Patents Assigned to Unity Semiconductor Corporation
  • Patent number: 8363443
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate generally to semiconductors and memory technology, and more particularly, to systems, integrated circuits, and methods to implement circuits configured to compensate for parameter variations that affect the operation of memory elements, such as memory elements based on third dimensional memory technology. In at least some embodiments, an integrated circuit includes a cross-point array comprising memory elements disposed among word lines and bit lines, where a parameter can affect the operating characteristics of a memory element. The integrated circuit further includes a data signal adjuster configured to modify the operating characteristic to compensate for a deviation from a target value for the operating characteristic based on the parameter. In some embodiments, the memory element, such as a resistive memory element, is configured to generate a data signal having a magnitude substantially at the target value independent of variation in the parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Unity Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Christophe J. Chevallier, Seow Fong Lim, Chang Hua Siau
  • Patent number: 8358529
    Abstract: A memory cell including a memory element comprising an electrolytic insulator in contact with a conductive metal oxide (CMO) is disclosed. The CMO includes a crystalline structure and can comprise a pyrochlore oxide, a conductive binary oxide, a multiple B-site perovskite, and a Ruddlesden-Popper structure. The CMO includes mobile ions that can be transported to/from the electrolytic insulator in response to an electric field of appropriate magnitude and direction generated by a write voltage applied across the electrolytic insulator and CMO. The memory cell can include a non-ohmic device (NOD) that is electrically in series with the memory element. The memory cell can be positioned between a cross-point of conductive array lines in a two-terminal cross-point memory array in a single layer of memory or multiple vertically stacked layers of memory that are fabricated over a substrate that includes active circuitry for data operations on the array layer(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2013
    Assignee: Unity Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Lawrence Schloss, Julie Casperson Brewer, Wayne Kinney, Rene Meyer
  • Patent number: 8351264
    Abstract: Circuitry for generating voltage levels operative to perform data operations on non-volatile re-writeable memory arrays are disclosed. In some embodiments an integrated circuit includes a substrate and a base layer formed on the substrate to include active devices configured to operate within a first voltage range. Further, the integrated circuit can include a cross-point memory array formed above the base layer and including re-writable two-terminal memory cells that are configured to operate, for example, within a second voltage range that is greater than the first voltage range. Conductive array lines in the cross-point memory array are electrically coupled with the active devices in the base layer. The integrated circuit also can include X-line decoders and Y-line decoders that include devices that operate in the first voltage range. The active devices can include other active circuitry such as sense amps for reading data from the memory cells, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Unity Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Christophe Chevallier, Chang Hua Siau
  • Publication number: 20130003437
    Abstract: A multi-layer cross-point memory array comprises one or more word line (WL) layers, one or more bit line (BL) layers interleaved with the one or more WL layers, and a plurality of memory layers, each memory layer disposed between an adjacent WL layer and an adjacent BL layer, and each memory layer including memory elements configured between cross-points of WLs and BLs of the adjacent WL and BL layers. Memory elements in successive memory layers of the memory array are configured with opposing orientations, so that half-selected memory elements arising during times when data operations are being performed on selected memory elements in the memory array are subjected to stress voltages of a polarity of which they are least susceptible to being disturbed. The memory elements can be discrete re-writeable non-volatile two-terminal memory elements that are fabricated as part of a BEOL fabrication process used to fabricate the memory array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2011
    Publication date: January 3, 2013
    Applicant: UNITY SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
    Inventor: Chang Hua Siau
  • Patent number: 8344756
    Abstract: Field programmable gate arrays using resistivity-sensitive memories are described, including a programmable cell comprising a configurable logic, a memory connected to the configurable logic to provide functions for the configurable logic, the memory comprises a non-volatile rewriteable memory element including a resistivity-sensitive memory element, an input/output logic connected to the configurable logic and the memory to communicate with other cells. The memory elements may be two-terminal resistivity-sensitive memory elements that store data in the absence of power. The two-terminal memory elements may store data as plurality of conductivity profiles that can be non-destructively read by applying a read voltage across the terminals of the memory element and data can be written to the two-terminal memory elements by applying a write voltage across the terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Unity Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Robert Norman
