TY - JOUR
T1 - Low-power and high-sensitivity magnetoresistive random access memory sensing scheme with body-biased preamplifier
AU - Sugimura, Takeaki
AU - Deguchi, Jun
AU - Choi, Hoon
AU - Sakaguchi, Takeshi
AU - Oh, Hyuckjae
AU - Fukushima, Takafumi
AU - Koyanagi, Mitsumasa
PY - 2006/4/25
Y1 - 2006/4/25
N2 - In this paper, we describe a new magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) sensing scheme with a body-biased preamplifier for low-power and high-sensitivity operation. The proposed new MRAM sense amplifier consists of a current sense preamplifier with a body biasing differential pair of a common-gate amplifier and a voltage sense amplifier. The preamplifier controls bitline voltage appropriately and amplifies the difference in bitline current as current-mode sense amplifier. The new sense amplifier enhances sensitivity, and the body-biased preamplifier enables low-voltage operation. To evaluate the proposed circuit, the modeling of magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) resistance characteristics was performed with a VHDL-AMS description, and the proposed circuit was simulated with a mixed signal circuit simulator. From the simulation result, it is confirmed that the proposed sensing scheme results in a 1.57 times faster access time than a conventional scheme, and that the power of the sense amplifier is lower than that of the conventional amplifier at the same speed.
AB - In this paper, we describe a new magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) sensing scheme with a body-biased preamplifier for low-power and high-sensitivity operation. The proposed new MRAM sense amplifier consists of a current sense preamplifier with a body biasing differential pair of a common-gate amplifier and a voltage sense amplifier. The preamplifier controls bitline voltage appropriately and amplifies the difference in bitline current as current-mode sense amplifier. The new sense amplifier enhances sensitivity, and the body-biased preamplifier enables low-voltage operation. To evaluate the proposed circuit, the modeling of magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) resistance characteristics was performed with a VHDL-AMS description, and the proposed circuit was simulated with a mixed signal circuit simulator. From the simulation result, it is confirmed that the proposed sensing scheme results in a 1.57 times faster access time than a conventional scheme, and that the power of the sense amplifier is lower than that of the conventional amplifier at the same speed.
KW - Body-biased control
KW - Low power
KW - MRAM
KW - Sense amplifier
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U2 - 10.1143/JJAP.45.3321
DO - 10.1143/JJAP.45.3321
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:33646906466
VL - 45
SP - 3321
EP - 3325
JO - Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, Part 1: Regular Papers & Short Notes
JF - Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, Part 1: Regular Papers & Short Notes
SN - 0021-4922
IS - 4 B
ER -