Patents Assigned to FERROELECTRIC MEMORY GMBH
  • Patent number: 11309792
    Abstract: A voltage converter circuit may include: a first input node; a second input node; a first output node; a second output node; one or more charge pumps that convert a first input voltage supplied to the first input node up to a first output voltage and convert a second input voltage supplied to the second input node down to a second output voltage; and a control circuit to control the one or more charge pumps according to two operational modes. In the first operation mode, the control circuit supplies the first input voltage to the first input node, leaves the second input node floating, and outputs the first output voltage at the first output node. In the second operation mode, the control circuit supplies the second input voltage to the second input node, leaves the first input node floating, and outputs the second output voltage at the second output node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: FERROELECTRIC MEMORY GMBH
    Inventors: Rashid Iqbal, Fabio Tassan Caser, Marko Noack
  • Patent number: 11309034
    Abstract: A memory cell arrangement is provided that may include: a plurality of first control lines; a plurality of second control lines; a plurality of third control lines; each of a plurality of memory cell sets includes memory cells and is assigned to a corresponding one of the plurality of first control lines and includes at least a first memory cell subset addressable via the corresponding first control line, a corresponding one of the plurality of second control lines, and the plurality of third control lines, and at least a second memory cell subset addressable via the corresponding first control line, the plurality of second control lines, and a corresponding one of the plurality of third control lines. The corresponding one of the plurality of third control lines addresses the second memory cell subset of each memory cell set of the plurality of memory cell sets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: FERROELECTRIC MEMORY GMBH
    Inventors: Menno Mennenga, Johannes Ocker
  • Patent number: 11289145
    Abstract: According to various aspects, a memory cell is provided, the memory cell may include a field-effect transistor; a first control node and a second control node, a first capacitor structure including a first electrode connected to the first control node, a second electrode connected to a gate region of the field-effect transistor, and a remanent-polarizable region disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode of the first capacitor structure; and a second capacitor structure including a first electrode connected to the second control node, a second electrode connected to the gate region of the field-effect transistor. In some aspects, the first capacitor structure may have a first capacitance and the second capacitor structure may have a second capacitance different from the first capacitance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: FERROELECTRIC MEMORY GMBH
    Inventor: Johannes Ocker
  • Patent number: 11195589
    Abstract: According to various aspects, a memory cell arrangement is provided, the memory cell arrangement including a control circuit configured to carry out a de-trapping writing scheme to write at least one memory cell of the memory cell arrangement into a memory state, the de-trapping writing scheme including providing one or more write voltage pulses and one or more de-trapping voltage pulses at the at least one memory cell, wherein the one or more de-trapping voltage pulses have opposite polarity with respect to the one or more write voltage pulses, and wherein one or more properties of the one or more write voltage pulses and of the one or more de-trapping voltage pulses are varied as long as the memory cell is not in the memory state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: FERROELECTRIC MEMORY GMBH
    Inventors: Johannes Ocker, Haidi Zhou, Stefan Müller
  • Patent number: 11189331
    Abstract: A memory cell arrangement is provided that may include: at least one memory cell and a read-out circuit. The memory cell includes a first terminal, a second terminal, a third terminal, and a field-effect transistor structure being connected to the first terminal, the second terminal, and the third terminal. The read-out circuit is configured to carry out a read-out operation to read out a memory state of the memory cell, the read-out operation including: providing a first voltage at the first terminal, a second voltage at the second terminal, and a third voltage at the third terminal such that the field-effect transistor structure is in a high-resistivity state and such that a leakage current through the first terminal and/or through the second terminal is generated, and sensing the leakage current to determine the memory state of the memory element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: FERROELECTRIC MEMORY GMBH
    Inventors: Antoine Benoist, Marko Noack
  • Patent number: 11158361
    Abstract: A memory cell arrangement is provided that may include: a plurality of memory cells including one or more memory cells to be read out and one or more memory cells not to be read out; a control circuit defining a base voltage and configured to: apply a select voltage, a first readout voltage and a second readout voltage, to one word-line and to a source/bit-line pair corresponding to the one or more memory cells to be read out, respectively; apply a voltage that is substantially the base voltage to one or more word-lines corresponding to the one or more memory cells not to be read out; wherein both the first readout voltage and the second readout voltage are provided with an offset to the base voltage, and wherein the first readout voltage and the second readout voltage are different from one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: FERROELECTRIC MEMORY GMBH
    Inventor: Stefan Müller
  • Patent number: 11101291
