Low fatigue sensing method and circuit for ferroelectric non-volatile storage units

摘要

A method of sensing a ferroelectric non-volatile information storage unit comprising two ferroelectric storage capacitors in mutually opposite polarization states, and a sensing circuit for actuating the method. The method comprises the steps of: making a voltage applied across the two storage capacitors substantially zero; starting from this condition, progressively increasing the voltage applied thereacross by supplying a prescribed current, until a first one of the two storage capacitors approaches a condition of polarization state reversal, thereby the voltage applied across said first storage capacitor starts to decrease with respect to the voltage applied across the second storage capacitor; and amplifying a voltage difference between the voltages applied across the two storage capacitors by making the voltage applied across the first storage capacitor substantially zero and the voltage applied across the second storage capacitor substantially equal to a non-zero voltage corresponding to a logic state opposite to a logic state corresponding to the zero voltage.