Anti-fuse memory cell state detection circuit and memory

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11854633-B2
Application number	US-202117446289-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 27, 2021
Priority date	Jul 16, 2020
Publication date	Dec 26, 2023
Grant date	Dec 26, 2023

Abstract

A state detection circuit of an anti-fuse memory cell includes a first switching element, having a first end connected to a power supply, a second end connected to a first node, and a control end connected to a controller; an anti-fuse memory cell array including a plurality of anti-fuse memory cell sub-arrays, bit lines of the plurality of anti-fuse memory cell sub-arrays being all connected to the first node, and word lines of the plurality of anti-fuse memory cell sub-arrays being all connected to the controller; and a comparator, having a first input end connected to the first node, and a second input end connected to a reference voltage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A state detection circuit of an anti-fuse memory cell, comprising:
a first switching element, having a first end connected to a power supply, a second end connected to a first node, and a control end connected to a controller;
an anti-fuse memory cell array comprising a plurality of anti-fuse memory cell sub-arrays, bit lines of the plurality of anti-fuse memory cell sub-arrays being all connected to the first node, and word lines of the plurality of anti-fuse memory cell sub-arrays being all connected to the controller; and
a comparator, having a first input end connected to the first node, and a second input end connected to a reference voltage;
wherein the anti-fuse memory cell sub-array comprises a plurality of anti-fuse memory cells; and the controller is configured to detect states of the plurality of anti-fuse memory cells one by one by switching on or off the first switching element,
wherein the controller is further configured to:
output a first control signal at a first time point to switch on the first switching element;
output a second control signal at a second time point to switch off the first switching element, and output a third control signal to switch on one of the plurality of anti-fuse memory cells; and
acquire an output signal of the comparator at a third time point;
wherein the third time point is later than the second time point, and the second time point is later than the first time point, and
wherein the third time point is determined according to following approaches:
acquiring a maximum resistance of the anti-fuse memory cell after being broken down and a minimum resistance of the anti-fuse memory cell without being broken down;
determining a first voltage change curve and a second voltage change curve of the first node according to the power supply, the maximum resistance and the minimum resistance; and
taking a time point where a difference value between the first voltage change curve and the second voltage change curve is the largest as the third time point.

2. The state detection circuit of an anti-fuse memory cell of claim 1 , wherein the reference voltage is determined according to following approaches:
determining a first voltage value of the first voltage change curve at the third time point and a second voltage value of the second voltage change curve at the third time point; and
setting an average value of the first voltage value and the second voltage value as the reference voltage.

3. The state detection circuit of an anti-fuse memory cell of claim 1 , further comprising a detection capacitor, wherein a first end of the detection capacitor is connected to the first node, and a second end is grounded.

4. The state detection circuit of an anti-fuse memory cell of claim 1 , further comprising a flip-flop, wherein an input end of the flip-flop is connected to an output end of the comparator; and a first output end and a second output end of the flip-flop are both connected to the controller.

5. The state detection circuit of an anti-fuse memory cell of claim 1 , wherein the anti-fuse memory cell comprises:
a second switching element, having a first end connected to the bit line of the anti-fuse memory cell;
an anti-fuse element, having a first end connected to a second end of the second switching element;
a control end of the second switching element and a control end of the anti-fuse element are both connected to the controller.

6. The state detection circuit of an anti-fuse memory cell of claim 1 , wherein the comparator is in a disable state when the first switching element is switched on.

7. The state detection circuit of an anti-fuse memory cell of claim 6 , wherein the comparator adopts a self-bias circuit.

8. A memory device, comprising the state detection circuit of an anti-fuse memory cell of claim 1 .

9. The state detection circuit of an anti-fuse memory cell of claim 1 , wherein a plurality of third switching elements correspond to the plurality of anti-fuse memory cell sub-arrays, a first end of each third switching element is connected to a bit line of a corresponding anti-fuse memory cell sub-array, a second end of each third switching element is connected to the first node, and a control end of each third switching element is connected to the controller.

10. The state detection circuit of an anti-fuse memory cell of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
transmit a fourth control signal at a fourth time point to a third switching element corresponding to a switched-on anti-fuse memory cell to switch on the third switching element.

11. The state detection circuit of an anti-fuse memory cell of claim 10 , wherein the fourth time point is later than the first time point and prior to the third time point.

Assignees

• Changxin Memory Tech Inc

Inventors

• Ji Rumin

Classifications

• G11C17/18 Primary

  Auxiliary circuits, e.g. for writing into memory · CPC title

• G11C11/4074

  Power supply or voltage generation circuits, e.g. bias voltage generators, substrate voltage generators, back-up power, power control circuits · CPC title

• G11C11/4085

  Word line control circuits, e.g. word line drivers, - boosters, - pull-up, - pull-down, - precharge · CPC title

• G11C11/4094

  Bit-line management or control circuits · CPC title

• G11C17/16

  using electrically-fusible links · CPC title