Patents Examined by Tan T. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 11967367
    Abstract: Disclosed is a nonvolatile memory device which includes a memory cell array, a row decoder circuit that selects one wordline as a target of a program operation, a page buffer circuit that stores data to be written in memory cells connected with the selected wordline in the program operation, and a pass/fail check circuit that determines a pass or a fail of the program operation. In the program operation, the pass/fail check circuit detects a first program speed of first memory cells and a second program speed of second memory cells, and determines a program fail based on the first program speed and the second program speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2024
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Gyu-Ha Park, Jeongyeol Kim, Nari Lee, Daehan Kim
  • Patent number: 11961580
    Abstract: A sense amplifier includes a first pair of transistors having gate terminals respectively coupled to a first input terminal for receiving a first input signal and to a second input terminal for receiving a second input signal, source terminals coupled to a first power supply terminal, and drain terminals. The sense amplifier also includes a second pair of transistors having gate terminals coupled to a clock terminal, source terminals respectively coupled to the drain terminals of the first pair of transistors, and drain terminals. The sense amplifier also includes a third pair of transistors having gate terminals coupled to the clock terminal, drain terminals respectively coupled to the drain terminals of the second pair of transistors, and source terminals coupled to a second power supply terminal. In addition, the sense amplifier includes an output circuit coupled to the drain terminals of the second pair of transistors and having an output terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Tsung-Che Lu, Chin-Ming Fu, Chih-Hsien Chang
  • Patent number: 11963370
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a memory device comprising an array of memory cells arranged in a multideck configuration comprising a plurality of superimposed decks, a plurality of access lines comprising at least a first plurality of access lines arranged in a first level, a second plurality of access lines arranged in a second level, and a third plurality of access lines arranged in a third level between the first plurality of access lines and the second plurality of access lines, the third plurality of access lines being arranged between two decks of the plurality of decks, a plurality of drivers configured to drive signals to the access lines, and connection elements configured to electrically connect the access lines to the respective drivers. The connections elements and the access lines are arranged so that a single driver of the plurality of drivers is configured to drive at least one access line of each level of the at least three levels. Related memory systems and methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2024
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Riccardo Muzzetto, Ferdinando Bedeschi, Umberto di Vincenzo
  • Patent number: 11955186
    Abstract: A memory device for in-memory search is provided. The memory device includes a plurality of memory cells, and each of the memory cells stores a stored data and receives a search data, including a first transistor and a second transistor. The first transistor has a first threshold voltage and receives a first gate bias. The second transistor is connected to the first transistor, and the second transistor has a second threshold voltage and receives a second gate bias. The stored data is encoded according to the first threshold voltage and the second threshold voltage, and the search data is encoded according to the first gate bias and the second gate bias. There is a mismatch distance between the stored data and the search data. An output current generated by each of the memory cells is related to the mismatch distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: MACRONIX INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Po-Hao Tseng, Tian-Cih Bo
  • Patent number: 11955168
    Abstract: A memory device is provided. The memory device includes a memory array of a plurality of memory elements, a plurality of word lines or word line pairs, a plurality of bit line pairs, and a plurality of common source lines. Each of the memory elements includes two memory cells. The memory device is configured for calculating an energy value based on a plurality of state signals and a plurality of coefficients, and the two memory cells of each of the memory elements are configured for performing an individual selection such that one of the two memory cells of each of the memory elements receives two corresponding state signals from a corresponding word line or a corresponding word line pair and a corresponding bit line pair and generates an output current into a corresponding common source line for calculating the energy value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: MACRONIX INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yun-Yuan Wang, Ming-Hsiu Lee
  • Patent number: 11956970
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for deck selection layouts in a memory device are described. In some implementations, a tile of a memory array may be associated with a level above a substrate, and may include a set of memory cells, a set of digit lines, and a set of word lines. Selection transistors associated with a tile of memory cells may be operable for coupling digit lines of the tile with circuitry outside the tile, and may be activated by various configurations of one or more access lines, where the various configurations may be implemented to trade off or otherwise support design and performance characteristics such as power consumption, layout complexity, operational complexity, and other characteristics. Such techniques may be implemented for other aspects of tile operations, including memory cell shunting or equalization, tile selection using transistors of a different level, or signal development, or various combinations thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2024
