Patents by Inventor Stephan Schroeder

Stephan Schroeder 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).

  • Patent number: 6859406
    Abstract: A dynamic RAM semiconductor memory with a shared sense amplifier organization concept, in which the cell arrays are subdivided into blocks whose bit lines are connected in pairs from two adjacent blocks in each case to a common sense amplifier and the sense amplifiers are disposed between the cell blocks. In which case bit line switches are disposed in sense amplifier strips—lying between the blocks—between in each case two adjacent sense amplifiers in order to momentarily connect the other ends—not connected to the sense amplifiers—of two bit line pairs from the adjacent cell blocks during a precharge phase of a bit line pair activated directly beforehand. The precharge phase takes place at the start of a charge equalization phase.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2005
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Manfred Pröll, Stephan Schröder, Claus Engelhardt, Jörg Kliewer
  • Patent number: 6853214
    Abstract: A circuit configuration has a first driver stage for feeding in an input signal and for outputting an amplified signal. A second driver stage, which is connected in parallel with the first driver stage, is fed, on the input side, both the input signal and a control signal from a reference circuit connected upstream. The reference circuit compares the feedback level of an output signal, which level is present at one of its inputs, with the level of the input signal present at its other input and generates the control signal for driving the driver stage in the event that the level of the output signal is lower than the level of the input signal. As a result, the driver stage is connected for additional amplification of the input signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Stephan Schröder, Joerg Vollrath
  • Publication number: 20040233747
    Abstract: The invention relates to a RAM store having a shared SA structure, in which sense amplifiers (SA) arranged in SA strips (10) between two respective adjacent cell blocks are used by a plurality of bit line pairs (21, 22; 21-24) from the adjacent cell blocks and the bit line pairs (21, 22; 21-24) have respective charge equalization circuits individually associated with them for the purpose of performing charge equalization between the bit line halves of the bit line pairs (21, 22; 21-24) in a precharge phase, where a shorting transistor (30) is provided which, when prompted by a control signal (EQLx), connects the bit line halves (BLT, BLC) of the bit line pairs (21, 22; 21-24) which are in the precharge phase to one another.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2004
    Publication date: November 25, 2004
    Inventors: Manfred Proell, Stephan Schroeder, Ralf Schneider, Joerg Kliewer
  • Patent number: 6816094
    Abstract: A circuit configuration for the bit-parallel outputting the bits of a data word includes at least two signal lines for feeding the data signals representing the bits of the data word to driver stages and to a reference circuit. Further driver stages are connected in parallel with the driver stages and have inputs connected to the control device. The control device establishes the signal states of the data signals to be transferred on each signal line and generates a control signal depending on the type and number of the signal state changes of bit sequences to be transferred. It is possible to drive the driver stages that assigned to the signal line for which a signal state change is present.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: November 9, 2004
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Joerg Vollrath, Stephan Schröder
  • Publication number: 20040208073
    Abstract: A RAM memory with a shared sense amplifier structure, in which sense amplifiers are arranged in strips between two adjacent cell blocks and are configured as differential amplifiers. In an exemplary embodiment, a one of four bit line pairs of the two adjacent cell blocks can be selected for connection to a sense amplifier at any one time using respective isolation transistor pairs, in response to a connection control signal fed to the latter. A signal sent on a word line coupled to a memory cell associated with the selected bit line pair, provides access to the memory cell by the sense amplifier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2004
    Publication date: October 21, 2004
    Inventors: Stephan Schroeder, Manfred Proell, Aurel Von Campenhausen, Marcin Gnat
  • Publication number: 20040184333
    Abstract: The invention relates to an integrated semiconductor memory, in particular a DRAM memory, in which primary sense amplifiers (SA) are coupled to a bit line (BL) of a respective cell block and can be connected to a common local data line (LDQ) by means of a respective assigned CSL switch in response to a CSL signal and in which an MDQ/LDQ switch arrangement connects a main data line (MDQ) to the local data line (LDQ) of a respective cell block in response to an MDQ/LDQ switch signal. In the case of the semiconductor memory, a control input of each CSL switch is connected to an AND element, which ANDs the CSL signal with the MDQ/LDQ switch signal and thereby activates the CSL switches only in cell blocks in which a word line has been activated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2003
    Publication date: September 23, 2004
    Inventors: Manfred Proell, Stephan Schroeder, Ralf Schneider, Joerg Kliewer
  • Publication number: 20040170049
    Abstract: An integrated semiconductor memory, and method for operating such a memory, in particular a DRAM memory, having local data lines (LDQT, LDQC) segmented in the column direction (Y), which local data lines can be connected by a CSL switch in response to a column select signal fed via a CSL line (CSL) running in the row direction (X) to primary sense amplifiers for transferring or accepting spread data signals to or from bit lines of the respective segment (I, II, III), LDQ switches are arranged at the interfaces between adjacent segments of the local data lines (LDQT, LDQC) for their connection to the local data lines (LDQT, LDQC) of adjacent segments (I, II, III). LDQ switches, depending on a control signal fed separately to each of said LDQ switches, are closed during a precharge phase, which takes place before each read cycle, of at least two adjacent LDQ segments.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2003
