Abstract: A semiconductor circuit is disclosed which contains a driving circuit which is integrated into a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type and includes positive voltage switching transistors for switching positive and/or zero voltage levels and negative switching transistors for switching negative and/or zero voltage levels. In addition, the driving circuit contains a control circuit which is positioned upstream from the driving circuit and is also embodied in the semiconductor substrate, which is connected to a substrate voltage. A negative voltage switching transistor of the driving circuit is configured inside an outer well which is embedded in the semiconductor substrate and is of a second conductivity type which is opposite to the first, and the outer well is connected to a supply voltage.

Abstract: An integrated memory has word lines that run in a first direction, and bit lines and control lines that run in a second direction, which is perpendicular to the first direction. A controllable path of each memory transistor connects one of the bit lines to one of the control lines. The control electrode of each memory transistor is connected to one of the word lines. Since the bit lines and control lines run in the same direction and are thus arranged parallel to one another, they can be arranged within a common wiring plane of the integrated memory. Since the terminals of the controllable path are usually likewise arranged in a common wiring plane, for example in a substrate of the integrated memory, it is possible, to arrange the bit lines and control lines in the same wiring plane as the controllable path of the transistors.

Abstract: An integrated memory has two first switching elements, which respectively connect a bit line of a first bit line pair to a bit line of a second bit line pair. In addition, the integrated memory has two second switching elements, which respectively connect one of the reference cells of one bit line pair to that bit line of the other bit line pair which is not connected via the corresponding first switching element to the bit line assigned to this reference cell. Information is written back to the reference cells via the sense amplifiers. A method of operating the integrated memory is also provided.

Abstract: In a semiconductor memory configuration, a refresh operation is always started by a refresh logic circuit when a comparison circuit determines that there is a specific minimum difference when comparing a characteristic variable of at least one reference memory cell with a reference value (VREF).

Abstract: A description is given of a method for operating an integrated memory which has memory cells each having a selection transistor and a storage capacitor with a ferroelectric storage effect. The memory contains a plate line, which is connected to one of the column lines via a series circuit containing a selection transistor and a storage capacitor of respective memory cells. A memory access is carried out according to the “pulsed plate concept”. In this case, the temporal sequence is controlled in such a way that, in an access cycle, the storage capacitor of the memory cell to be selected is in each case charged and discharged by the same amount. An attenuation or destruction of the information stored in the memory cells, which is caused by source-drain leakage currents of unactivated selection transistors, is thus avoided.

Abstract: The integrated memory has m>1 bit lines that are connected to an input of a read-write amplifier via a switching element. Only one switching element is conductively connected for each read or write access. The memory is provided with a switching unit that influences read or write access occurring by way of the read-write amplifier and bit lines. The circuit unit is provided with an activation input. A column-end decoder has a first decoder stage and m second decoder stages. The outputs of the second decoder stages are connected to a control input for each of the switching elements. The output of the first decoder stage is connected to the activation input of the switching unit.

Abstract: The invention provides a method. In a first step of a method for fabricating a ferroelectric memory configuration, there is provided a substrate having a multiplicity of memory cells. Each of the memory cells has at least one select transistor, at least one short-circuit transistor, and at least one ferroelectric capacitor. The transistors are connected in an electrically conductive manner to a first of the electrodes of the ferroelectric capacitor. In the next step, at least one electrically insulating layer is applied. In the next step, at least one contact hole for connecting a second electrode of the ferroelectric capacitors is produced. Next, contact holes for connecting the short-circuit transistors are produced. Next, the contact holes are filled with electrically conductive material. Next, an electrically conductive layer is applied and patterned, so that the second electrodes of the ferroelectric capacitors are each conductively connected to the short-circuit transistors.

Abstract: A circuit configuration for reading a ferroelectric memory cell which has a ferroelectric capacitor is described. The memory cell is connected to a bit line. The circuit configuration provides a differential amplifier having a first differential amplifier input, a second differential amplifier input and a differential amplifier output. The first differential amplifier input is connected to the bit line, and the second differential amplifier input is connected to a reference signal. A first driver input of a first driver circuit is connected to the differential amplifier output, and a first driver output is connected to the bit line. The differential amplifier is fed back through the first driver circuit and regulates the bit line voltage to the voltage value of the reference signal.