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Daniele Vimercati
  • Patent number: 11948622
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for techniques for generating access line voltages are described. A system may use a first voltage supply and a second voltage supply that is configured to supply a lower voltage than the first voltage supply. The system may activate a first circuit to couple a node with the first voltage supply so that a first voltage develops on the node from the first voltage supply. The system may activate a second circuit to couple the node with the second voltage supply so that a second voltage that is lower than the first voltage develops on the node from the second voltage supply.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Brox, C. Omar Benitez, Johnathan L. Gossi, Christopher John Kawamura
  • Patent number: 11948629
    Abstract: An apparatus, system, and method for controlling data transfer to an output port of a serial data link interface in a semiconductor memory is disclosed. In one example, a flash memory device may have multiple serial data links, multiple memory banks and control input ports that enable the memory device to transfer the serial data to a serial data output port of the memory device. In another example, a flash memory device may have a single serial data link, a single memory bank, a serial data input port, a control input port for receiving output enable signals. The flash memory devices may be cascaded in a daisy-chain configuration using echo signal lines to serially communicate between memory devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Mosaid Technologies Incorporated
    Inventors: HakJune Oh, Hong Beom Pyeon, Jin-Ki Kim
  • Patent number: 11942158
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes memory cells, a first circuit that includes a first latch group including first and second data latch circuits and a second latch group including third and fourth data latch circuits, and a control circuit configured to control a write operation during which first and second data to be written into the memory cells are stored in the first and second data latch circuits, respectively, wherein the first and second data are also stored in the third and fourth data latch circuits, respectively, while the first and second data stored in the first and second data latch circuits, respectively, are being written in the memory cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Kioxia Corporation
    Inventor: Naoya Tokiwa
  • Patent number: 11943933
    Abstract: A memory device includes metal interconnect structures embedded within dielectric material layers that overlie a top surface of a substrate, a thin film transistor embedded in a first dielectric material layer selected from the dielectric material layers, and is vertically spaced from the top surface of the substrate, and a ferroelectric memory cell embedded within the dielectric material layers. A first node of the ferroelectric memory cell is electrically connected to a node of the thin film transistor through a subset of the metal interconnect structures that is located above, and vertically spaced from, the top surface of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
    Inventors: Bo-Feng Young, Mauricio Manfrini, Sai-Hooi Yeong, Han-Jong Chia, Yu-Ming Lin
  • Patent number: 11942134
    Abstract: A memory circuit includes a memory array including a plurality of memory cells, each memory cell of the plurality of memory cells including an n-type channel layer including a metal oxide material, and a gate structure overlying and adjacent to the n-type channel layer, the gate structure including a conductive layer overlying a ferroelectric layer. The memory circuit is configured to apply a gate voltage to each memory cell of the plurality of memory cells in first and second write operations, the gate voltage has a positive polarity and a first magnitude in the first write operation and a negative polarity and a second magnitude greater than the first magnitude in the second write operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2024
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Huan-Sheng Wei, Tzer-Min Shen, Zhiqiang Wu
  • Patent number: 11935619
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides buffer circuits of 3D NAND memory device. In some embodiments, the buffer circuit comprises a first bit line segment sensing branch connected to a first bit line segment and including a low-voltage latch, and a second bit line segment sensing branch connected to a second bit line segment and including a sensing latch. The first bit line segment sensing branch and the second bit line segment sensing branch are parallel connected to a sensing node of the page buffer circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: Yangtze Memory Technologies Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Teng Chen, Yan Wang, Masao Kuriyama
  • Patent number: 11935582
    Abstract: Embodiments provide a method for sense margin detection for a sense amplifier and an electronic device. The method includes: writing first data and second data respectively to a first memory cell and a second memory cell connected to a first bit line, the first memory cell and the second memory cell being respectively connected to a first word line and a second word line adjacent to each other, and the first bit line being connected to a first sense amplifier; performing a reverse write operation on the first memory cell and the second memory cell; performing write operations on memory cells connected to the second bit line; and reading the second memory cell, and determining the preset row precharge time to be a margin value of row precharge time of the first sense amplifier when the first data is not correctly read.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2024
    Assignee: CHANGXIN MEMORY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Xikun Chu
  • Patent number: 11923013