  • Patent number: 8347254
    Abstract: Combined memories in integrated circuits are described, including determining a first requirement for logic blocks, determining a second requirement for memory blocks including a vertical configuration for the memory bocks, and compiling a design for the integrated circuit using the first requirement and the second requirement. The memory blocks may include non-volatile two-terminal cross-point memory arrays. The non-volatile two-terminal cross-point memory arrays can be formed on top of a logic plane. The logic plane can be fabricated in a substrate. The non-volatile two-terminal cross-point memory arrays may be vertically stacked upon one another to form a plurality of memory planes. The memory planes can be portioned into sub-planes. One or more different memory types such as Flash, SRAM, DRAM, and ROM can be emulated by the plurality of memory planes and/or sub-planes. The non-volatile two-terminal cross-point memory arrays can include a plurality of two-terminal memory elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Unity Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Robert Norman
  • Patent number: 8339867
    Abstract: A margin restore fuse element is described, including a latch configured to store data, a first memory element coupled to the latch and configured to store a first resistive value, a second memory element coupled to the latch and configured to store a second resistive value, a restore circuit coupled to the latch, the first memory element, and the second memory element, the restore circuit being configured to perform a restore data operation to substantially restore the first and second memory elements to the first and second resistive values, respectively. The latch, restore circuit, and other circuitry can be formed FEOL on a substrate (e.g., a semiconductor wafer) as part of a microelectronics fabrication process and the fuse element and memory elements can be formed BEOL over the substrate as part of another microelectronics fabrication process. The fuse and memory elements can be included in a two-terminal non-volatile memory cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Unity Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Chang Hua Siau
  • Publication number: 20120314477
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate generally to semiconductors and memory technology, and more particularly, to systems, integrated circuits, and methods to preserve states of memory elements in association with data operations using variable access signal magnitudes for other memory elements, such as implemented in third dimensional memory technology. In some embodiments, a memory device can include a cross-point array with resistive memory elements. An access signal generator can modify a magnitude of a signal to generate a modified magnitude for the signal to access a resistive memory element associated with a word line and a subset of bit lines. A tracking signal generator is configured to track the modified magnitude of the signal and to apply a tracking signal to other resistive memory elements associated with other subsets of bit lines, the tracking signal having a magnitude at a differential amount from the modified magnitude of the signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2011
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Applicant: UNITY SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
    Inventor: Chang Hua Siau
  • Publication number: 20120314468
    Abstract: A memory array includes wordlines, local bitlines, two-terminal memory elements, global bitlines, and local-to-global bitline pass gates and gain stages. The memory elements are formed between the wordlines and local bitlines. Each local bitline is selectively coupled to an associated global bitline, by way of an associated local-to-global bitline pass gate. During a read operation when a memory element of a local bitline is selected to be read, a local-to-global gain stage is configured to amplify a signal on or passing through the local bitline to an amplified signal on or along an associated global bitline. The amplified signal, which in one embodiment is dependent on the resistive state of the selected memory element, is used to rapidly determine the memory state stored by the selected memory element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 10, 2011
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Applicant: UNITY SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chang Hua Siau, Bruce Bateman
  • Publication number: 20120315503
    Abstract: A platinum plating solution for immersion plating a continuous film of platinum on a metal structure. The immersion platinum plating solution is free of a reducing agent. The plating process does not require electricity (e.g., electrical current) and does not require electrodes (e.g., anode and/or cathode). The solution includes a platinum source and a complexing agent including Oxalic Acid. The solution enables immersion plating of platinum onto a metal surface, a metal substrate, or a structure of which at least a portion is a metal. The resulting platinum plating comprises a continuous thin film layer of platinum having a thickness not exceeding 300 ?. The solution can be used for plating articles including but not limited to jewelry, medical devices, electronic structures, microelectronics structures, MEMS structures, nano-sized or smaller structures, structures used for chemical and/or catalytic reactions (e.g., catalytic converters), and irregularly shaped metal surfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2012
    Publication date: December 13, 2012
    Applicant: Unity Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Robin Cheung, Wen Zhong Kong
  • Publication number: 20120307542
