Patents Examined by Son T. Dinh
  • Patent number: 11854596
    Abstract: A storage device comprising: a nonvolatile memory device including a plurality of memory blocks; and a device controller configured to control the nonvolatile memory device to determine a memory block to perform a refresh operation and to control the memory block to perform the refresh operation to recover data of the memory block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Jin Woong Kim, Ji Hoon Yim
  • Patent number: 11853846
    Abstract: A crossbar array includes a number of memory elements. An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is electronically coupled to the vector output register. A digital-to-analog converter (DAC) is electronically coupled to the vector input register. A processor is electronically coupled to the ADC and to the DAC. The processor may be configured to determine whether division of input vector data by output vector data from the crossbar array is within a threshold value, and if not within the threshold value, determine changed data values as between the output vector data and the input vector data, and write the changed data values to the memory elements of the crossbar array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2023
    Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP
    Inventors: Sai Rahul Chalamalasetti, Paolo Faraboschi, Martin Foltin, Catherine Graves, Dejan S. Milojicic, John Paul Strachan, Sergey Serebryakov
  • Patent number: 11847032
    Abstract: An electronic device includes: a power supply to supply a first power and a second power; a first solid state drive (SSD) backplane and a second SSD backplane to receive the first power from the power supply, each of the first solid state drive (SSD) backplane and the second SSD backplane including two or more SSDs; and a baseboard to receive the second power from the power supply, to independently power on and power off the first SSD backplane and the second SSD backplane, and to access the SSDs of an SSD backplane that is in a power-on state from among the first SSD backplane and the second SSD backplane. In response to an increase in temperature of an SSD backplane that is in a power-off state, at least one SSD of the SSD backplane that is in the power-off state may be powered on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2023
    Inventors: Sung-Wook Kim, So-Geum Kim, Daehun You, Jaehwan Lim
  • Patent number: 11842775
    Abstract: A memory device that dynamically adjusts the sense time to read an open block of a memory block is disclosed. The adjusted sense time is based upon various considerations, including the sense time of the closed block equivalent and the openness of the open block. This allows the memory device to maintain a fixed Vt as well as reduce failed bit count, i.e., read errors due to an insufficient sense time. Also, the dynamic adjustment of sense time can optimize system performance and increase efficiency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2023
    Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Nidhi Agrawal, Bo Lei, Zhenni Wan
  • Patent number: 11837295
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory device includes first and second memory cells, a first word line, first and second sense amplifiers, first and second bit lines, a controller. The first and second sense amplifiers each include first and second transistors. The first bit line is connected between the first memory cell and the first transistor. The second bit line is connected between the second memory cell and the second transistor. In the read operation, the controller is configured to apply a kick voltage to the first word line before applying the read voltage to the first word line, and to apply a first voltage to a gate of the first transistor and a second voltage to a gate of the second transistor while applying the kick voltage to the first word line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: KIOXIA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yoshihiko Kamata, Naofumi Abiko
  • Patent number: 11830555
    Abstract: A storage device is provided that performs constant biasing in priority blocks, such as OTP memory blocks (fuse ROM) and flash memory blocks having a threshold number of P/E cycles. The storage device includes an OTP memory, a flash memory, and a controller. The OTP memory includes a block having a word line and a plurality of cells coupled to the word line. The flash memory includes another block having a word line and a plurality of cells coupled to this word line. The controller is configured to apply a constant bias to the word line of the OTP memory block and, in some cases to the word line of the flash memory block, between execution of host commands. As a result, lower bit error rates due to wider Vt margins may occur while system power may be saved through selective application of constant biasing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Muhammad Masuduzzaman, Deepanshu Dutta
  • Patent number: 11830559
    Abstract: In a memory cell array, a plurality of memory cells connected to a plurality of word lines and a plurality of bit lines are arranged in a matrix. A control circuit controls the potentials of said plurality of word lines and said plurality of bit lines. In an erase operation, the control circuit erases an n number of memory cells (n is a natural number equal to or larger than 2) of said plurality of memory cells at the same time using a first erase voltage, carries out a verify operation using a first verify level, finds the number of cells k (k?n) exceeding the first verify level, determines a second erase voltage according to the number k, and carries out an erase operation again using the second erase voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Kioxia Corporation
