Patents by Inventor Hitoshi Miwa
Hitoshi Miwa has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Publication number: 20150179549Abstract: A method for bypassing a defective through silicon via x in a group of n adjacent through silicon vias, includes receiving a plurality of relief signals to identify the defective through silicon via x, activating x?1 switch circuits to connect x?1 data circuits to through silicon vias 1 to x?1 in the group of n adjacent through silicon vias, activating n?x switch circuits to connect n?x data circuits to through silicon vias x+1 to n in the group of n adjacent through silicon vias, and activating a switch circuit to connect a data circuit to an auxiliary through silicon via which is adjacent through silicon via n in the group of n adjacent through silicon vias.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 27, 2015Publication date: June 25, 2015Inventors: Kayoko Shibata, Hitoshi Miwa, Yoshihiko Inoue
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Publication number: 20150155049Abstract: A nonvolatile memory apparatus including a control circuit, plural terminals having clock, command and other terminals, data and command registers, and plural nonvolatile memory cells. The clock terminal receives a clock signal and the command terminal receives commands including read and program commands. The data register receives from and outputs data to outside. The control circuit reads operation steps from memory used to control the apparatus. The control circuit, responsive to the read command, controls reading data from the memory cells, storing read data to the data register, and outputting read data via the other terminal, not the command terminal, based on the clock signal. The control circuit, responsive to the program command, controls receiving data via the other terminal, not the command terminal, based on the clock signal, storing received data to the data register and writing received data to the memory cells.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 16, 2014Publication date: June 4, 2015Inventors: Hitoshi MIWA, Hiroaki KOTANI
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Patent number: 9032350Abstract: A method for bypassing a defective through silicon via x in a group of n adjacent through silicon vias, includes receiving a plurality of relief signals to identify the defective through silicon via x, activating x?1 switch circuits to connect x?1 data circuits to through silicon vias 1 to x?1 in the group of n adjacent through silicon vias, activating n-x switch circuits to connect n-x data circuits to through silicon vias x+1 to n in the group of n adjacent through silicon vias, and activating a switch circuit to connect a data circuit to an auxiliary through silicon via which is adjacent through silicon via n in the group of n adjacent through silicon vias.Type: GrantFiled: July 8, 2014Date of Patent: May 12, 2015Assignee: PS4 Luxco S.A.R.L.Inventors: Kayoko Shibata, Hitoshi Miwa, Yoshihiko Inoue
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Publication number: 20150103592Abstract: Disclosed herein are techniques for providing a programming voltage to a selected word line in a non-volatile memory array. This may be a 3D NAND, 2D NAND, or another type of memory array. The programming voltage may be quickly ramped up on the selected word line, without the need for adding a stronger charge pump to the memory device. The voltage on the selected word line may be ramped up to a target voltage during a channel pre-charge phase. The target voltage may be limited in magnitude so that program disturb does not occur. Next, during a channel boosting phase, the unselected word lines are increased to a boosting voltage. The voltage on the selected word line is also increased during the boosting phase to a second target level. Then, the voltage on the selected word line is charged up from the second target level to a program voltage.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 10, 2013Publication date: April 16, 2015Inventor: Hitoshi Miwa
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Patent number: 8988945Abstract: Disclosed herein are techniques for providing a programming voltage to a selected word line in a non-volatile memory array. This may be a 3D NAND, 2D NAND, or another type of memory array. The programming voltage may be quickly ramped up on the selected word line, without the need for adding a stronger charge pump to the memory device. The voltage on the selected word line may be ramped up to a target voltage during a channel pre-charge phase. The target voltage may be limited in magnitude so that program disturb does not occur. Next, during a channel boosting phase, the unselected word lines are increased to a boosting voltage. The voltage on the selected word line is also increased during the boosting phase to a second target level. Then, the voltage on the selected word line is charged up from the second target level to a program voltage.Type: GrantFiled: October 10, 2013Date of Patent: March 24, 2015Assignee: SanDisk Technologies Inc.Inventor: Hitoshi Miwa
