Samsung patents memory chip that reads data from both sides of a cell
Samsung has been granted a patent for a memory device that reads data from bidirectional memory cells. The system uses a specific circuit to apply voltage to both sides of a material film and compares the electrical response to determine if the data is stored as a crystalline or amorphous state.
In the filing’s own words
A memory device performs a read operation of bidirectional switching memory cells. The memory device includes a plurality of memory cells, each of the plurality of memory cells including a material film, an access circuit, and a sense circuit. A logic state of the material film is programmed based on whether the material film is in a crystalline state or an amorphous state. The access circuit applies a first voltage to a first electrode of a selected memory cell from among the plurality of memory cells and applies a second voltage to a second electrode of the selected memory cell, and the sense circuit determines a logic state of the selected memory cell based on electrical reactions of a first sensing node and a second sensing node connected to the selected memory cell with regard to the first voltage and the second voltage.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A memory device comprising: a memory cell array including a plurality of memory cells, each of the plurality of memory cells including a material film, a first electrode on a first side of the material film, and a second electrode on a second side of the material film opposite to the first side, wherein a logic state of the material film is programmed based on whether the material film is in a crystalline state or an amorphous state; an access circuit configured to apply a first voltage to a first electrode of a selected memory cell from among the plurality of memory cells and apply a second voltage to a second electrode of the selected memory cell; and a sense circuit configured to determine a logic state of the selected memory cell based on electrical reactions of a first sensing node and a second sensing node connected to the selected memory cell with regard to the first voltage and the second voltage, wherein the sense circuit comprises: a switch configured to electrically connect the first sensing node to the second sensing node based on a read signal; a capacitor connected between the second sensing node and a sensing input node; a pre-charger configured to pre-charge the sensing input node with a pre-charge voltage based on a pre-charge control signal; and a comparing circuit configured to compare a voltage level of the sensing input node with a voltage level of a reference voltage and output a signal indicating the logic state of the selected memory cell.
Facts
- Company
- Samsung (Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.)
- Official title
- Memory devices for implementing read operation of bidirectional selector only memory (SOM) cells
- Patent number
- US12755784B2
- Application number
- 18982139
- Filed
- Dec 16, 2024
- Granted
- Oct 6, 2026
- Inventors
- 2
- Claims
- 20
Classified under
G11C 13/004 Physics & computingG11C 13/0069 Physics & computingH10B 63/10 Electricity & electronicsH10B 63/30 Electricity & electronicsMore from Samsung in Chips & hardware
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.