• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.685-694
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• 2015

In this paper, a new dynamic reference scheme is proposed to improve the read voltage margin better than the previous static reference scheme. The proposed dynamic reference scheme can be helpful in compensating not only the background pattern dependence but also the cell position dependence. The proposed dynamic reference is verified by simulating the CMOS-memristor hybrid circuit using the practical CMOS SPICE and memristor Verilog-A models. In the simulation, the percentage read voltage margin is compared between the previous static reference scheme and the new dynamic reference scheme. Assuming that the critical percentage of read voltage margin is 5%, the memristor array size with the dynamic scheme can be larger by 60%, compared to the array size with the static one. In addition, for the array size of $64{\times}64$, the interconnect resistance in the array with the dynamic scheme can be increased by 30% than the static reference one. For the array size of $128{\times}128$, the interconnect resistance with the proposed scheme can be improved by 38% than the previous static one, allowing more margin on the variation of interconnect resistance.

• Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Materials
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.293-302
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• 2015

Degraded data stability, weaker write ability, and increased leakage power consumption are the primary concerns in scaled static random-access memory (SRAM) circuits. Two new SRAM cells are proposed in this paper for achieving enhanced read data stability and lower leakage power consumption in memory circuits. The bitline access transistors are asymmetrically gate-underlapped in the proposed SRAM cells. The strengths of the asymmetric bitline access transistors are weakened during read operations and enhanced during write operations, as the direction of current flow is reversed. With the proposed hybrid asymmetric SRAM cells, the read data stability is enhanced by up to 71.6% and leakage power consumption is suppressed up to 15.5%, while displaying similar write voltage margin and maintaining identical silicon area as compared to the conventional memory cells in a 15 nm FinFET technology.

• Journal of IKEEE
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• v.1 no.1 s.1
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• pp.11-18
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• 1997

By utilizing the technique to monitor the DC cell node voltages through circuit simulation, degradation of the static read operating margin In high load-resistor SRAM cell was examined, which is caused by parasitic resistances and transistor asymmetries in this cell structure. By selectively adding the parasitic resistances to an ideal cell, the influence of each parasitic resistance on the operating margin was examined, and then the cases with parasitic resistances in pairs were also examined. By selectively changing the channel width of cell transistors to generate cell asymmetry, the influence of cell asymmetry on the operating margin was also examined. Analyses on the operating margins were performed by comparing the supply voltage values at which two cell node voltages merge to a single value and the differences of cell node voltages at VDD=5V in the simulated node voltage characteristics. By determining the parasitic resistances and the transistor asymmetries which give the most serious effect on the static read-operation of SRAM cell from this analysis based on circuit simulated, a criteria was provided, which can be referred in the design of new SRAM cell structures.

• ETRI Journal
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.457-462
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• 2007

This work presents a low-voltage static random access memory (SRAM) technique based on a dual-boosted cell array. For each read/write cycle, the wordline and cell power node of selected SRAM cells are boosted into two different voltage levels. This technique enhances the read static noise margin to a sufficient level without an increase in cell size. It also improves the SRAM circuit speed due to an increase in the cell read-out current. A 0.18 ${\mu}m$ CMOS 256-kbit SRAM macro is fabricated with the proposed technique, which demonstrates 0.8 V operation with 50 MHz while consuming 65 ${\mu}W$/MHz. It also demonstrates an 87% bit error rate reduction while operating with a 43% higher clock frequency compared with that of conventional SRAM.

• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.31-38
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• 2016

A novel self-reference sense amplifier with parallel reading during writing operation is proposed. Read access time is improved compared to conventional self-reference scheme with fast operation speed by reducing operation steps to 1 for read operation cycle using parallel reading scheme, while large sense margin competitive to conventional destructive scheme is obtained by using self-reference scheme. The simulation was performed using standard $0.18{\mu}m$ CMOS process. The proposed self-reference sense amplifier improved not only the operation speed of less than 20 ns which is comparable to non-destructive sense amplifier, but also sense margin over 150 mV which is larger than conventional sensing schemes. The proposed scheme is expected to be very helpful for engineers for developing MRAM technology.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Information and Commucation Sciences Conference
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• 2011.05a
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• pp.687-691
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• 2011

In this paper, we design an 8-bit eSuse OTP (one-time programmable) memory in consideration of EM (electro-migration) and eFuse resistance variation based on a $0.18{\mu}m$ generic process, which is used for an analog trimming application. First, we use an external program voltage to increase the program power applied an eFuse. Secondly, we apply a scheme of precharging BL to VSS prior to RWL (read word line) activation and optimize read NMOS transistors to reduce the read current flowing through a non-programmed cell. Thirdly, we design a sensing margin test circuit with a variable pull-up load out of consideration for the eFuse resistance variation of a programmed eFuse. Finally, we increase program yield of eFuse OTP memory by splitting the length of an eFuse link.

• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.363-369
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• 2017

Phase-change random access memory (PRAM) has been emerged as a potential memory due to its excellent scalability, non-volatility, and random accessibility. But, as the cell current is reducing due to cell size scaling, the read-sensing window margin is also decreasing due to increased variation of cell performance distribution, resulting in a substantial loss of yield. To cope with this problem, a novel adaptive read-sensing reference current generation scheme is proposed, whose trimming range and resolution are adaptively controlled depending on process conditions. Performance evaluation in a 58-nm CMOS process indicated that the proposed read-sensing reference current scheme allowed the integral nonlinearity (INL) to be improved from 10.3 LSB to 2.14 LSB (79% reduction), and the differential nonlinearity (DNL) from 2.29 LSB to 0.94 LSB (59% reduction).

• Proceedings of the IEEK Conference
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• 2005.11a
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• pp.647-650
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• 2005

In this paper, a low voltage SRAM using double boosting scheme is described. A low supply voltage deteriorates the static noise margin (SNM) and the cell read-out current. For read/write operation, a selected word line and cell VDD bias are boosted in a different level using double boosting scheme. This increases not only the static noise margin but also the cell readout current at a low supply voltage. A low voltage SRAM with 32K ${\times}$ 8bit implemented in a 0.18um CMOS technology shows an access time of 26.1ns at 0.8V supply voltage.

• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.347-353
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• 2017

We present a STT-MRAM read-circuit which mitigates the performance degradation caused by offsets from device mismatches. In the circuit, a single current source supplies read-current to both the data and the reference cells sequentially eliminating potential mismatches. Furthermore, an offset-free pre-amplification using a capacitor storing the mismatch information is employed to lessen the effect of the comparator offset. The proposed circuit was implemented using a 130-nm CMOS technology and Monte Carlo simulations of the circuit demonstrate its effectiveness in suppressing the effect of device mismatch.

• JSTS:Journal of Semiconductor Technology and Science
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.88-94
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• 2011

In this paper, we design a 1-kb OTP (Onetime programmable) memory IP in consideration of BCD process based EM (Electro-migration) and resistance variations of eFuse. We propose a method of precharging BL to VSS before activation of RWL (Read word-line) and an optimized design of read NMOS transistor to reduce read current through a non-programmed cell. Also, we propose a sensing margin test circuit with a variable pull-up load out of consideration for resistance variations of programmed eFuse. Peak current through the non-programmed eFuse is reduced from 728 ${\mu}A$ to 61 ${\mu}A$ when a simulation is done in the read mode. Furthermore, BL (Bit-line) sensing is possible even if sensed resistance of eFuse has fallen by about 9 $k{\Omega}$ in a wafer read test through a variable pull-up load resistance of BL S/A (Sense amplifier).