    Abstract: Embodiments relate generally to semiconductors and memory technology, and more particularly, to systems, integrated circuits, and methods to implement a memory architecture that includes local bit lines for accessing subsets of memory elements, such as memory elements based on third dimensional memory technology. In at least some embodiments, an integrated circuit includes a cross-point memory array formed above a logic layer. The cross-point memory array includes X-lines and Y-lines, of which at least one Y-line includes groups of Y-line portions. Each of the Y-line portions can be arranged in parallel with other Y-line portions within a group of the Y-line portions. Also included are memory elements disposed between a subset of the X-lines and the group of the Y-line portions. In some embodiments, a decoder is configured to select a Y-line portion from the group of Y-line portions to access a subset of the memory elements.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2012
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Applicant: UNITY SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Chang Hua Siau, Christophe Chevallier, Darrell Rinerson, Seow Fong Lim, Sri Namala
  • Publication number: 20120300535
    Abstract: An ion barrier layer made from a dielectric material in contact with an electronically insulating layer is operative to prevent mobile ions transported into the electronically insulating layer from passing through the ion barrier layer and into adjacent layers during data operations on a non-volatile memory cell. A conductive oxide layer in contact with the electronically insulating layer is the source of the mobile ions. A programming data operation is operative to transport a portion of the mobile ions into the electronically insulating layer and an erase data operation is operative to transport the mobile ions back into the conductive oxide layer. When the portion is positioned in the electronically insulating layer the memory cell stores data as a programmed conductivity profile and when a substantial majority of the mobile ions are positioned in the conductive oxide layer the memory cell stores data as an erased conductivity profile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2012
    Publication date: November 29, 2012
    Applicant: Unity Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Lawrence Schloss, Rene Meyer, Wayne Kinney, Roy Lambertson, Julie Casperson Brewer
  • Patent number: 8320179
    Abstract: A FIFO with data storage implemented with non-volatile third dimension memory cells is disclosed. The non-volatile third dimension memory cells can be fabricated BEOL on top of a substrate that includes FEOL fabricated active circuitry configured for data operations on the BEOL memory cells. Other components of the FIFO that require non-volatile data storage can also be implemented as registers or the like using the BEOL non-volatile third dimension memory cells so that power to the FIFO can be cycled and data is retained. The BEOL non-volatile third dimension memory cells can be configured in a single layer of memory or in multiple layers of memory. An IC that includes the FIFO can also include one or more other memory types that are emulated using the BEOL non-volatile third dimension memory cells and associated FEOL circuitry configured for data operations on those memory cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Unity Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Robert Norman
  • Patent number: 8317910
    Abstract: A platinum plating solution for immersion plating a continuous film of platinum on a metal structure. The immersion platinum plating solution is free of a reducing agent. The plating process does not require electricity (e.g., electrical current) and does not require electrodes (e.g., anode and/or cathode). The solution includes a platinum source and a complexing agent including Oxalic Acid. The solution enables immersion plating of platinum onto a metal surface, a metal substrate, or a structure of which at least a portion is a metal. The resulting platinum plating comprises a continuous thin film layer of platinum having a thickness not exceeding 300 ?. The solution can be used for plating articles including but not limited to jewelry, medical devices, electronic structures, microelectronics structures, MEMS structures, nano-sized or smaller structures, structures used for chemical and/or catalytic reactions (e.g., catalytic converters), and irregularly shaped metal surfaces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Unity Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Robin Cheung, Wen Zhong Kong
  • Patent number: 8320161
    Abstract: A memory cell including a memory element comprising an electrolytic insulator in contact with a conductive metal oxide (CMO) is disclosed. The CMO includes a crystalline structure and can comprise a pyrochlore oxide, a conductive binary oxide, a multiple B-site perovskite, and a Ruddlesden-Popper structure. The CMO includes mobile ions that can be transported to/from the electrolytic insulator in response to an electric field of appropriate magnitude and direction generated by a write voltage applied across the electrolytic insulator and CMO. The memory cell can include a non-ohmic device (NOD) that is electrically in series with the memory element. The memory cell can be positioned between a cross-point of conductive array lines in a two-terminal cross-point memory array in a single layer of memory or multiple vertically stacked layers of memory that are fabricated over a substrate that includes active circuitry for data operations on the array layer(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Unity Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Lawrence Schloss, Julie Casperson Brewer, Wayne Kinney, Rene Meyer
