Patents by Inventor Jean-Michel Mirabel

Jean-Michel Mirabel has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 5721706
    Abstract: An electrically programmable, non-volatile memory that can be used for the storage of the defective addresses in a redundancy circuit of a main memory, using bistable type non-volatile cells. Each cell includes floating-gate transistors, one of which is programmed to make the cell bistable. The floating-gate transistor is programmed by the application of a high voltage, to the gate, an intermediate voltage to the source and a zero voltage or a high impedance state to the drain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 24, 1998
    Assignee: SGS-Thomson Microelectronics S.A.
    Inventor: Jean-Michel Mirabel
  • Patent number: 5677870
    Abstract: An electrically programmable, non-volatile memory that can be used for the storage of the defective addresses in a redundancy circuit of a main memory, using bistable type non-volatile cells. Each cell includes floating-gate transistors, one of which is programmed to make the cell bistable. The floating-gate transistor is programmed by the application of a high voltage, to the gate, an intermediate voltage to the source and a zero voltage or a high impedance state to the drain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 1996
    Date of Patent: October 14, 1997
    Assignee: SGS-Thomson Microelectronics S.A.
    Inventor: Jean-Michel Mirabel
  • Patent number: 5675539
    Abstract: An integrated circuit memory that contains a device for the precharging and reading of the bit lines, including a precharging element, a current-voltage converter and a read circuit, further contains a test circuit to isolate the output of the converter from the precharging element and from the read circuit, to apply a test voltage to a cell of the memory through the converter and to measure the current in the cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 7, 1997
    Assignee: SGS-Thomson Microelectronics, S.A.
    Inventors: Jean-Michel Mirabel, Emilio Yero
  • Patent number: 5606523
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to memories in integrated circuit form. A programmable non-volatile memory cell of the bistable type is described. This memory cell can take one stable state or another depending on whether either one of two floating-gate transistors of the cell has been programmed. In the initial state, neither of the two transistors is programmed so that the cell cannot remain in this state and at least one of the transistors has to be programmed. To avoid this, there is provided an additional transistor controlled by the output of the cell to set up imbalance in the cell which can then take a well-determined stable state even if no transistor is programmed, while at the same time ensuring that there is no consumption of current by the cell even in this case. The disclosure can be applied to the redundancy circuits of large-capacity memories to memorize the defective addresses. It makes it possible to avoid having to program the cells when the memory has no defective addresses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: February 25, 1997
    Assignee: SGS-Thomson Microelectronics S.A.
    Inventor: Jean-Michel Mirabel
  • Patent number: 5592417
    Abstract: An electrically programmable, non-volatile memory that can be used for the storage of the defective addresses in a redundancy circuit of a main memory, using bistable type non-volatile cells. Each cell includes floating-gate transistors, one of which is programmed to make the cell bistable. The floating-gate transistor is programmed by the application of a high voltage, to the gate, an intermediate voltage to the source and a zero voltage or a high impedance state to the drain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 1995
    Date of Patent: January 7, 1997
    Assignee: SGS-Thomson Microelectronics S.A.
    Inventor: Jean-Michel Mirabel
  • Patent number: 5561621
    Abstract: The disclosure relates to integrated circuits and, notably, to memories. A description is given of a bistable type of programmable, non-volatile memory, namely a memory that can take one state or another by the programming of one of two floating-gate transistors of the cell. To program a cell such as this, there are two transistors for the application of a programming voltage (VPRG). In order that the signals going through the programming paths (in particular the address signals) may not disturb the state of the cell in reading mode, provision is made for two isolation transistors interposed between the transistors for the application of the programming voltage and the drains of the floating-gate transistors. These isolation transistors are made conductive by a signal CAMSEL solely for a programming operation and solely for only one group of cells to be programmed. These cells can be applied notably to the storage of defective address elements in the redundancy circuits of large-capacity memories.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 1, 1996
    Assignee: SGS-Thomson Microelectronics, S.A.
    Inventors: Jean Devin, Jean-Michel Mirabel