Abstract: A shunt activation signal is transmitted by an external control terminal through an external transmission interface to switch a flash memory controller in a shunt mode. The shunt activation signal of the external transmission interface can set up a switch as shunt. When the flash memory controller is defective due to errors or damage, the shunt mode enables the external control terminal to directly process data saving/retrieving to the flash memory chip or testing through the external transmission interface. Thus, the user need not purchase a new flash memory to replace the defective flash memory with the damaged flash memory controller.

Abstract: A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array of a plurality of memory cells; and a voltage generating circuit for generating a programming voltage to be applied to the memory cells. The voltage generating circuit includes a first voltage generating unit for generating a negative voltage through a first charge pump; and a second voltage generating unit for generating a positive voltage through a second charge pump. During an accelerated programming operation, the first voltage generating unit increases a pumping efficiency of the first charge pump using an external power supply voltage, and the second voltage generating unit directly outputs the external power supply voltage.

Abstract: A memory capable of performing a refresh operation uncompetitively with an internal access operation also when an external access operation is non-cyclically performed is obtained. This memory comprises an external access detection portion detecting an external access operation, an access control portion performing an internal access operation on the basis of the external access operation and a refresh determination portion determining whether or not to perform a refresh operation on the basis of detection of the external access operation by the external access detection portion and the operating state of the access control portion. The access control portion performs the refresh operation before or after the internal access operation on the basis of the result of determination of the refresh determination portion.

Abstract: A non-volatile semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array having a plurality of electrically-programmable non-volatile memory cells; a byte scan section detecting errors of said non-volatile memory cells per byte and outputting a status of pseudo-pass even though a number of byte errors are equal to or less than a predetermined allowable number of bytes; and a bit scan section detecting bit errors of said non-volatile memory cells per bit at the time of said status of said pseudo-pass being outputted by said byte scan part, and outputting a status of pseudo-pass even though said number of said bit errors are equal to or less than a predetermined allowable number of bits.

Abstract: A memory card module includes a first circuit board, and a second circuit board. On one surface of the first circuit board, there are flash memories and a controller. The second circuit board is installed at one end of the first circuit board and is electrically connected with the first circuit board so as to form a transmitting interface port. On a first surface of the second circuit board, there are a plurality of interface connecting points. On a second surface of the second circuit board, part of the second surface is hollowed out. A space formed between the hollowed out area and the corresponding first circuit board increases the area for circuit layouts and the mounting components for the first circuit board. Therefore, quantity of accommodated memory components may be increased so as to increase the total storage capacity of the memory card under limitation of small dimensions.

Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes first to third memory cell units, first and second bit lines, and first and second source lines. The first to third memory cell units include memory cell transistors serially connected between selection transistors. The first bit line is commonly connected to one end of the current path of the first memory cell unit and one end of the current path of the second memory cell unit. The second bit line is connected to one end of the current path of the third memory cell unit. The first source line is connected to the other end of the current path of the first memory cell unit. The second source line is commonly connected to the other end of the current path of the second memory cell unit and the other end of the current path of the third memory cell unit.

Abstract: Methods and arrangements to configure power management systems for integrated circuits are provided herein. A group of IC components that are functionally distinct or have mutually exclusive and/or quasi-mutually exclusive, (ME/QME) operating patterns (i.e. alternate or partially overlapping duty cycles) can be powered with a single power cell. An integrated circuit design tool can identified components in an integrated circuit design that have the ME/QME operating patterns. These cells can be collocated in close proximity to each other and power management system components can be placed in this area such that a multiple signal processing cells can share a single power line and a single power cell. Such a configuration can greatly reduce the size of a power management system for an integrated circuit.

Abstract: A line layout structure of semiconductor memory device comprises first metal wire lines forming a bit line coupled to a memory cell, second metal wire lines disposed substantially orthogonal to the first metal wire lines and over the first metal wire lines, the second metal wire lines forming a section word line electrically coupled to the memory cell, and third metal wire lines disposed substantially parallel to the second metal wire lines and over the second metal wire lines, the third metal wire lines forming a first power line or signal line.

Abstract: A sector erase method for use in a non-volatile memory, such as a FLASH memory, including a plurality of memory cells in rows and columns, the memory cells being divided into a plurality of sectors. The sector erase method includes erasing the memory cells of a first sector by applying successive erase pulses that increase in voltage magnitude or pulse width, until erasure of the first sector is verified. Erase condition information corresponding to the first sector, is recorded, this information including a number of times successive erase pulses are needed to be applied in order to erase the memory cells of the first sector. Memory cells of a next sector are erased by applying a first erase pulse having a voltage magnitude or pulse width determined from the recorded erase condition information. The first erase pulse may be incremented if the first erase pulse fails to erase that next sector.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory device is disclosed having a layout including, alternating pluralities of memory cell arrays and word line driving blocks arranged next to alternating pluralities of sense amplifier blocks and conjunction blocks, such that each sense amplifier block is located lateral to a corresponding memory cell array, and each conjunction block is located lateral to a corresponding word line driving block. Each sense amplifier block alternately includes one of a supply voltage driver and a ground voltage driver.

Abstract: A data bus inversion (DBI) circuit includes at least one DBI block configured to invert an input data signal based on the logic state of input data bits. The DBI block includes a comparison deciding unit configured to generate, in a first mode, a comparison signal based on the number of changed bits by comparing respective bit signals of the input data signal and a previous input data signal. The comparison deciding unit generates an inversion control signal which controls whether the input data will be inverted or not. In a second mode, the comparison deciding unit generates an inversion control signal based on the predominant logic state of the input data signal bits. A data converting unit is configured to invert the input data signal in response to the inversion control signal. Method embodiments are also disclosed.

Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit device includes even-numbered bit lines, odd-numbered bit lines, cell source lines, first memory elements electrically connected between the even-numbered bit lines and the cell source lines, and second memory elements electrically connected between the odd-numbered bit lines and the cell source lines and belonging to the same rows as the first memory elements. A potential corresponding to data to be programmed is applied to the first memory element via the even-numbered bit line and a potential which suppresses programming is applied to the second memory element via the cell source line while the odd-numbered bit lines are kept in an electrically floating state when data is programmed into the first memory element.

Abstract: An SRAM cell. The SRAM cell includes a first CMOS inverter and a second CMOS inverter, an input of the first inverter connected to an output of the second inverter and an input of the second inverter connected to an output of the first inverter, a first MOSFET interposed between an output of the first CMOS inverter and a first plate of a first capacitor, a second plate of the first capacitor connected to a high voltage terminal of a power supply; a second MOSFET interposed between an output of the second CMOS inverter and a first plate of a second capacitor, a second plate of the second capacitor connected to the high voltage terminal of the power supply; and a control signal line connected to a gate of the first MOSFET and a gate of the second MOSFET.

Abstract: When one or more storage data are coincident with single search data (12), an associative memory (1) carries out logical sum for all of storage data with a valid state for storage data as true. The result of logical sum is used as matched data logical-OR information. In a primary searching operation, the associative memory (1) is supplied with the search data (12) to provide the matched data logical-OR information on matched data logical-OR lines. Then, the associative memory (1) carries out a secondary searching operation supplied as search data with the matched data logical-OR information obtained by all of storage data coincident upon the primary searching operation. Only a match line (5) coincident with the matched data logical-OR information is selected as the secondary search result. The associative memory is used in a network router to calculate an optimum memory address signal (403) by encoding the selected match line (5).

Abstract: A sensing circuit for use with a CAM circuit including multiple match lines and multiple CAM cells connected to the match lines includes at least one charge sharing circuit and at least one switching circuit connected to the charge sharing circuit. The switching circuit is operative to selectively connect the charge sharing circuit to a corresponding one of the match lines as a function of a first control signal supplied to the switching circuit. The sensing circuit further includes at least one comparator circuit connected to the corresponding match line and operative to generate an output signal indicative of a match between search data supplied to at least a given one of the CAM cells connected to the corresponding match line and data stored in the given CAM cell. The charge sharing circuit is operative to remove an amount of charge on the corresponding match line so as to reduce a voltage on the corresponding match line in conjunction with a search operation of the CAM cell.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory device for consuming a uniform amount of current includes a memory cell block including a N normal wordline and a M preliminary wordline; a refresh address counting block for outputting a refresh address, having a plurality of bits, corresponding to the N normal wordline and the M preliminary wordline; a refresh counting control block for resetting the refresh address counting block when the refresh address counts a predetermined count during a test mode; and a row decoding block for refreshing unit cells coupled to the N normal wordline and unit cells coupled to the M preliminary wordline of the memory cell block according to the refresh address and a redundancy control signal outputted from the refresh counting control block, wherein M, N are positive integers.

Abstract: In one aspect, a non-volatile memory device is provided which is operable in a programming mode and a read mode. The memory device includes a memory cell array which includes a plurality of non-volatile memory cells, a plurality of word lines, and a plurality of bit lines. The memory device further includes an internal data output line for outputting data read from the bit lines of the memory array, and a page buffer operatively connected between a bit line of the memory cell array and the internal data output line. The page buffer includes a sense node which is selectively connected to the bit line, a latch circuit having a latch node which is selectively connected to the sense node, a latch input path which sets a logic voltage of the latch node in the programming mode and the read mode, and a latch output path which is separate from the latch input path and which sets as logic voltage of the internal date output line according to the logic voltage of the latch node.

Abstract: Memory circuits having different configurations of local word line driving circuits (LWLDC) and methods for designing such circuits are provided. The memory circuits include an array of memory cells and a plurality of local word lines each coupled to a different subset of the array of memory cells. The memory circuit further includes a plurality of LWLDC respectively coupled to the plurality of local word lines, a global word line bus coupled to the plurality of LWLDC, and a global word line driving circuit (GWLDC) coupled to the global word line bus. At least one of the plurality of LWLDC may be configured to have a smaller amount of load capacitance than another LWLDC arranged comparatively farther from the GWLDC. In some embodiments, the variance of load capacitance may be induced by a variance of size among the plurality of LWLDC, specifically with reference to different transistor width dimensions.

Abstract: After a refresh operation, a word control circuit holds the selection state of a word line selection signal line selected in each memory block corresponding to a refresh address. Further, in response to an access request, the word control circuit unselects only a word line selection signal line of a memory block selected by an external address corresponding to this access request. In each memory block, the word line selection signal line once selected is not unselected until the access request is received, so that the frequency of unselection and selection of the word line selection signal lines can be lowered. Consequently, a charge/discharge current of the word line selection signal lines can be reduced, which can reduce current consumption of a semiconductor memory.

Abstract: A Content Addressable Memory (CAM) device with an improved match sensing circuit is provided. The CAM is provided with a dummy cell and a respective dummy match line, as well as a reference dummy match line. The dummy match line is designed to be evaluated after all other cell match lines. The reference dummy match line triggers a dummy sensing block to initiate a time window for sensing the dummy match line. By this time, all other array match lines will have been stabilized and have reached their respective sensing blocks, to then allow the data to be latched. The match sensing circuit provided may be applied to a variety of arrangements including BCAMs and TCAMs.