    Abstract: A memory cell arrangement is provided that may include: a plurality of electrode layers, wherein each of the plurality of electrode layers comprises a plurality of through holes, each of the plurality of through holes extending from a first surface to a second surface of the respective electrode layer; a plurality of electrode pillars, wherein each of the plurality of electrode pillars comprises a plurality of electrode portions, wherein each of the plurality of electrode portions is disposed within a corresponding one of the plurality of through holes; wherein at least one remanent-polarizable portion is disposed in each of the plurality of through holes in a gap between the respective electrode layer and the respective electrode portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2021
    Assignee: FERROELECTRIC MEMORY GMBH
    Inventors: Menno Mennenga, Johannes Ocker
  • Patent number: 11081159
    Abstract: A memory cell arrangement is provided that may include: a read-out circuit and a memory cell including: a first terminal, a second terminal, and a third terminal; the memory cell may be configured to control current flow between the second terminal and the first terminal as a function of a first voltage present at the first terminal, a third voltage applied at the third terminal, and a memory state of the memory cell. The read-out circuit is configured to: generate a characteristic voltage at the bitline by applying the third voltage at the third terminal and a second voltage at the second terminal, the characteristic voltage representing the memory state of the memory cell, and to determine the memory state of the memory cell based on sensing the characteristic voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: FERROELECTRIC MEMORY GMBH
    Inventors: Rolf Jähne, Marko Noack
  • Patent number: 11049541
    Abstract: A memory cell arrangement is provided that may include: a control circuit configured to supply a precondition signal and one of at least two write signals to a memory cell of the memory cell arrangement, the memory cell including a field-effect transistor structure and a remanent-polarizable layer, wherein the precondition signal is configured to bring the memory cell from an actual condition into a predefined condition, wherein the predefined condition is associated with a predefined threshold voltage of the field-effect transistor structure of the memory cell, and wherein the at least two write signals are configured to write the memory cell selectively into a first memory state or into a second memory state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: FERROELECTRIC MEMORY GMBH
    Inventor: Stefan Müller
  • Patent number: 10978129
    Abstract: A memory cell is provided that may include: a field-effect transistor structure including a channel and a gate structure disposed adjacent to the channel, the gate structure including: one or more remanent-polarizable layers, a gate electrode, wherein the one or more remanent-polarizable layers are disposed between the gate electrode and the channel, and one or more charge storage structures disposed between at least one of the one or more remanent-polarizable layers and the channel and/or the one or more remanent-polarizable layers and the gate electrode, the one or more charge storage structures are configured to stabilize a polarization state associated with the one or more remanent-polarizable layers by trapping charge in the one or more charge storage structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: FERROELECTRIC MEMORY GMBH
    Inventor: Stefan Müller
  • Patent number: 10650892
    Abstract: In various embodiments, a ternary memory cell is provided, the ternary memory cell including: a first ferroelectric memory cell and a second ferroelectric memory cell in a parallel or serial arrangement, wherein each of the first ferroelectric memory cell and the second ferroelectric memory cell is switchable into a first ferroelectric memory cell state and a second ferroelectric memory cell state; and wherein a first matching state is defined by the first ferroelectric memory cell in the first ferroelectric memory cell state and the second ferroelectric memory cell in the second ferroelectric memory cell state, wherein a second matching state is defined by the first ferroelectric memory cell in the second ferroelectric memory cell state and the second ferroelectric memory cell in the first ferroelectric memory cell state, and wherein a third matching state is defined by the first ferroelectric memory cell and the second ferroelectric memory cell being in the same ferroelectric memory cell state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2020
    Assignee: FERROELECTRIC MEMORY GMBH
    Inventor: Marko Noack
  • Patent number: 10460788
    Abstract: According to various embodiments, a memory cell may include: a channel region, a gate isolation structure disposed at the channel region; and a memory structure disposed over the gate isolation structure, the memory structure comprising a first electrode structure, a second electrode structure, and at least one remanent-polarizable layer disposed between the first electrode structure and the second electrode structure; wherein the first electrode structure, the gate isolation structure, and the channel region form a first capacitor structure defining a capacitor area of a first size; and wherein the first electrode structure, the at least one remanent-polarizable layer, and the second electrode structure form a second capacitor structure defining a capacitor area of a second size, wherein the second size is less than the first size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2019
    Assignee: FERROELECTRIC MEMORY GMBH
    Inventor: Stefan Müller
  • Patent number: 10438645
    Abstract: According to various embodiments, a memory cell may include: a field-effect transistor structure comprising a channel region and a gate structure disposed at the channel region, the gate structure comprising a gate electrode structure and a gate isolation structure disposed between the gate electrode structure and the channel region; and a memory structure comprising a first electrode structure, a second electrode structure, and at least one remanent-polarizable layer disposed between the first electrode structure and the second electrode structure; wherein the first electrode structure of the memory structure is electrically conductively connected to the gate electrode structure of the field-effect transistor structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: FERROELECTRIC MEMORY GMBH
    Inventors: Stefan Ferdinand Müller, Marko Noack, Johannes Ocker, Rolf Jähne