    Abstract: An operation method of a semiconductor storage device including a first memory die is provided. The first memory die includes a first memory plane including a plurality of first memory blocks, a second memory plane including a plurality of second memory blocks. The method includes starting a first write sequence with respect to one of the first memory blocks in response to a first command set designating the one of the first memory blocks and starting a second write sequence with respect to one of the second memory blocks in response to a second command set designating the one of the second memory blocks. At least part of the second write sequence is performed while the first write sequence is being performed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Kioxia Corporation
    Inventor: Akihiro Imamoto
  • Patent number: 11923019
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides for improving data retention reliability. During a programming operation associated with a memory cell, after the memory cell passes verification of a first verification voltage level, a second verification voltage level can be applied to the memory cell. Based on a comparison of the voltage in the memory cell with the second verification voltage level, a bit line voltage may be applied. Based on the applied bit line voltage, fast bits associated with the memory cell can be upshifted to an upper portion of a final voltage distribution associated with the programming operation. Upshifting the fast bits counteracts the downshifting effect in a final voltage distribution that may be caused by charge leakage or electron loss.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: Xiaojia Jia, Swaroop Kaza, Laidong Wang, Jiacen Guo
  • Patent number: 11922056
    Abstract: An example apparatus can include a memory array and a memory controller. The memory array can include a first portion including a first plurality of memory cells. The memory array can further include a second portion including a second plurality of memory cells. The memory controller can be coupled to the first portion and the second portion. The memory controller can be configured to operate the first plurality of memory cells for short-term memory operations. The memory controller can be further configured to operate the second plurality of memory cells for long-term memory operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Mattia Boniardi, Innocenzo Tortorelli
  • Patent number: 11915776
    Abstract: A method can include receiving a request to read data from a block of a memory device, identifying a block family associated with the block of the memory device, identifying a voltage distribution parameter value associated with the block family, wherein the voltage distribution parameter value reflects an aggregate value of a corresponding voltage distribution associated with a plurality of memory cells of the block family, and determining a set of read levels associated with the voltage distribution parameter value, wherein each read level in the set of read levels corresponds to a respective voltage distribution of at least one memory cell comprised by the block of the memory device. The block family can be identified using a data structure that maps block identifiers to corresponding block family identifiers. The voltage distribution parameter value can be identified using a data structure that maps block family identifiers to corresponding voltage parameter values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Sheperek, Kishore Kumar Muchherla, Shane Nowell, Mustafa N Kaynak, Larry J Koudele
  • Patent number: 11915765
    Abstract: A semiconductor storage device includes a memory cell array, a peripheral circuit configured to perform writing of data to the memory cell array and reading of data from the memory cell array, and a sampling circuit configured to execute a sampling process by which sampling data is collected from a predetermined node of the peripheral circuit, during a period in which the peripheral circuit performs the writing of data to the memory cell array or the reading of data from the memory cell array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Kioxia Corporation
    Inventor: Kazunori Hirayama
  • Patent number: 11917089
    Abstract: Embodiments of a physical unclonable function (PUF) device and a method for generating helper data for a PUF device with an array of cells are disclosed. In an embodiment, the PUF device comprises an array of cells, wherein each cell of the array generates an output signal, a reliable cell group detector coupled to the array of cells to find reliable groups of cells in the array of cells having sufficient reliable cells and output addresses of the reliable groups of cells, and a storage device coupled to the reliable cell group detector to store the addresses of the reliable groups of cells to be used as helper data for PUF response operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: NXP B.V.
    Inventor: Björn Fay
  • Patent number: 11915755
    Abstract: A layout of a semiconductor memory device includes a substrate and a ternary content addressable memory (TCAM). The TCAM is disposed on the substrate and includes a plurality of TCAM bit cells, where at least two of the TCAM bit cells are mirror-symmetrical along an axis of symmetry, and each of the TCAM bit cells includes two storage units electrically connected to two word lines respectively, and a logic circuit electrically connected to the storage units. The logic circuit includes two first reading transistors, and two second reading transistors, where each of the second reading transistors includes a gate and source and drain regions, the source and drain regions of the second reading transistors are electrically connected to two matching lines and the first reading transistors, respectively, where the word lines are disposed parallel to and between the matching lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: UNITED MICROELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventors: Chun-Yen Tseng, Yu-Tse Kuo, Shu-Ru Wang, Chun-Hsien Huang, Hsin-Chih Yu, Meng-Ping Chuang, Li-Ping Huang, Yu-Fang Chen