Patent attributes
One of the simplest forms of data storage devices is the diode array storage device. However, a problem with diode array storage devices is that as the size of the array increases, the number of non-addressed diodes connected between a given selected row or column of the array and the non-addressed columns or rows of the array, respectively, also becomes very large. While the leakage current through any one non-addressed diode on the selected row or column will have little impact on the operation of the device, the cumulative leakage through multiple thousands of non-addressed diodes can become significant. This aggregate leakage current can become great enough that the output voltage can be shifted such that the threshold for distinguishing between a one state and a zero state of the addressed diode location can become obscured and can result in a misreading of the addressed diode location. The present invention is a means to manage the leakage currents in a diode array storage device. This is accomplished by actively changing the forward voltage of the diodes in the storage array such that a diode connected to the selected row line but that is not connected to the selected column line is in its high impedance state and a diode connected to the selected column line but that is not connected to the selected row line is in its high impedance state; only a diode that is connected to both the selected row line and the selected column line will switch to its low impedance state. The present invention is an enhancement to all types of arrays of diodes or arrays of other nonlinear conducting elements including: storage devices, programmable logic devices, display arrays, sensor arrays, and many others.