    Inventor: Noboru Shibata
  • Patent number: 11823745
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes apparatuses, methods, and systems for predicting and compensating for degradation of memory cells. An embodiment includes a memory having a group of memory cells, and circuitry configured to, upon a quantity of sense operations performed on the group of memory cells meeting or exceeding a threshold quantity, perform a sense operation on the group of memory cells using a positive sensing voltage and perform a sense operation on the group of memory cells using a negative sensing voltage, and perform an operation to program the memory cells of the group determined to be in a reset data state by both of the sense operations to the reset data state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhongyuan Lu, Robert J. Gleixner
  • Patent number: 11823733
    Abstract: A memory device includes m memory cell blocks, m×(k+1) word lines, n bit lines, and a word line driver circuit (m, k, and n are each an integer greater than or equal to 1). The memory cell block includes memory cells of (k+1) rows×n columns, and each of the memory cells is electrically connected to a word line and a bit line. The word line driver circuit has a function of outputting signals to m×k word lines that are selected from m×(k+1) word lines by using a switch transistor, and selection information is written to a gate of the switch transistor by using a transistor having a low off-state current. The memory cells of k rows×n columns included in the memory cell block are normal memory cells, and each of the memory cell blocks includes redundant memory cells of one row×n columns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Kunitake, Yuto Yakubo, Takanori Matsuzaki, Yuki Okamoto, Tatsuya Onuki
  • Patent number: 11822358
    Abstract: A drive-sense circuit module (DSC) includes at least one regulated source circuit coupled to a load, and to a loop correction circuit. The regulated source circuit generates a power signal, which has a regulated characteristic and a controlled characteristic. At least one reference circuit applies a reference signal to the loop correction circuit that establishes a reference value of the controlled characteristic. The loop correction circuit senses an effect of one or more load characteristics on a sensed value of the controlled characteristic of the power signal, and generates a comparison signal based on the sensed value and the reference value of the controlled characteristic. A regulation signal is generated based on the comparison signal, and used to regulate the regulated characteristic of the power signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: SigmaSense, LLC.
    Inventors: Patrick Troy Gray, Michael Shawn Gray, Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Richard Stuart Seger, Jr., Timothy W. Markison
  • Patent number: 11823744
    Abstract: A method of operating a memory device. The method includes the step of preparing a memory device that includes a first group of the memory holes with full SGD transistors and a second group of the memory holes with partial SGD transistors. The second group includes both a set of selected partial SGD transistors and a set of unselected partial SGD transistors. The method proceeds with electrically floating a first unselected partial SGD transistor of the set of unselected partial SGD transistors. With the at least one first unselected partial SGD transistor electrically floating, the method continues with reducing a voltage applied to at least one transistor or memory cell adjacent the first unselected partial SGD transistor such that a voltage of the first unselected partial SGD transistor is decreased through a capacitance coupling effect.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC
    Inventor: Xiang Yang
  • Patent number: 11823763
    Abstract: A sense amplifier includes: an amplification module, configured to amplify a voltage difference between a bit line and a reference bit line when the sense amplifier is in an amplification phase; a controllable power module, connected to the amplification module and configured to supply a first voltage to the amplification module when the sense amplifier is in a writing phase, and supply a second voltage to the amplification module when the sense amplifier is in a non-writing phase, and the second voltage is greater than the first voltage; and a writing module, connected to the bit line and the reference bit line and configured to pull the voltage difference between the bit line and the reference bit line according to to-be-written data when the sense amplifier is in the writing phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: CHANGXIN MEMORY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Hsin-Cheng Su
  • Patent number: 11823747
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for external power functionality techniques for memory devices are described. A memory system, which may be coupled to a first power source associated with a first voltage, may detect whether a second power source associated with a second voltage higher than the first voltage is available. The memory device may activate a functionality to use the second power source for the access operations if the second power source is available, and the memory device may then perform one or more access operations using the second voltage from the second power source based on the activated functionality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Lei Pan
  • Patent number: 11815982
