Abstract: A CAM cell with masking made in the form of an integrated circuit, including a first storage cell including a first transistor, first and second inverters in anti-parallel, and a second transistor; a comparison cell, including third and fourth transistors controlling a fifth transistor, connected in series with a sixth inhibiting transistor to a result line; and a second storage cell, including a seventh transistor in series with two inverters in anti-parallel and an eighth transistor, the second storage cell controlling the inhibiting transistor. The first, second, seventh, and eighth transistors may be N-channel transistors, and the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth transistors may be P-channel transistors.

Abstract: There are many inventions described and illustrated herein. In a first aspect, the present invention is directed to a memory device and technique of reading data from and writing data into memory cells of the memory device. In this regard, in one embodiment of this aspect of the invention, the memory device and technique for operating that device that minimizes, reduces and/or eliminates the debilitating affects of the charge pumping phenomenon. This embodiment of the present invention employs control signals that minimize, reduce and/or eliminate transitions of the amplitudes and/or polarities. In another embodiment, the present invention is a semiconductor memory device including a memory array comprising a plurality of semiconductor dynamic random access memory cells arranged in a matrix of rows and columns.

Abstract: A device and a method for refreshing the voltage of a circuit line that provides the capability of bringing the circuit line to a ground voltage or to a first voltage. The method provides storing the circuit line voltage in a capacitor; and controlling, by means of the stored voltage, a switch connecting the circuit line to a second voltage of absolute value greater than the first voltage, whereby the circuit line is set to the second voltage if, during the step of storing, the circuit line was at the first voltage.

Abstract: A DRAM formed of an array of cells, each of which includes a capacitive memory point and a control transistor. The array is formed of the repetition of an elementary pattern extending over three rows and three columns and including six cells arranged so that each of the three rows and each of the three columns of the elementary pattern includes two cells, wherein each column of the elementary pattern includes a first and a second bit line, each first and second bit line being connected to one half of the memory cells included by the column.

Abstract: Disclosed are protection circuitry, and methods of operating the same, for use with clock circuits associated with integrated circuits (ICs). According to one exemplary embodiment, the protection circuitry is operable to generate at least two intermediate clock signals as a function of a received clock signal, and process the at least two intermediate clock signals to (i) cause an output of the protection circuitry to enter a high-impedance state when the at least two intermediate clock signals are different, and (ii) generate a resultant clock signal at the output of the protection circuitry equal to the received clock signal when the at least two intermediate clock signals are identical.

Abstract: The invention concerns an amplifier (1), capable of being controlled by an activation signal, for reading storage cells of a crossbar network comprising, for each column, a direct bit line (BLdi) and a reference bit line (BLri), the amplifier being common to two columns and producing an OR-Exclusive type combination of the states of the cells read in said two columns.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an integrated circuit including at least one matrix network of identical elements capable of being individually addressed at least in a first direction and including, at least for this first direction, at least one redundancy element, and a circuit that reversibly inhibits the operation of a defective element and maintains the circuit operation by using the redundancy element.

Abstract: A circuit (200) for protection against voltage or current spikes receives an initial clock signal (CI) and transmits at least one resultant clock signal (CN1, CN2, CP1, CP2) to a downstream circuit. This resultant clock signal is inactive if a random voltage or current spike appears upstream. This averts the possibility of disturbing the operation of the downstream circuit. Application to the protection of clock circuits for integrated circuits.

Abstract: A dynamic memory circuit including memory cells arranged in an array of rows and columns, each row capable of being activated by a word line and each column being formed of cells connected to a first and to a second bit lines, which includes at least one, spare row formed of static memory cells, adapted to being activated to replace a memory cell row, each spare cell being connected to the first and second bit lines of a column of the circuit.

Abstract: A low consumption oscillator having an inverter connected to a high supply potential and to a low supply potential via two respective resistors, with the resistors formed of capacitors having strong leakages.

Abstract: A DRAM formed of an array of cells, each of which includes a capacitive memory point and a control transistor. The array is formed of the repetition of an elementary pattern extending over three rows and three columns and including six cells arranged so that each of the three rows and each of the three columns of the elementary pattern includes two cells, wherein each column of the elementary pattern includes a first and a second bit line, each first and second bit line being connected to one half of the memory cells included by the column.