    Publication date: September 2, 2004
    Inventors: Manfred Proell, Stephan Schroeder, Ralf Schneider, Joerg Kliewer
  • Patent number: 6781889
    Abstract: An additional test mode is introduced in a semiconductor memory. A multiplicity of word lines are simultaneously activated by a word line decoder in the test mode. After a potential equalization of complementary bit lines, a logic “0” or a logic “1” is applied to an equalization circuit via a voltage generator. It is thus possible for the entire memory cell array to be preallocated an identical data value or, in strip form, alternating data values. Test time is thereby saved.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2004
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Jörg Kliewer, Rupert Lukas, Manfred Pröll, Stephan Schröder
  • Publication number: 20040156254
    Abstract: An integrated memory can include a memory cell array, which has word lines for the selection of memory cells, bit lines for reading out or writing data signals of the memory cells, and a sense amplifier connected to bit lines of a bit line pair at one end of the bit line pair. In an activated state during a memory access, at least one activatable isolation circuit which is switched into one of the bit line pairs can isolate a part of the bit line pair, which is more remote from the sense amplifier from the sense amplifier. As a result, the effective capacitance of the bit lines can be significantly reduced during the memory access.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2004
    Publication date: August 12, 2004
    Inventors: Manfred Proell, Stephan Schroeder, Herbert Benzinger, Aurel von Campenhausen
  • Patent number: 6735138
    Abstract: An integrated memory comprises a memory cell array with memory cells and a connection area for externally tapping data of the memory cells which are to be read out. The memory is operated using a prefetch architecture, in which, when there is a memory access operation, a first data group of memory cells from a first zone and a second data group of further memory cells from a second zone of the memory cell array are fed in parallel to an output circuit and the first and second data groups are output successively via the connection area. The first and second zones are always defined for a plurality of memory access operations in such a way that the first data group has a shorter signal transit time to the connection area than the second data group. As a result, the external outputting of data can be brought forward in time, and the operating frequency can thus be increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2004
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Stephan Schröder, Manfred Dobler
  • Patent number: 6639861
    Abstract: An integrated memory has a memory cell array containing word lines and bit lines. The bit lines, for reading out a data signal, can in each case be connected to a sense amplifier via a controllable switching device. Furthermore, a control circuit is contained, having an output, which is connected to a control input of the respective switching device, and having an input, which is connected to a terminal for a test mode signal. The control circuit is configured in such a way that, within an access cycle, the respective switching device can be switched into a non-conducting state on account of an active state of the test mode signal. In the integrated memory, it is possible to measure the leakage behavior of a bit line during the read-out of a data signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Reidar Stief, Peter Beer, Herbert Benzinger, Stephan Schroeder
  • Publication number: 20020154560
    Abstract: An integrated memory has a memory cell array containing word lines and bit lines. The bit lines, for reading out a data signal, can in each case be connected to a sense amplifier via a controllable switching device. Furthermore, a control circuit is contained, having an output, which is connected to a control input of the respective switching device, and having an input, which is connected to a terminal for a test mode signal. The control circuit is configured in such a way that, within an access cycle, the respective switching device can be switched into a non-conducting state on account of an active state of the test mode signal. In the integrated memory, it is possible to measure the leakage behavior of a bit line during the read-out of a data signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2002
    Publication date: October 24, 2002
    Inventors: Reidar Stief, Peter Beer, Herbert Benzinger, Stephan Schroeder
  • Patent number: 6351161
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes a terminal supplying a digital signal, a controllable driver circuit connected to the terminal and outputting the digital signal, and a comparator device. An actuating circuit actuates the driver circuit as a function of a clock signal. The comparator device compares the timing of signal transitions of the clock signal with transitions of the digital signal. The comparator has a first comparator input for receiving the clock signal and a second comparator input connected to the driver output for receiving the digital signal. The comparator device outputs an output signal having a first state if a signal transition of the clock signal at the first input takes place before a signal transition of the digital signal at the second input, and outputs a second state if the clock signal transition takes place after digital signal transition. In a test mode, the invention compares the clock and digital signal timings with a high degree of accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2002
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Ralf Schneider, Stephan Schröder