Patents Assigned to FERROELECTRIC MEMORY GMBH
  • Patent number: 11996131
    Abstract: Various aspects relate to a method of manufacturing a memory cell, the method including: forming a memory cell, wherein the memory cell comprises a spontaneously-polarizable memory element, wherein the spontaneously-polarizable memory element is in an as formed condition; and carrying out a preconditioning operation of the spontaneously-polarizable memory element to bring the spontaneously-polarizable memory element from the as formed condition into an operable condition to allow for a writing of the memory cell after the preconditioning operation is carried out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: Ferroelectric Memory GmbH
    Inventors: Johannes Ocker, Foroozan Koushan
  • Patent number: 11950430
    Abstract: According to various aspects, a memory cell is provided, the memory cell including: a first electrode; a second electrode; and a memory structure disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode, the first electrode, the second electrode, and the memory structure forming a memory capacitor, wherein at least one of the first electrode or the second electrode includes: a first electrode layer including a first material having a first microstructure; a functional layer in direct contact with the first electrode layer; and a second electrode layer in direct contact with the functional layer, the second electrode layer including a second material having a second microstructure different from the first microstructure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Ferroelectric Memory GmbH
    Inventors: Stefan Ferdinand Müller, Patrick Polakowski
  • Patent number: 11921534
    Abstract: Various aspects relate to a startup circuit for a bandgap reference circuit, wherein a target voltage value is associated with the bandgap reference circuit, the target voltage value being indicative of a startup condition of the bandgap reference circuit that triggers a stable on-state of the bandgap reference circuit, wherein the startup circuit is configured to: provide a startup voltage at the bandgap reference circuit to trigger a start of an operation of the bandgap reference circuit; receive a feedback voltage, wherein the feedback voltage is representative of a startup condition of the bandgap reference circuit; and either increase the startup voltage at the bandgap reference circuit in the case that a voltage value of the feedback voltage is less than the target voltage value, or stop providing the startup voltage at the bandgap reference circuit in the case that the voltage value of the feedback voltage is equal to or greater than the target voltage value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: FERROELECTRIC MEMORY GMBH
    Inventor: Rashid Iqbal
  • Patent number: 11887644
    Abstract: A memory cell arrangement is provided that may include: one or more memory cells, each memory cell of the one or more memory cells including: a field-effect transistor structure; a plurality of first control nodes; a plurality of first capacitor structures, a second control node; and a second capacitor structure including a first electrode connected to the second control node and a second electrode connected to a gate region of the field-effect transistor. Each of the plurality of first capacitor structures includes a first electrode connected to a corresponding first control node of the plurality of first control nodes, a second electrode connected to the gate region of the field-effect transistor structure, and a spontaneous-polarizable region disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode of the first capacitor structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Ferroelectric Memory GmbH
    Inventor: Johannes Ocker
  • Patent number: 11688447
    Abstract: According to various aspects, a memory cell is provided, the memory cell may include a field-effect transistor; a first control node and a second control node, a first capacitor structure including a first electrode connected to the first control node, a second electrode connected to a gate region of the field-effect transistor, and a remanent-polarizable region disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode of the first capacitor structure; and a second capacitor structure including a first electrode connected to the second control node, a second electrode connected to the gate region of the field-effect transistor. In some aspects, the first capacitor structure may have a first capacitance and the second capacitor structure may have a second capacitance different from the first capacitance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Ferroelectric Memory GmbH
    Inventor: Johannes Ocker
  • Patent number: 11682461
    Abstract: A memory cell arrangement is provided that may include: a plurality of first control lines; a plurality of second control lines; a plurality of third control lines; each of a plurality of memory cell sets includes memory cells and is assigned to a corresponding one of the plurality of first control lines and includes at least a first memory cell subset addressable via the corresponding first control line, a corresponding one of the plurality of second control lines, and the plurality of third control lines, and at least a second memory cell subset addressable via the corresponding first control line, the plurality of second control lines, and a corresponding one of the plurality of third control lines. The corresponding one of the plurality of third control lines addresses the second memory cell subset of each memory cell set of the plurality of memory cell sets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: Ferroelectric Memory GmbH
    Inventors: Menno Mennenga, Johannes Ocker
  • Patent number: 11626164
    Abstract: In various aspects, a method for operating a memory cell arrangement is provided, including: providing a set of supply voltages to one or more sets of memory cell drivers to write one or more memory cells of the memory cell arrangement; wherein providing the set of supply voltages includes: ramping a first supply voltage of the set of supply voltages to a first predefined output voltage level, and ramping a second supply voltage of the set of supply voltages to a second predefined output voltage level dependent upon the first supply voltage, the first predefined output voltage level and the second predefined output voltage level defining a first predefined ratio, wherein, during the ramping of the first supply voltage and of the second supply voltage, a first ratio of the first supply voltage to the second supply voltage is substantially equal to or less than the first predefined ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: FERROELECTRIC MEMORY GMBH
