Apparatus for time domain offset cancellation to improve sensing margin resistive memories

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9336873-B2
Application number	US-201314094488-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 2, 2013
Priority date	Dec 2, 2013
Publication date	May 10, 2016
Grant date	May 10, 2016

Abstract

Described are apparatuses for time domain offset cancellation. One example of the apparatus includes: a variable resistance memory cell; a reference resistive memory cell; a detector to generate an output indicating timing relationship between a pulse arriving from the variable resistance memory cell and a pulse arriving from the reference resistive memory cell; and a logic unit to receive the output from the detector and to generate a control signal to the adjust timing relationship as indicated by the detector.

First claim

We claim:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a variable resistance memory cell;
a reference resistive memory cell;
a detector to generate an output indicating timing relationship between a pulse arriving from the variable resistance memory cell and a pulse arriving from the reference resistive memory cell; and
a logic unit to receive the output from the detector and to generate a control signal to adjust the timing relationship as indicated by the detector,
wherein the variable resistance memory cell is coupled to the detector via a first tunable element and the reference resistive memory cell is coupled to the detector via a second tunable memory cell.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the detector is configured to generate the control signal for adjusting delay of the first tunable element.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first tunable element comprises a variable resistor or a tunable capacitor or both.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the detector is configured to generate the control signal for adjusting delay of the second tunable element.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the second tunable element comprises a variable resistor or a variable capacitor or both.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the variable resistance memory cell and the reference resistive memory cell is at least one of a cell of:
STT-MRAM;
ReRAM;
PCM; or
CBRAM.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the logic unit is configured to receive the output from the detector and to inject a pulse in a signal path of the variable resistance memory cell and in a signal path of the reference resistive memory cell.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the logic unit comprises a counter.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the logic unit further comprises a decoder configured to decode output of the counter, wherein the decoder to generate the control signal.

10. An apparatus comprising:
a digital control logic to provide a pulse;
an array of variable resistance memory cells;
reference resistive memory bit-cells;
column select multiplexer coupled to the array and the reference resistive memory bit-cells, the column select multiplexer to select a column of variable resistance memory cells in the array;
a wordline to select a bit-cell from the selected column of variable resistance memory cells and to select a reference bit-cell from the reference resistive memory bit-cells, the pulse to pass through a signal path having the selected bit-cell and a signal path having the selected reference bit-cell;
a detector to generate an output indicating timing relationship between the pulse arriving from the selected bit-cell and another pulse arriving from the selected reference bit-cell; and
a logic unit to receive the output from the detector and to generate a control signal to adjust the timing relationship as indicated by the detector,
wherein the array of variable resistance memory cells are coupled to the detector via a first tunable element and the reference resistive memory bit-cells are coupled to the detector via a second tunable memory cell.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the variable resistance memory cells and the reference resistive memory cells have at least one of a cell of:
STT-MRAM;
ReRAM;
PCM; or
CBRAM.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the logic unit is configured to receive the output from the detector and to inject a different pulse in the signal path after the variable resistance memory cells and in a signal path after the reference resistive memory cells.

13. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the logic unit comprises a counter.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the logic unit further comprises a decoder configured to decode output of the counter, wherein the decoder to generate the control signal.

15. A system comprising:
a processor;
a wireless interface for allowing the processor to communicate with another device; and
a memory coupled to the processor, the memory including:
a variable resistance memory cell;
a reference resistive memory cell;
a detector to generate an output indicating timing relationship between a pulse arriving from the variable resistance memory cell and a pulse arriving from the reference resistive memory cell; and
a logic unit to receive the output from the detector and to generate a control signal to adjust the timing relationship as indicated by the detector,
wherein the variable resistance memory cell is coupled to the detector via a first tunable element and the reference resistive memory cell is coupled to the detector via a second tunable memory cell.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprises a display unit for displaying content processed by the processor.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the display unit is a touch screen.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein the variable resistance memory cell and the reference resistive memory cell is at least one of a cell of:
STT-MRAM;
ReRAM;
PCM; or
CBRAM.

19. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the detector includes sequential units to preserve an order of rising edges of the pulse arriving from the variable resistance memory cell and the pulse arriving from the reference resistive memory cell.

Assignees

• August Nathaniel J
• Wei Liqiong
• Intel Corp

Inventors

• August Nathaniel J
• Wei Liqiong

Classifications

• G11C11/1693

  Timing circuits or methods · CPC title

• G11C13/0061 Primary

  Timing circuits or methods · CPC title

• G11C7/227

  Timing of memory operations based on dummy memory elements or replica circuits · CPC title

• G11C13/004

  Reading or sensing circuits or methods · CPC title

• G11C11/1673

  Reading or sensing circuits or methods · CPC title