terminal of capacitor C_senseto input 116 and the upper terminal of capacitors C₀and C₁to the common voltage line 132. As a result all three capacitors begin discharging in unison in the direction symbolized by current flow arrows I_sense, I₁and I₀. The rate at which the capacitors C₁and C₀discharge is determined by the resistance of the path through which they discharge.

[0023] The capacitor C_sensewill also discharge through resistance element 204 and the decaying voltage on capacitor 204 is applied to sense voltage input 116 of comparator 304. The discharge of both capacitors simultaneously will provide a reference voltage on voltage line 132 which is the average voltage instantaneously on capacitors C₁, C₀. Thus, as capacitors C₁and C₀discharge, this average voltage will decay. This average voltage is applied to the reference voltage input of comparator 304. The capacitor C_sensewill discharge significantly faster if resistance element 204 has a resistance representing a ‘0’ value (e.g. 950 KΩ) than a resistance representing a ‘1’ value (e.g. 1 MΩ). Consequently, the voltage on C_sensewill discharge either more slowly or more quickly than the average voltage discharge of C₁and C₀, hereafter noted as V_av. The combined average voltage across capacitors C₁and C₀as seen by comparator 304 decays with time as shown by V_avin FIG. 4. V_avfalls between the decaying voltage on capacitor Csense when a logical ‘1’ and a ‘0’ resistance is set in resistance element 204. Because the resistive memory element 204 being sensed will either store a 1 or a 0, its discharge voltage V_sensewill (intentionally) never be equal to V_av, instead V_sensewill always be measurably higher or lower than V_av. Accordingly, the difference between the sensed and reference discharge voltages (V_senseand V_av) will be compared by the comparator 304 at sense time t_sense, which will provide an electrical ‘1’ or ‘0’ output representing the stored logic value of resistance element 204.

[0024] Thus, determining whether a resistive memory element holds a ‘1’ or a ‘0’ does not require quantitatively measuring V_sense, instead, it is only necessary to compare V_sensewith V_avusing a comparator 304. A circuit for comparing V_senseto V_avcan be achieved with less components than a circuit for quantitatively measuring V_sense. The frequency with which the voltages V_senseand V_avcan be compared is limited only by the capacitance values of C₀, C₁, and C_sensewhich must also produce an integrating effect across their respective resistance elements.

[0025] FIG. 5 shows an alternative embodiment in which only a single capacitor C_avis used in the reference voltage across 115a. In such an embodiment, the desired V_avcould be obtained by discharging capacitor C_avacross a single resistor R_medianof known value which lies between resistance values corresponding to a logical ‘0’ and ‘1’ value. For example, if 950 KΩ corresponds to a typical MRAM resistance for a binary ‘0’, and 1 MΩ corresponds to the typical MRAM resistance for a binary ‘1’, then a median resistance value is set for example at 975 KΩ. By discharging capacitor C_avacross such a median resistance, a value for V_avfor comparison with V_sensecan be provided. In this embodiment, the R_medianresistance can be provided by using a single column, e.g. 108, of reference resistance elements in array 100 having this value, or dispensing with reference resistance element in the array in favor of an out-of array reference resistance element which has the R_medianvalue.

[0026] FIG. 6 illustrates how the current regulating circuit 200 and sensing circuit 300 of the invention are arranged with a memory array 100. In FIG. 6, the columns which connect with storage resistive elements are labeled 107, 109, while the reference columns remain shown in 108, 110.

[0027] The sensing circuit 300 of the present invention compares two discharge voltages V_senseand V_avand immediately makes a determination which logical value to output on bit-out line 330. Thus, a method and apparatus for quickly measuring MRAM values while minimizing the number of necessary components is achieved.

[0028] FIG. 7 is a block diagram of a processor-based system 350 utilizing a MRAM array 100 constructed in accordance with one of the embodiments of the present invention. The processor-based system 350 may be a computer system, a process control system or any other system employing a processor and associated memory. The system 350 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 352, e.g., a microprocessor, that communicates with the MRAM array 100 and an I/O device 354 over a bus 356. It must be noted that the bus 356 may be a series of buses and bridges commonly used in a processor-based system, but for convenience purposes only, the bus 356 has been illustrated as a single bus. A second I/O device 306 is illustrated, but is not necessary to practice the invention. The processor-based system 350 also includes read-only memory (ROM) 360 and may include peripheral devices such as a floppy disk drive 362 and a compact disk (CD) ROM drive 364 that also communicates with the CPU 352 over the bus 356 as is well known in the art.

[0029] While the invention has been described and illustrated with reference to specific exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that many modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not to be considered as limited by the foregoing description but is only limited by the scope of the appended claims.