    Inventor: Marko Noack
  • Patent number: 11610903
    Abstract: Various aspects relate to a functional layer and the formation thereof. A method for manufacturing a functional layer of an electronic device may include: forming a plurality of sublayers of the functional layer by a plurality of consecutive sublayer processes, each sublayer process of the plurality of consecutive sublayer processes comprising: forming a sublayer of the plurality of sublayers by vapor deposition, the sublayer comprising one or more materials, and, subsequently, crystallizing the one or more materials comprised in the sublayer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: FERROELECTRIC MEMORY GMBH
    Inventor: Tony Schenk
  • Patent number: 11605435
    Abstract: Various aspects relate to a threshold switch structure and a use of such threshold switch structure as a threshold switch in a memory cell arrangement, the threshold switch structure including: a first electrode, a second electrode, a switch element in direct physical contact with the first electrode and the second electrode, the switch element including a layer of a spontaneously polarizable material. The first electrode, the second electrode, and the switch element are configured to allow for a switching of the switch element between a first electrical conductance state and a second electrical conductance state as a function of a voltage drop provided over the switch element by the first electrode and the second electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: FERROELECTRIC MEMORY GMBH
    Inventor: Tony Schenk
  • Patent number: 11594542
    Abstract: According to various aspects, a method of forming one or more remanent-polarizable capacitive structures, the method including forming one or more capacitive structures, each of the one or more capacitive structures includes: one or more electrodes, one or more precursor structures disposed adjacent to the one or more electrodes, wherein each of the one or more precursor structures has a first dimension in a range from about 1 nm to 100 nm and a second dimension in a range from about 1 nm to about 30 nm; and, subsequently, forming one or more remanent-polarizable structures comprising a crystalline remanent-polarizable material based on a crystallization of a precursor material of the one or more precursor structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: FERROELECTRIC MEMORY GMBH
    Inventor: Patrick Polakowski
  • Patent number: 11594271
    Abstract: In various embodiments, a memory cell arrangement is provided including a memory cell driver and one or more memory cells, wherein one or more control nodes of each of the one or more memory cells are electrically conductively connected to one or more output nodes of the memory cell driver. The memory cell driver may include: a first supply node to receive a first supply voltage and a second supply node to receive a second supply voltage, a plurality of input nodes to receive a plurality of input voltages, one or more output nodes, and a logic circuit connected to the first supply node, the second supply node, the plurality of input nodes, and the one or more output nodes, wherein the logic circuit includes one or more logic gates and is configured to connect via the one or more logic gates either the first supply node or the second supply node to the one or more output nodes in response to the plurality of input voltages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: FERROELECTRIC MEMORY GMBH
    Inventors: Marko Noack, Rolf Jähne
  • Patent number: 11527551
    Abstract: A memory cell arrangement may include: a first memory cell including a first field-effect transistor structure, a first capacitive memory structure coupled to a gate of the first field-effect transistor structure, and a first capacitive lever structure coupled to the gate of the first field-effect transistor structure, and wherein a second memory cell of the plurality of memory cells includes a second field-effect transistor structure, a second capacitive memory structure coupled to a gate of the second field-effect transistor structure, and a second capacitive lever structure coupled to the gate of the second field-effect transistor structure; wherein at least one of the first capacitive memory structure and/or the second capacitive memory structure is disposed in a memory structure region between the first capacitive lever structure and the second capacitive lever structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: Ferroelectric Memory GMBH
    Inventor: Johannes Ocker
  • Patent number: 11508428
    Abstract: An electronic circuit may be operated based on two or more supply voltages ramped in accordance with a digital control scheme, the digital control scheme may include ramping a voltage value of a first output voltage generated via a first digitally controlled voltage converter from a first target voltage value to a third target voltage value such that the voltage value of the first output voltage matches a second target voltage value during a first ramp interval and the third target voltage value during a second ramp interval; and ramping a voltage value of a second output voltage generated via a second digitally controlled voltage converter from the first target voltage value to the second target voltage value such that the voltage value of the second output voltage matches the second target voltage value during the first ramp interval, and the second target voltage value during the second ramp interval.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Ferroelectric Memory GmbH
    Inventors: Marko Noack, Rashid Iqbal
  • Patent number: 11508426