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Publication number: 20140320203Abstract: A method for bypassing a defective through silicon via x in a group of n adjacent through silicon vias, includes receiving a plurality of relief signals to identify the defective through silicon via x, activating x?1 switch circuits to connect x?1 data circuits to through silicon vias 1 to x?1 in the group of n adjacent through silicon vias, activating n-x switch circuits to connect n-x data circuits to through silicon vias x+1 to n in the group of n adjacent through silicon vias, and activating a switch circuit to connect a data circuit to an auxiliary through silicon via which is adjacent through silicon via n in the group of n adjacent through silicon vias.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 8, 2014Publication date: October 30, 2014Inventors: Kayoko Shibata, Hitoshi Miwa, Yoshihiko Inoue
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Patent number: 8854890Abstract: Disclosed herein are techniques for providing a programming voltage to a selected word line in a non-volatile memory array. This may be a 3D NAND, 2D NAND, or another type of memory array. The programming voltage may be quickly ramped up on the selected word line, without the need for adding a stronger charge pump to the memory device. The voltage on the selected word line may be ramped up to a target voltage during a channel pre-charge phase. The target voltage may be limited in magnitude so that program disturb does not occur. Next, during a channel boosting phase, the unselected word lines are increased to a boosting voltage. The voltage on the selected word line is also increased during the boosting phase to a second target level. Then, the voltage on the selected word line is charged up from the second target level to a program voltage.Type: GrantFiled: May 23, 2014Date of Patent: October 7, 2014Assignee: SanDisk Technologies Inc.Inventor: Hitoshi Miwa
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Patent number: 8839161Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor chip including a plurality of driver circuits and an output switching circuit coupled to the plurality of driver circuits. The device also includes a second semiconductor chip and a plurality of through silicon vias provided on at least one of the first and second semiconductor chips. The output switching circuit is coupled between the plurality of driver circuits and the plurality of the through silicon vias, and outputs each of signals from the plurality of driver circuits to corresponding one of the plurality of through silicon vias.Type: GrantFiled: April 29, 2013Date of Patent: September 16, 2014Assignee: PS4 Luxco S.A.R.L.Inventors: Kayoko Shibata, Hitoshi Miwa, Yoshihiko Inoue
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Patent number: 8830755Abstract: A read process for a 3D stacked memory device provides an optimum level of channel boosting for unselected memory strings, to repress both normal and weak-erase types of read disturbs. The channel is boosted by controlling of voltages of bit lines (Vbl), drain-side select gates (Vsgd_unsel), source-side select gates (Vsgs_unsel), a selected level (word line layer) of the memory device (Vcg_sel), and unselected levels of the memory device (Vcg_unsel). A channel can be boosted by initially making the drain-side and source-side select gates non-conductive, to allow capacitive coupling from an increasing Vcg_unsel. The drain-side and/or source-side select gates are then made conductive by raising Vsgd_unsel and/or Vsgs_unsel, interrupting the boosting. Additionally boosting can occur by making the drain-side and/or source-side select gates non-conductive again while Vcg_unsel is still increasing. Or, the channel can be driven at Vbl.Type: GrantFiled: May 14, 2014Date of Patent: September 9, 2014Assignee: SanDisk Technologies Inc.Inventors: Yingda Dong, Man L Mui, Hitoshi Miwa
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Publication number: 20140247659Abstract: A read process for a 3D stacked memory device provides an optimum level of channel boosting for unselected memory strings, to repress both normal and weak-erase types of read disturbs. The channel is boosted by controlling of voltages of bit lines (Vbl), drain-side select gates (Vsgd_unsel), source-side select gates (Vsgs_unsel), a selected level (word line layer) of the memory device (Vcg_sel), and unselected levels of the memory device (Vcg_unsel). A channel can be boosted by initially making the drain-side and source-side select gates non-conductive, to allow capacitive coupling from an increasing Vcg_unsel. The drain-side and/or source-side select gates are then made conductive by raising Vsgd_unsel and/or Vsgs_unsel, interrupting the boosting. Additionally boosting can occur by making the drain-side and/or source-side select gates non-conductive again while Vcg_unsel is still increasing. Or, the channel can be driven at Vbl.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 14, 2014Publication date: September 4, 2014Applicant: SanDisk Technologies Inc.Inventors: Yingda Dong, Man L Mui, Hitoshi Miwa