    Abstract: An operating method of a nonvolatile memory device for programming multi-page data, the operating method including: receiving the multi-page data from a memory controller; programming first page data among the multi-page data to first memory cells connected to a word line adjacent to a selected word line; reading previous page data previously stored in second memory cells connected to the selected word line based on a first sensing value and a second sensing value after programming the first page data; calculating a first fail bit number by comparing first bits of the previous page data read based on the first sensing value to second bits of the previous page data read based on the second sensing value; and programming the previous page data read from the second memory cells and second page data among the multi-page data to the second memory cells based on the first fail bit number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 14, 2023
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Wandong Kim, Jinyoung Kim, Sehwan Park, Hyun Seo, Sangwan Nam
  • Patent number: 11810618
    Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods related to extended memory communication subsystems for performing extended memory operations are described. An example method can include receiving, at a processing unit that is coupled between a host device and a non-volatile memory device, signaling indicative of a plurality of operations to be performed on data written to or read from the non-volatile memory device. The method can further include performing, at the processing unit, at least one operation of the plurality of operations in response to the signaling. The method can further include accessing a portion of a memory array in the non-volatile memory device. The method can further include transmitting additional signaling indicative of a command to perform one or more additional operations of the plurality of operations on the data written to or read from the non-volatile memory device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Vijay S. Ramesh, Allan Porterfield
  • Patent number: 11810624
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device comprises: a substrate; a first conductive layer separated from the substrate in a first direction and extending in a second direction; a second and a third conductive layers separated from the substrate and the first conductive layer in the first direction and aligned in the second direction; a first semiconductor layer facing the first and the second conductive layers; a second semiconductor layer facing the first and the third conductive layers; a first and a second bit lines electrically connected to the first and the second semiconductor layers. At least some of operation parameters in the case of a certain operation being executed on a memory cell corresponding to the first conductive layer differ from at least some of operation parameters in the case of the certain operation being executed on a memory cell corresponding to the second conductive layer or the third conductive layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Kioxia Corporation
    Inventor: Koji Kato
  • Patent number: 11810623
    Abstract: Disclosed is an operating method of a controller for controlling an operation of a semiconductor memory device including a plurality of memory cells. In the operating method of the controller, program data to be stored in a selected page of the semiconductor memory device is generated, and the semiconductor memory device is controlled to program the program data in the selected page. Bit data at a predetermined position in the program data is data for allowing a threshold voltage of a corresponding memory cell to maintain an erase state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Un Sang Lee, Moon Sik Seo
  • Patent number: 11810621
    Abstract: A method includes receiving signaling indicative of performance of a sanitization operation to a processing device coupled to a memory device and applying a sanitization voltage to a plurality of memory blocks of the memory device. The sanitization voltage can be greater than an erase voltage of the plurality of memory blocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 7, 2023
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric N. Lee, Robert W. Strong, William Akin, Jeremy Binfet
  • Patent number: 11798637
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for current budget adaption are described. A controller may be coupled with a set of memory devices. The controller may receive current consumption information from the set of memory devices and update a current consumption budget for the set of memory devices based on the current consumption information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Giuseppe Cariello
  • Patent number: 11798636
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for an improved power supply for a memory device are described. An apparatus may include a memory device, one or more voltage detectors, and one or more voltage converters. A voltage detector may generate an output indicating whether a voltage at a first pin of the apparatus satisfies a threshold. A voltage converter may be coupled with the voltage detector and may be configured to selectively output a second voltage depending on the output of the voltage detector. Circuitry within the memory device may be coupled with one or more voltage detectors and one or more voltage converters and configured to select a supply voltage for another component of the memory device from among the first voltage (e.g., received from the first pin) and the second voltage (e.g., selectively generated and output by the voltage converter) based on the output from the voltage detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 24, 2023
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Minjian Wu