    Abstract: Various aspects relate to a memory cell arrangement including: a field-effect transistor based capacitive memory cell including a memory element, wherein a memory state of the memory element defines a first memory state of the field-effect transistor based capacitive memory cell and wherein a second memory state of the memory element defines a second memory state of the field-effect transistor based capacitive memory cell; and a memory controller configured to, in the case that a charging state of the field-effect transistor based capacitive memory cell screens an actual threshold voltage state of the field-effect transistor based capacitive memory cell, cause a destructive read operation to determine whether the field-effect transistor based capacitive memory cell was, prior to the destructive read operation, residing in the first memory state or in the second memory state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Ferroelectric Memory GmbH
    Inventor: Johannes Ocker
  • Patent number: 11508756
    Abstract: A memory cell arrangement is provided that may include: a plurality of electrode layers, wherein each of the plurality of electrode layers comprises a plurality of through holes, each of the plurality of through holes extending from a first surface to a second surface of a respective electrode layer; a plurality of electrode pillars, wherein each of the plurality of electrode pillars comprises a plurality of electrode portions, wherein each of the plurality of electrode portions is disposed within a corresponding one of the plurality of through holes; wherein the respective electrode layer and a respective electrode portion of the plurality of electrode portions form a first electrode and a second electrode of a capacitor and wherein at least one memory material portion is disposed in each of the plurality of through holes in a gap between the respective electrode layer and the respective electrode portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Ferroelectric Memory GmbH
    Inventors: Menno Mennenga, Johannes Ocker
  • Patent number: 11475935
    Abstract: Various aspects relate to a memory cell arrangement including: a memory cell including a field-effect transistor structure and a spontaneous-polarizable memory layer; and a control circuit configured to cause a writing of the memory cell by a writing operation, the writing operation including: carrying out a writing sequence including: supplying a write signal set to the memory cell to provide a write voltage drop to bring a threshold voltage of the memory cell into a target range by polarizing the memory layer, and, subsequently, supplying a post-conditioning signal set to the memory cell to provide a post-conditioning voltage drop having opposite polarity with respect to the write voltage drop to change the threshold voltage by partially depolarizing the memory layer; and checking whether the threshold voltage is in the target range, and repeating the writing sequence in the case that the threshold voltage is not in the target range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: FERROELECTRIC MEMORY GMBH
    Inventor: Johannes Ocker
  • Patent number: 11443792
    Abstract: Various aspects relate to a memory cell including: a field-effect transistor memory structure, wherein a source/drain current through the field-effect transistor memory structure is a function of a gate voltage supplied to a gate of the field-effect transistor memory structure and a memory state in which the field-effect transistor memory structure is residing in; and an access device coupled to the gate of the field-effect transistor memory structure, wherein the access device is configured to control a voltage present at the gate of the field-effect transistor memory structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: FERROELECTRIC MEMORY GMBH
    Inventors: Rashid Iqbal, Stefano Sivero, Stefan Ferdinand Müller
  • Patent number: 11437402
    Abstract: A memory cell circuit is provided that may include: a memory cell, the memory cell including a ferroelectric structure; a first control terminal and a second control terminal connected to the memory cell, the first control terminal and the second control terminal being configured to allow an operation of the memory cell; and a first auxiliary terminal and a second auxiliary terminal connected to the memory cell, the first auxiliary terminal and the second auxiliary terminal being configured to provide an auxiliary voltage to the ferroelectric structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 6, 2022
    Assignee: Ferroelectric Memory GmbH
    Inventor: Marko Noack
  • Patent number: 11393518
    Abstract: Various aspects relate to a memory cell arrangement including: a plurality of spontaneous-polarizable memory cells; and a control circuit configured to cause a writing of one or more first memory cells by a writing operation, wherein the writing operation includes: supplying a write signal set to the plurality of spontaneous-polarizable memory cells to provide a write voltage drop at each of the one or more first memory cells to switch a respective polarization state, the write signal set causing a disturb voltage drop at one or more second memory cells that are not intended to be written, wherein the disturb voltage drop causes a disturb of the one or more second memory cells and maintains a respective polarization state; and wherein the control circuit is further configured to supply a counter-disturb signal set to the plurality of spontaneous-polarizable memory cells, wherein the counter-disturb signal set provides a counter-disturb voltage drop at the one or more second memory cells to at least partially
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: FERROELECTRIC MEMORY GMBH
    Inventor: Johannes Ocker
  • Patent number: 11393832
    Abstract: According to various aspects, a memory cell arrangement includes: a first control line and a second control line; a plurality of memory structures disposed between the first control line and the second control line, wherein each memory structure of the plurality of memory structures comprises a third control line, a first memory cell and a second memory cell; wherein, for each memory structure of the plurality of memory structures, the first memory cell and the second memory cell are coupled to each other by the third control line; wherein, for each memory structure of the plurality of memory structures, the first memory cell is coupled to the first control line and the second memory cell is coupled to the second control line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: FERROELECTRIC MEMORY GMBH
    Inventor: Menno Mennenga