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Patent number: 8804431Abstract: A nonvolatile memory apparatus including a control circuit, plural terminals having clock, command and other terminals, data and command registers, and plural nonvolatile memory cells. The clock terminal receives a clock signal and the command terminal receives commands including read and program commands. The data register receives from and outputs data to outside. The control circuit reads operation steps from memory used to control the apparatus. The control circuit, responsive to the read command, controls reading data from the memory cells, storing read data to the data register, and outputting read data via the other terminal, not the command terminal, based on the clock signal. The control circuit, responsive to the program command, controls receiving data via the other terminal, not the command terminal, based on the clock signal, storing received data to the data register and writing received data to the memory cells.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 2012Date of Patent: August 12, 2014Assignee: S4, Inc.Inventors: Hitoshi Miwa, Hiroaki Kotani
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Patent number: 8709871Abstract: A stacked type semiconductor memory device of having a structure in which a plurality of semiconductor chips is stacked and a desired semiconductor chip can be selected by assigning a plurality of chip identification numbers different from each other are individually assigned to the plurality of semiconductor chips comprising: a plurality of operation circuits which is connected in cascade in a stacking order of the plurality of semiconductor chips and outputs the plurality of identification numbers different from each other by performing a predetermined operation; and a plurality of comparison circuits which detects whether or not each the identification number and a chip selection address commonly connected to each the semiconductor chip are equal to each other by comparing them.Type: GrantFiled: November 10, 2011Date of Patent: April 29, 2014Inventors: Junji Yamada, Hiroaki Ikeda, Kayoko Shibata, Yoshihiko Inoue, Hitoshi Miwa, Tatsuya Ijima
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Patent number: 8670285Abstract: A read process for a 3D stacked memory device provides an optimum level of channel boosting for unselected memory strings, to repress both normal and weak-erase types of read disturbs. The channel is boosted by controlling of voltages of bit lines (Vbl), drain-side select gates (Vsgd_unsel), source-side select gates (Vsgs_unsel), a selected level (word line layer) of the memory device (Vcg_sel), and unselected levels of the memory device (Vcg_unsel). A channel can be boosted by initially making the drain-side and source-side select gates non-conductive, to allow capacitive coupling from an increasing Vcg_unsel. The drain-side and/or source-side select gates are then made conductive by raising Vsgd_unsel and/or Vsgs_unsel, interrupting the boosting. Additionally boosting can occur by making the drain-side and/or source-side select gates non-conductive again while Vcg_unsel is still increasing. Or, the channel can be driven at Vbl.Type: GrantFiled: February 2, 2012Date of Patent: March 11, 2014Assignee: SanDisk Technologies Inc.Inventors: Yingda Dong, Man L Mui, Hitoshi Miwa
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Publication number: 20140056065Abstract: A read process for a 3D stacked memory device provides an optimum level of channel boosting for unselected memory strings, to repress both normal and weak-erase types of read disturbs. The channel is boosted by controlling of voltages of bit lines (Vb1), drain-side select gates (Vsgd_unsel), source-side select gates (Vsgs_unsel), a selected level (word line layer) of the memory device (Vcg_sel), and unselected levels of the memory device (Vcg_unsel). A channel can be boosted by initially making the drain-side and source-side select gates non-conductive, to allow capacitive coupling from an increasing Vcg_unsel. The drain-side and/or source-side select gates are then made conductive by raising Vsgd_unsel and/or Vsgs_unsel, interrupting the boosting. Additionally boosting can occur by making the drain-side and/or source-side select gates non-conductive again while Vcg_unsel is still increasing. Or, the channel can be driven at Vb1.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 4, 2013Publication date: February 27, 2014Applicant: SanDisk Technologies Inc.Inventors: Yingda Dong, Man L Mui, Hitoshi Miwa
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Patent number: 8584061Abstract: To include a first semiconductor chip including driver circuits, a second semiconductor chip including receiver circuits, and through silicon vias provided in the second semiconductor chip. The first semiconductor chip includes an output switching circuit that exclusively connects an output terminal of an i-th driver circuit (where i is an integer among 1 to n) to one through silicon via among an i-th through silicon via to an (i+m)-th through silicon via. The second semiconductor chip includes an input switching circuit that exclusively connects an input terminal of an i-th receiver circuit (where i is an integer among 1 to n) to one through silicon via among the i-th through silicon via to the (i+m)-th through silicon via. With this configuration, because a difference in wiring lengths does not occur between signal paths before and after replacement of through silicon vias, the signal quality can be enhanced.Type: GrantFiled: October 7, 2010Date of Patent: November 12, 2013Assignee: Elpida Memory, Inc.Inventors: Kayoko Shibata, Hitoshi Miwa, Yoshihiko Inoue
