Patents Represented by Attorney IP & T Group LLP
  • Patent number: 8120973
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes a first memory bank and a second memory bank and a common write driver configured to drive write data to an activated memory bank of the first memory bank and the second memory bank. The common write driver of the semiconductor memory device includes a common write control block configured to generate common drive control signals corresponding to write data, and a common write drive block configured to drive transmission lines of a first memory bank or transmission lines of a second memory bank that are selected by a bank selection signal in response to the common drive control signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventors: Mun-Phil Park, Kwi-Dong Kim, Sung-Ho Kim
  • Patent number: 8119523
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor device using a dual damascene process is provided. The method includes forming a dielectric layer over a conductive layer, forming a via hole exposing the conducting layer by selectively etching the dielectric layer, projecting a portion of the dielectric layer at an edge of the via hole by selectively etching the dielectric layer to a first depth, and forming a trench by selectively etching the dielectric layer to a second depth, wherein the trench is overlapped with the via hole to form a dual damascene pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Jin-Ho Yang
  • Patent number: 8120964
    Abstract: A nonvolatile memory device includes a first node, a current source configured to have a current value determined according to a voltage supplied to the first node, and a memory cell string coupled to the first node, the memory cell string including at least one memory cell. Whether a memory cell included in the memory cell string has been programmed is determined based on the voltage supplied to the first node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Sung Hoon Ahn
  • Patent number: 8120442
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes transmission lines for conveying signals and transition detectors, each of which checks whether a transmission signal on each of the plurality of transmission lines is transited. If the signal is transited, its transition shape is detected. A signal mode determining unit determines signal transmission modes between adjacent transmission lines in response to output signals from the plurality of transition detectors. Delay units are coupled to the respective transmission lines for adjusting transmission delays of the transmission signals depending on corresponding output signal from the signal mode determining units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventors: Ji-Wang Lee, Kun-Woo Park, Yong-Ju Kim, Hee-Woong Song, Ic-Su Oh, Hyung-Soo Kim, Tae-Jin Hwang, Hae-Rang Choi
  • Patent number: 8120099
    Abstract: A semiconductor device and method for fabricating the same is provided. The semiconductor device includes a trench formed in a substrate, a junction region formed in the substrate on both sides of the trench, a first gate insulation layer formed on the surface of the trench, a first buried conductive layer formed over the first gate insulation layer to fill a portion of the trench, a second buried conductive layer formed between the first buried conductive layer and the first gate insulation layer to provide a gap between the first buried conductive layer and the first gate insulation layer, and a second gate insulation layer buried in the gap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventors: Dae-Young Seo, Doo-Kang Kim
  • Patent number: 8119512
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming an interlayer dielectric layer over a substrate; forming a dual storage node contact plug to be buried in the interlayer dielectric layer, forming a first damascene pattern to isolate the dual storage node contact plug, forming a protective layer pattern inside the first damascene pattern, etching the interlayer dielectric layer to form a second damascene pattern to be coupled to the first damascene pattern, and forming bit lines inside the first and second damascene patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Chang-Goo Lee
  • Patent number: 8120103
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a substrate; a plurality of active pillars formed over the substrate; bulb-type trenches, each of the bulb-type trenches formed inside the substrate between the active pillars; buried bit lines, each of the buried bit lines being formed on a sidewall of a respective one of the bulb-type trenches; and vertical gates, each of the vertical gates being formed to surround a sidewall of a respective one of the active pillars.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Ki-Ro Hong
  • Patent number: 8120180
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, an insulation pattern on the semiconductor substrate, and an etch stop layer on the insulating pattern, the insulation pattern and the etch stop layer defining a contact hole that exposes the substrate, a first plug filled in a portion of the contact hole, a diffusion barrier layer formed above the first plug and in a bottom portion and on sidewalls of a remaining portion of the contact hole, a second plug fainted on the diffusion barrier layer and filled in the contact hole, and a storage node coupled to and formed on the second plug.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventors: Jin-Hyock Kim, Jae-Sung Roh, Seung-Jin Yeom, Kee-Jeung Lee, Han-Sang Song, Deok-Sin Kil, Young-Dae Kim
  • Patent number: 8120972
    Abstract: A test circuit for a semiconductor memory apparatus of an open bit-line structure includes a compression part configured to, in response to test data read from a plurality of memory cells included in a test target cell mat and a compression control signal generated from a compression control signal generating part, compress the test data that are read from the memory cells that share a sense amplifier block and sequentially output compression test signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2012
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Seung Bong Kim
  • Patent number: 8115524
    Abstract: A semiconductor device for applying an auto clock alignment training mode to reduce the time required for a clock alignment training operation. The semiconductor device adjusts the entry time of the auto clock alignment training mode to prevent the clock alignment training operation from malfunctioning. The semiconductor device includes a clock division block configured to divide a data clock to generate a data division clock, a phase multiplex block configured to generate a plurality of multiple data division clocks in response to the data division clock, a logic level control block configured to set a period, in which a division control signal is changeable, depending on the data division clock, and a first phase detection block configured to detect a phase of a system clock on the basis of the multiple data division clocks in the period, and to generate the division control signal corresponding to a detection result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventors: Young-Ran Kim, Jung-Hoon Park