Abstract: Each memory cell of a memory device is connected to a bit line of a memory array and is associated with a read/rewrite amplifier connected between the bit line and a reference bit line. The bit line and the reference bit line are precharged to a predetermined precharge voltage. The content of a selected memory cell is read and refreshed based upon an associated read/rewrite amplifier. Between the precharging and the reading and refreshing, two capacitors previously charged to a charging voltage greater than the precharge voltage are respectively connected to the bit line and to the reference bit line.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an amplifier having a fan-out which varies according to the time spent between an edge of a propagation signal and an edge of a logic input signal, the amplifier including several identical blocks, each block having an output stage connected between a data input and a data output, the data input and output being respectively connected to the data inputs and outputs of the other blocks; a delay element, the delay elements of all blocks being connected in series, the delay element of the first block receiving the synchronization signal; an edge detector, the input of which is connected to the input of the output stage; and means for inhibiting the propagation of the synchronization signal through the delay element when the signal generated by the edge detector of the preceding block is active and for activating the output stage and the edge detector when the signal generated by the delay element of the preceding block is active.

Abstract: A device and a method for refreshing the voltage of a circuit line that provides the capability of bringing the circuit line to a ground voltage or to a first voltage. The method provides storing the circuit line voltage in a capacitor; and controlling, by means of the stored voltage, a switch connecting the circuit line to a second voltage of absolute value greater than the first voltage, whereby the circuit line is set to the second voltage if, during the step of storing, the circuit line was at the first voltage.

Abstract: An electronic circuit with digital output including an auto-stable assembly of latches (1), a control assembly (2), a blowable assembly (3), a logic gate (4) including a first input connected to a common point (14) between the auto-stable assembly (1) and the blowable assembly (3), and a second input connected to the control input (20) of the electronic circuit. A breaker (5) is controlled by the output of the logic gate (4) and arranged between the auto-stable assembly (1) and ground, and an associated process.

Abstract: A radiation hardened memory device includes active gate isolation structures placed in series with conventional oxide isolation regions between the active regions of a memory cell array. The active gate isolation structure includes a gate oxide and polycrystalline silicon gate layer electrically coupled to a voltage potential resulting in an active gate isolation structure that prevents a conductive channel extending from adjacent active regions from forming. The gate oxide of the active gate isolation structures is relatively thin compared to the conventional oxide isolation regions and thus, will be less susceptible to any adverse influence from trapped charges caused by radiation exposure.

Abstract: A dynamic random access memory device includes a memory plane including at least one first matrix of memory cells, a read/write amplifier connected to the end of each column of the matrix, and at least one pair of input/output lines associated with the matrix. The dynamic random access memory device also includes at least one cache memory stage connected to each amplifier and is disposed in the immediate vicinity of this amplifier. The cache memory stage includes a static random access memory cell connected between the read/write amplifier and the pair of input/output lines.

Abstract: A ROM including an array, each cell of which is accessible by means of a column address and of a row address, includes a parity memory for storing the expected parity of each row and of each column, an electrically programmable one-time programmable address memory, a testing circuit for, during a test phase, calculating the parity of each row and of each column, comparing the calculated and expected parities for each row and each column, and in case they are not equal, marking the row or column in the address memory, and a correction circuit for, in normal mode, inverting the value read from the array cell, having its row and column marked in the address memory.

Abstract: An integrated circuit memory including an array of memory cells divided into several sections, and several rows of column decoding amplifiers, the respective outputs of which are interconnected, by column, by means of a decoded bit line, each decoded bit line including two perpendicular sections, one of which is in the row direction to directly connect each decoded bit line to an input of an input-output stage of the memory arranged at one end of the rows.

Abstract: A device for reading/rewriting a memory cell of a dynamic random-access memory organized in rows and columns, comprises, for each column, a first read/rewrite amplifier, and at least one second read/rewrite amplifier arranged in parallel with the first amplifier. A controller is provided for one of the amplifiers so that the amplifier is able to store the information contained in the memory cell for refreshing thereof, and so that the other amplifier is able to simultaneously perform read/rewrite accesses to and from the memory cell. One of the amplifiers may be permanently dedicated to operations for refreshing the memory cells and the other may be dedicated to read/write operations. Outputs of the amplifiers are connected to common output columns, and the controller includes an interrupter for the output of each amplifier to isolate the output from the corresponding output column and from the corresponding output of the other amplifier.