Abstract: An integrated memory in which the plate lines run parallel to the bit lines and are driven by the column decoder. The effect achieved by the fact that each plate line is connected to the memory cells of the associated bit line is that only those memory cells whose associated bit line is required for the respective memory access are affected by the pulsed signals of the plate line. Therefore, only the potential of that bit line which is currently required for a data transfer is influenced by pulsed signals on the associated plate lines.

Abstract: A reference circuit (132) for an MRAM array, including logic “1” reference MRAM cells (MR1a) and (MR1b) coupled in parallel with logic “0” reference MRAM cells (MR0a) and (MR0b) The reference current (Iref)is coupled to a measurement resistor (Rm4) of a sense amplifier (130) which is adapted to determine the logic state of an unknown memory cell MCu.

Abstract: A method, and a system for employing the method, for providing a modified optical proximity correction (OPC) for correcting distortions of pattern lines on a semiconductor circuit wafer. The method comprises producing a mask having one or more pattern regions, and producing the semiconductor circuit wafer from the mask. The pattern regions include one or more non-edge pattern regions located adjacent to other of the non-edge pattern regions on the mask. The pattern regions further include one or more edge pattern regions located at or near an area on the mask not having the other non-edge pattern regions. The edge pattern regions have widths calculated to minimize the variance in dimensions between one or more pattern lines on the semiconductor circuit wafer formed from them and one or more pattern lines on the semiconductor circuit wafer formed from the non-edge pattern regions.

Abstract: An MRAM device (100) and method of manufacturing thereof having magnetic memory storage cells or stacks (MS0, MS1, MS2, MS3) coupled together in series. Devices (X0, X1, X2, and X3) are coupled in parallel to each magnetic memory storage cell (MS0, MS1, MS2, MS3). The active area (AA) is continuous, and contact vias (VU1, VL1, VU2, VL2 and VU3) are shared by magnetic stacks (MS0, MS1, MS2, MS3). N+ regions (108, 110, 112, 114, 116, 118) are coupled together by devices (X0, X1, X2, and X3).

Abstract: An MRAM device (100) and method of manufacturing thereof having wordlines (112) that run non-orthogonal relative to bitlines (122), resulting in lower current and power consumption.

Abstract: A ferroelectric storage assembly containing a storage cell array composed of a plurality of storage cells is described. Each storage cell contains at least one selector transistor and a storage capacitor, and can be controlled via word lines and bit lines. A short-circuit transistor is located over each storage capacitor in order to protect the storage.

Abstract: The invention relates to an MRAM memory cell including a magnetoresistive resistor and a switching transistor. The magnetoresistive resistor is located between a central metallization plane and an upper metallization plane. The central metallization plane serves for the word line stitch and also for writing. A word line BOOST circuit is provided in the stitch region of each cell, with the result that the critical voltage is not reached in the magnetoresistive resistor and the switching transistor can nevertheless be turned on.

Abstract: Providing an active signal that increases the gate overdrive voltage of the driver of a sense amplifier enables the use of smaller drivers. This facilitates more efficient layouts and/or smaller sense amplifiers, thereby reducing the chip size.

Abstract: An integrated magnetoresistive semiconductor memory in which each memory cell contains a switching transistor or a diode in the form of an activatable isolating element, and two magnetic layers that are isolated by a thin tunnel barrier. Connecting conductors are respectively integrated for word lines, digit lines and bit lines and also for the purpose of activating the switching transistor in one or more memory cells. These connecting conductors are located in only two metallization planes and in a polysilicon connection plane.

Abstract: An integrated memory has a normal bit line for transferring data from or to normal memory cells connected to it, and also a normal sense amplifier, which is connected via a line to the normal bit line and connected to a data line and amplifies data read from the normal memory cells. Furthermore, the memory has a redundant sense amplifier for replacing the normal sense amplifier in the redundancy situation. The redundant sense amplifier is likewise connected on the one hand to the line and on the other hand to the data line and, in the redundancy situation, serves for amplifying the data read from the normal memory cells. A method for repairing an integrated memory is also provided.

Abstract: The decoder element is used for producing an output signal having three different potentials at an output. The second potential is situated between the first potential and the third potential. The decoder element makes it possible to produce any one of the three potentials at its output based upon the potentials on its connections.

Abstract: A circuit for generating a reference voltage for the reading out from and the evaluation of read output signals which are read out with a constant plate voltage from storage cells of a ferroelectric memory via bit lines. In the circuit, a reference voltage device is formed of two reference cells that are subjected to the action of complementary signals. The reference cells can be simultaneously read out in order to generate the reference voltage in a selection and evaluation device.