  • Patent number: 8116148
    Abstract: A shift register includes a shift circuit configured to shift an input signal in synchronization with a shift dock to output an output signal of the shift register, and a clock control circuit configured to enable the shift clock in response to the input signal and disable the shift clock in response to the output signal of the shift register.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Seung-Lo Kim
  • Patent number: 8114724
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes: forming a plurality of photoresist patterns over a substrate structure; forming an insulation layer for a spacer over a structure including the photoresist patterns; forming a plurality of spacers on sidewalls of the photoresist patterns by anisotropically etching the insulation layer, and forming a first opening through the insulation layer; and forming second openings in the insulation layer to expose the substrate structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Jung-Hee Park
  • Patent number: 8116146
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes an overdriving control circuit configured to generate a first drive signal and a second drive signal in response to an internal signal of an active command mode, an equalizing signal generating unit configured to generate an equalizing signal which is controlled with an overdriving voltage VPP level higher than a normal drive voltage during a first duration of an activation period and with the normal drive voltage VDD during a second duration of the other activation period after the first duration in response to the first drive signal and the second drive signal, and an equalization unit configured to equalize first and second lines in response to the equalizing signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Sung-Soo Chi
  • Patent number: 8110892
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a plurality of stacked semiconductor chips; and a plurality of through-silicon vias (TSVs) including first TSVs and redundant TSVs and configured to commonly transfer a signal to the plurality of stacked semiconductor chips. At least one of the semiconductor chips includes a plurality of repair fuse units configured to store defect information as to at least one defect of the TSVs; and a plurality of latch units allocated to the respective TSVs and configured to store a plurality of signals indicating at least one TSV defect and outputted from the plurality of repair fuse units.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventors: Jeong-Woo Lee, Hyung-Dong Lee, Sang-Hoon Shin, Hyang-Hwa Choi
  • Patent number: 8111557
    Abstract: A nonvolatile memory device and a method of programming the device includes storing first data in first main and sub-registers and storing second data in second main and sub-registers, performing first program and verification operations on first memory cells based on the first data stored in the first main register, storing a result of the first verification operation in the first main register, performing a second program operation on second memory cells based on the second data stored in the second main register, changing the result of the first verification operation, stored in the first main register, into the first data stored in the first sub-register, performing an additional verification operation on the first memory cells on which the first verification operation has been completed, storing a result of the additional verification operation in the first main register, and performing a second verification operation on the second memory cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Jung Ryul Ahn
  • Patent number: 8111556
    Abstract: A nonvolatile memory device and a method of operating the same. The nonvolatile memory device includes a memory cell array including memory cells for storing data, a temperature sensor and a controller. The temperature sensor outputs a temperature detection signal according to ambient temperatures while changing one or more pieces of reference voltage information, which are previously stored, when data is programmed into the memory cell array. The controller performs a verify operation of the program using a fast verify method and decides the number of steps which are comprised in step-shaped verify voltage pulse of the fast verify method according to the temperature detection signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventors: In Soo Wang, Joong Seob Yang
  • Patent number: 8108709
    Abstract: A circuit for generating an output enable signal includes a reset signal generator for synchronizing a reset signal with an external clock signal to generate an output enable (OE) reset signal, synchronizers for synchronizing the OE reset signal with an internal clock signal to generate a source reset signal, and an output enable signal output unit, reset by the source reset signal, for counting pulses of the external clock signal and the internal clock signal to output an output enable signal corresponding to a read command and CAS latency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventors: Ji-Eun Jang, Seok-Cheol Yoon
  • Patent number: 8107287
    Abstract: A method of programming a nonvolatile memory device includes sequentially programming first to (n?1)th logical pages of all the physical pages of a first memory block of the memory blocks in response to a first program command, a step of loading data of the first to (n?1)th logical pages stored in a first physical page of the first memory block and latching the loaded data in first to (n?1)th latches of each of the page buffers, respectively, when receiving a second program command after programming all the first to (n?1)th logical pages, and latching new program data, received along with the second program command, in an nth latch of the corresponding page buffer and programming the data, stored in the first to nth latches of the page buffer, into a first physical page of a second memory block of the memory blocks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Min Joong Jung
  • Patent number: 8107310
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes a bank having a plurality of mats, an address counting unit configured to receive an auto-refresh command consecutively applied at predetermined intervals corresponding to a number of the mats, and sequentially count an internal address in response to the auto-refresh command, and an address transferring unit configured to enable the plurality of mats in response to the auto-refresh command, and transfer the internal address to the plurality of mats at predetermined time intervals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventors: Dae-Suk Kim, Jong-Chern Lee
  • Patent number: 8105902
    Abstract: A semiconductor device with a vertical transistor includes a plurality of active pillars, a plurality of vertical gates surrounding sidewalls of the active pillars; a plurality of word lines having exposed sidewalls whose surfaces are higher than the active pillars and connecting the adjacent vertical gates together, and a plurality of spacers surrounding the exposed sidewalls of the word lines over the vertical gates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Jong-Han Shin