STMicroelectronics Assigned Patent

STMicroelectronics S.r.l., Agrate Brianza, Italy, has been assigned a patent (10,978,146) developed by Pasotti, Marco, Travaco’ Siccomario, Italy, Zurla, Riccardo, Milan, Italy, Cabrini, Alessandro, Torelli, Guido, Pavia, Italy, and Volpe, Flavio Giovanni, Milan, Italy, for “single-ended phase-change memory device and reading method.“

The abstract of the patent published by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office states: ”A phase-change memory device, comprising: a memory array of PCM cells, a variable current generator, and a sense amplifier. The current generator comprises a reference array of PCM cells programmed in SET resistance state. The phase-change memory device further comprises a decoder for addressing each cell of the reference array so that a respective plurality of SET current signals is generated through the plurality of reference cells, and a controller configured to receive at input said SET current signals, select a number of SET current signals having the lowest current values among the plurality of SET current signals, calculate a mean value of said lowest current values, and adjust the reference current to be lower than said mean value.”

The patent application was filed on October 24, 2019 (16/662,911).