  • Publication number: 20120292585
    Abstract: A structure for a memory device including a plurality of substantially planar thin-film layers or a plurality of conformal thin-film layers is disclosed. The thin-film layers form a memory element that is electrically in series with first and second cladded conductors and operative to store data as a plurality of conductivity profiles. A select voltage applied across the first and second cladded conductors is operative to perform data operations on the memory device. The memory device may optionally include a non-ohmic device electrically in series with the memory element and the first and second cladded conductors. Fabrication of the memory device does not require the plurality of thin-film layers be etched in order to form the memory element. The memory element can include a CMO layer having a selectively crystallized polycrystalline portion and an amorphous portion. The cladded conductors can include a core material made from copper.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 3, 2012
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Applicant: Unity Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Robin Cheung, Darrell Rinerson, Travis Byonghyop Oh, Jon Bornstein, David Hansen
  • Patent number: 8314024
    Abstract: Device fabrication is disclosed, including forming a first part of a device at a first fabrication facility as part of a front-end-of-the-line (FEOL) process, the first part of the device comprising a base wafer formed by FEOL processing, and subsequently performing one or more back-end-of-the-line (BEOL) processes at a second fabrication facility to form an IC, the one or more BEOL processes comprising finishing the forming of the device (e.g., an IC including memory) by depositing one or more memory layers on the base wafer. FEOL processing can be used to form active circuitry die (e.g., CMOS circuitry on a Si wafer) and BEOL processing can be used to form on top of each active circuitry die, one or more layers of cross-point memory arrays formed by thin film processing technologies that may or may not be compatible with or identical to some or all of the FEOL processes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 20, 2012
    Assignee: Unity Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Darrell Rinerson, Robin Cheung
  • Publication number: 20120286232
    Abstract: A two-terminal memory cell including a Schottky metal-semiconductor contact as a selection device (SD) allows selection of two-terminal cross-point memory array operating voltages that eliminate “half-select leakage current” problems present when other types of non-ohmic devices are used. The SD structure can comprise a “metal/oxide semiconductor/metal” or a “metal/lightly-doped single layer polycrystalline silicon.” The memory cell can include a two-terminal memory element including at least one conductive oxide layer (e.g., a conductive metal oxide—CMO, such as a perovskite or a conductive binary oxide) and an electronically insulating layer (e.g., yttria-stabilized zirconia—YSZ) in contact with the CMO. The SD can be included in the memory cell and configured electrically in series with the memory element. The memory cell can be positioned in a two-terminal cross-point array between a pair of conductive array lines (e.g., a bit line and a word line) across which voltages for data operations are applied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 23, 2012
    Publication date: November 15, 2012
    Applicant: Unity Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Roy Lambertson, Lawrence Schloss
  • Patent number: 8305796
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate generally to semiconductors and memory technology, and more particularly, to systems, integrated circuits, and methods to generate access signals to facilitate memory operations in scaled arrays of memory elements, such as memory implemented in third dimensional memory technology formed BEOL directly on top of a FEOL substrate that includes data access circuitry. In at least some embodiments, a non-volatile memory device can include a cross-point array having resistive memory elements disposed among word lines and subsets of bit lines, and an access signal generator. The access signal generator can be configured to modify a magnitude of a signal to generate a modified magnitude for the signal to access a resistive memory element associated with a word line and a subset of bit lines. The modified magnitude can be a function of the position of the resistive memory element in the cross-point array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: Unity Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Christophe Chevallier, Chang Hua Siau
  • Patent number: 8295073
    Abstract: Non-volatile dual port memory with third dimension memory is described, including a non-volatile third dimensional memory array comprising a memory element, the memory element is configured to change from a first resistive state to a second resistive state in response to a voltage, a transceiver gate configured to gate the voltage to the memory element, the voltage being configured to change the memory element from the first resistive state to the second resistive state, the transceiver gate is configured to receive another voltage from a bit line and a bit bar line, the bit line and the bit bar line being coupled to the memory element and configured to provide the another voltage, and a plurality of word lines coupled to the memory element, the plurality of word lines are configured to provide substantially simultaneous access to the non-volatile third dimensional memory array using two or more ports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Unity Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Robert Norman