Claims
- 1. A memory device comprising:
a plurality of memory cells; a plurality of digit lines wherein each digit line is coupled to at least one of said memory cells; a plurality of sense amplifiers wherein each sense amplifier is coupled to at least one of said memory cells; and a voltage coupling/decoupling device having an output coupled to a first of said digit lines, wherein said voltage device couples voltage onto or decouples voltage from said first digit line after one of said memory cells is accessed and before one of said sense amplifiers is fired, said one sense amplifier coupled to said one memory cell.
- 2. The memory device of claim 1 wherein said voltage coupling/decoupling device comprises:
a voltage driver having an output, said voltage driver operative to generate a first or a second voltage signal; and a capacitor having a first terminal and a second terminal, said first terminal coupled to said driver output and said second terminal coupled to said first digit line.
- 3. The memory device of claim 2 wherein said first and second voltage signals are of different voltage magnitudes.
- 4. The memory device of claim 1 wherein:
said first digit line is coupled to said one memory cell and to said one sense amplifier; and said voltage coupling/decoupling device couples voltage onto said first digit line.
- 5. The memory device of claim 1 wherein:
said first digit line is coupled to said one sense amplifier; and said voltage coupling/decoupling device decouples voltage from said first digit line.
- 6. The memory device of claim 1 wherein said memory device is a dynamic random access memory.
- 7. A memory device comprising:
a memory cell; a digit line coupled to said memory cell; a sense amplifier coupled to said memory cell via said digit line; and a voltage coupling/decoupling device having an output coupled to said digit line wherein said voltage device couples voltage onto said digit line after said memory cell is accessed and before said sense amplifier is fired.
- 8. The memory device of claim 7 wherein said voltage coupling/decoupling device comprises:
a voltage driver having an output, said voltage driver operative to generate a first or a second voltage signal; and a capacitor having a first terminal and a second terminal, said first terminal coupled to said driver output and said second terminal coupled to said digit line.
- 9. The memory device of claim 8 wherein said first and second voltage signals are of different voltage magnitudes.
- 10. The memory device of claim 8 wherein said memory device is a dynamic random access memory.
- 11. A memory device comprising:
a memory cell; a sense amplifier coupled to said memory cell; a digit line coupled to said sense amplifier; and a voltage coupling/decoupling device having an output coupled to said digit line wherein said voltage device decouples voltage from said digit line after said memory cell is accessed and before said sense amplifier is fired.
- 12. The memory device of claim 11 wherein said voltage coupling/decoupling device comprises:
a voltage driver having an output, said voltage driver operative to generate a first or a second voltage signal; and a capacitor having a first terminal and a second terminal, said first terminal coupled to said driver output and said second terminal coupled to said digit line.
- 13. The memory device of claim 12 wherein said first and second voltage signals are of different voltage magnitudes.
- 14. The memory device of claim 11 wherein said memory device is a dynamic random access memory.
- 15. A memory device comprising:
a memory cell; a sense amplifier coupled to a node; a digit line coupled to said memory cell and to said node; and a voltage coupling/decoupling device having an output coupled to said node wherein said voltage device couples voltage onto said node after said memory cell is accessed and before said sense amplifier is fired.
- 16. The memory device of claim 15 wherein said memory device is a dynamic random access memory.
- 17. A memory device comprising:
a memory cell; a sense amplifier coupled to said memory cell and to a node; a digit line coupled to said node; and a voltage coupling/decoupling device having an output coupled to said node wherein said voltage device decouples voltage from said node after said memory cell is accessed and before said sense amplifier is fired.
- 18. The memory device of claim 17 wherein said memory device is a dynamic random access memory.
- 19. A method of operating a memory device, said method comprising:
applying a same voltage to first and second digit lines; accessing an electrical charge stored within a memory cell via said first digit line, said accessing resulting in said first digit line having a first digit line bias voltage; capacitively decoupling a voltage from said second digit line to generate a second digit line bias voltage; and restoring electrical charge in said memory cell to a predetermined level.
- 20. The method of claim 19 wherein said restoring comprises:
comparing the voltage difference between said first digit line bias voltage and said second digit line bias voltage; and restoring electrical charge in said memory cell to a predetermined level when said voltage difference equals a threshold.
- 21. The method of claim 19 wherein said capacitively decoupling a voltage from said second digit line reduces said voltage applied to said second digit line.
- 22. A method of operating a memory device, said method comprising:
applying a same voltage to first and second digit lines; accessing an electrical charge stored within a memory cell via said first digit line, said accessing resulting in said first digit line having a first digit line bias voltage; capacitively coupling a voltage onto said first digit line to generate an increased first digit line bias voltage; and restoring electrical charge in said memory cell to a predetermined level.
- 23. The method of claim 22 wherein said restoring comprises:
comparing the voltage difference between said first digit line bias voltage and the voltage of said second digit line; and restoring electrical charge in said memory cell to a predetermined level when said voltage difference equals a threshold.
- 24. The method of claim 22 further comprising capacitively decoupling a voltage from said second digit line to generate a second digit line bias voltage, said second digit line bias voltage less than said first digit line bias voltage.
- 25. Memory apparatus comprising:
means for applying a same voltage to first and second digit lines; means for accessing an electrical charge stored in a memory cell coupled to said first digit line; means for creating or increasing a voltage difference between said first and second digit lines wherein said second digit line voltage is lower than said first digit line voltage; and means for restoring said electrical charge in said memory cell to a predetermined level in response to said voltage difference reaching a threshold.
- 26. An electronic system comprising:
a processor; a memory controller; a memory circuit comprising:
at least one memory cell, a sense amplifier coupled to said one memory cell, at least two digit lines, one of said two digit lines coupled to said memory cell and both of said two digit lines coupled to said sense amplifier, and a voltage coupling/decoupling device having an output coupled to one of said two digit lines, said voltage device capacitively coupling voltage onto or decoupling voltage from said one of said two digit lines after said memory cell is accessed and before said sense amplifier is fired; and a plurality of signal buses coupling said processor to said memory controller and said memory controller to said memory circuit.
- 27. The system of claim 26 wherein said memory circuit is a dynamic random access memory.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/233,871, filed Aug. 29, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,757,202, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
10233871 |
Aug 2002 |
US |
Child |
10874995 |
Jun 2004 |
US |