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Publication number: 20130234342Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor chip including a plurality of driver circuits and an output switching circuit coupled to the plurality of driver circuits. The device also includes a second semiconductor chip and a plurality of through silicon vias provided on at least one of the first and second semiconductor chips. The output switching circuit is coupled between the plurality of driver circuits and the plurality of the through silicon vias, and outputs each of signals from the plurality of driver circuits to corresponding one of the plurality of through silicon vias.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 29, 2013Publication date: September 12, 2013Applicant: Elpida Memory, Inc.Inventors: Kayoko Shibata, Hitoshi Miwa, Yoshihiko Inoue
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Publication number: 20130201760Abstract: A read process for a 3D stacked memory device provides an optimum level of channel boosting for unselected memory strings, to repress both normal and weak-erase types of read disturbs. The channel is boosted by controlling of voltages of bit lines (Vbl), drain-side select gates (Vsgd_unsel), source-side select gates (Vsgs_unsel), a selected level (word line layer) of the memory device (Vcg_sel), and unselected levels of the memory device (Vcg_unsel). A channel can be boosted by initially making the drain-side and source-side select gates non-conductive, to allow capacitive coupling from an increasing Vcg_unsel. The drain-side and/or source-side select gates are then made non-conductive by raising Vsgd_unsel and/or Vsgs_unsel, interrupting the boosting. Additionally boosting can occur by making the drain-side and/or source-side select gates conductive again while Vcg_unsel is still increasing. Or, the channel can be driven at Vbl.Type: ApplicationFiled: February 2, 2012Publication date: August 8, 2013Inventors: Yingda Dong, Man L. Mui, Hitoshi Miwa
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Publication number: 20130077410Abstract: A nonvolatile memory apparatus including a control circuit, plural terminals having clock, command and other terminals, data and command registers, and plural nonvolatile memory cells. The clock terminal receives a clock signal and the command terminal receives commands including read and program commands. The data register receives from and outputs data to outside. The control circuit reads operation steps from memory used to control the apparatus. The control circuit, responsive to the read command, controls reading data from the memory cells, storing read data to the data register, and outputting read data via the other terminal, not the command terminal, based on the clock signal. The control circuit, responsive to the program command, controls receiving data via the other terminal, not the command terminal, based on the clock signal, storing received data to the data register and writing received data to the memory cells.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 23, 2012Publication date: March 28, 2013Inventor: Hitoshi MIWA
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Publication number: 20120122251Abstract: A stacked type semiconductor memory device of having a structure in which a plurality of semiconductor chips is stacked and a desired semiconductor chip can be selected by assigning a plurality of chip identification numbers different from each other are individually assigned to the plurality of semiconductor chips comprising: a plurality of operation circuits which is connected in cascade in a stacking order of the plurality of semiconductor chips and outputs the plurality of identification numbers different from each other by performing a predetermined operation; and a plurality of comparison circuits which detects whether or not each the identification number and a chip selection address commonly connected to each the semiconductor chip are equal to each other by comparing them.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 10, 2011Publication date: May 17, 2012Applicant: Elpida Memory Inc.Inventors: Junji YAMADA, Hiroaki IKEDA, Kayoko SHIBATA, Yoshihiko INOUE, Hitoshi MIWA, Tatsuya IJIMA
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Patent number: 8076764Abstract: A stacked type semiconductor memory device of having a structure in which a plurality of semiconductor chips is stacked and a desired semiconductor chip can be selected by assigning a plurality of chip identification numbers different from each other are individually assigned to the plurality of semiconductor chips comprising: a plurality of operation circuits which is connected in cascade in a stacking order of the plurality of semiconductor chips and outputs the plurality of identification numbers different from each other by performing a predetermined operation; and a plurality of comparison circuits which detects whether or not each the identification number and a chip selection address commonly connected to each the semiconductor chip are equal to each other by comparing them.Type: GrantFiled: December 6, 2006Date of Patent: December 13, 2011Assignee: Elpida Memory Inc.Inventors: Junji Yamada, Hiroaki Ikeda, Kayoko Shibata, Yoshihiko Inoue, Hitoshi Miwa, Tatsuya Ijima