Abstract: Techniques are disclosed herein for programming memory arrays to achieve high program/erase cycle endurance. In some aspects, only selected word lines (WL) are programmed with other WLs remaining unprogrammed. As an example, only the even word lines are programmed with the odd WLs left unprogrammed. After all of the even word lines are programmed and the data block is to be programmed with new data, the block is erased. Later, only the odd word lines are programmed. The data may be transferred to a block that stores multiple bit per memory cell prior to the erase. In one aspect, the data is programmed in a checkerboard pattern with some memory cells programmed and others left unprogrammed. Later, after erasing the data, the previously unprogrammed part of the checkerboard pattern is programmed with remaining cells unprogrammed.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes a plurality of memory cell blocks including a first memory cell block having bit lines, an edge sense amplifier block including edge sense amplifiers coupled to a portion of the bit lines of the first memory cell block, and a balancing capacitor unit coupled to the edge sense amplifiers.

Abstract: It is made possible to provide a highly reliable magnetoresistive effect element and a magnetic memory that operate with low power consumption and current writing and without element destruction. The magnetoresistive effect element includes a first magnetization pinned layer comprising at least one magnetic layer and in which a magnetization direction is pinned, a magnetization free layer in which a magnetization direction is changeable, a tunnel barrier layer provided between the first magnetization pinned layer and the magnetization free layer, a non-magnetic metal layer provided on a first region in an opposite surface of the magnetization free layer from the tunnel barrier layer, a dielectric layer provided on a second region other than the first region in the opposite surface of the magnetization free layer from the tunnel barrier layer; and a second magnetization pinned layer provided to cover opposite surfaces of the non-magnetic metal layer and the dielectric layer from the magnetization free layer.

Abstract: A thermally-assisted MRAM structure which is programmable at a writing mode operating temperature is presented and includes an anti-ferromagnet, an artificial anti-ferromagnet, a barrier layer, and a free magnetic layer. The anti-ferromagnet is composed of a material having a blocking temperature Tb which is lower than the writing mode operating temperature of the magnetic random access memory structure. The artificial anti-ferromagnet is magnetically coupled to the anti-ferromagnet, and includes first and second magnetic layers, and a coupling layer interposed therebetween, the first and second magnetic layers having different Curie point temperatures. The barrier layer is positioned to be between the second magnetic layer and the free magnetic layer.

Abstract: A data output circuit of a semiconductor memory device includes a pipe latch unit configured to store input parallel data and align the stored data in response to a plurality of alignment control signals to output serial output data, and an alignment control signal generating unit configured to generate the plurality of alignment control signals in response to a burst-type information and a seed address group, wherein the alignment control signal generating unit generates the alignment control signals to swap data in a swap mode where the burst-type is a certain type and bits of the seed address group are certain values.

Abstract: A supply voltage generating circuit includes a first charge pump circuit that generates a first internal supply voltage, and second charge pump circuit that generates a second internal supply voltage. The absolute value of the second internal supply voltage is greater than that of the first internal supply voltage. The output terminal of the first charge pump circuit is connected to a secondary-side charging terminal of the second charge pump circuit. The secondary-side is an output-side of the corresponding charge pump circuit, and the charging terminal is an auxiliary charging terminal that supplies an auxiliary charge to a secondary-side output terminal of the corresponding charge pump circuit. The output terminal of the second charge pump circuit outputs a voltage value that is the result of adding a prescribed voltage value to the value of the first internal supply voltage applied to the charging terminal.

Abstract: A method of controlling data includes, with respect to non-volatile memory cells connected to bit lines corresponding to a first bit line group, first controlling data written to the non-volatile memory cells by varying a control voltage, and, with respect to non-volatile memory cells connected to bit lines corresponding to a second bit line group, second controlling data written to the non-volatile memory cells by varying a control voltage. The controlling may include reading or verifying. Before verification, the method may include writing data to the non-volatile memory cells.

Abstract: In some embodiments a voltage regulator provides an operation voltage to a memory system and a transient voltage supply adjusts the operation voltage provided by the voltage regulator during transient events of the memory system. Additionally, the voltage supply may adjust the operation voltage provided to the memory system at a fixed time interval that corresponds to a worst case load transient event.

Abstract: A computation processing device executes logic computation based upon input data X(t) and data X(t?1) stored in memory. A ferroelectric capacitor includes a first terminal and a second terminal, and provides a function as memory. A bit line driver switches the voltage to be applied to the first terminal or the second terminal of the ferroelectric capacitor. A sense amplifier outputs a computation result according to the voltage that occurs at either of the first terminal and the second terminal of the ferroelectric capacitor. For example, the bit line driver switches the direction of the voltage to be applied to the ferroelectric capacitor according to the input data X(t).

Abstract: An integrated circuit includes an array of resistance changing memory cells, and a circuit configured to apply an initialization signal to a first one of the memory cells that is in a virgin resistance state. The initialization signal is configured to modify the first memory cell without switching an operation state of the first memory cell.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are a nanowire and a current-induced domain wall displacement-type memory device using the same.

Abstract: A solid-state memory device includes: a superlattice laminate having plural crystal layers laminated therein, the crystal layers including first and second crystal layers having mutually opposite compositions; a lower electrode provided on a first surface in a laminating direction of the superlattice laminate; and an upper electrode provided on a second surface of the superlattice laminate in the laminating direction. The first crystal layer included in the superlattice laminate is made of a phase change compound. According to the present invention, the superlattice laminate laminated in opposite directions of the upper and lower electrodes is sandwiched between these electrodes. Therefore, when an electric energy is applied to the superlattice laminate via these electrodes, a uniform electric energy can be applied to a laminated surface of the superlattice laminate. Accordingly, fluctuation of a resistance is small even when information is repeatedly rewritten, and data can be read stably as a result.

Abstract: A memory array is shown, including memory cells with source and drain doped regions, and global bit lines coupled to the doped regions via select transistors. The connections of the select transistors are configured such that the respective loading capacitances of two global bit lines respectively coupled to the source and the drain of a memory cell to be read do not vary with the memory cell to be read.

Abstract: Methods for programming, memory devices, and memory systems are disclosed. In one such method for programming, a target memory cell is partially programmed to a final target programmed state where the partial programming is verified by applying a ramped voltage having a first voltage range (e.g., where the first voltage range is selected in response to program coupling effects from memory cells adjacent to the target memory cell.) A programming operation following the partial programming operation is performed on one or more adjacent memory cells which is then followed by additional programming of the target memory cell to adjust the memory cell from the partially programmed state to the final programmed state. A ramped voltage having a second voltage range different from the first voltage range is utilized to verify the programming of the target memory cell to the final programmed state.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a volatile organic memory in which data can be written other than during manufacturing and falsification by rewriting can be prevented, and to provide a semiconductor device including such an organic memory. It is a feature of the invention that a semiconductor device includes a plurality of bit lines extending in a first direction; a plurality of word lines extending in a second direction different from the first direction; a memory cell array including a plurality of memory cells each provided at one of intersections of the bit lines and the word lines; and memory elements provided in the memory cells, wherein the memory elements include bit lines, an organic compound layer, and the word lines, and the organic compound layer includes a layer in which an inorganic compound and an organic compound are mixed.

Abstract: Non-volatile memory devices with two stacked layers of chalcogenide materials comprising the active memory device have been investigated for their potential as phase-change memories. The devices tested included GeTe/SnTe, Ge2Se3/SnTe, and Ge2Se3/SnSe stacks. All devices exhibited resistance switching behavior. The polarity of the applied voltage with respect to the SnTe or SnSe layer was critical to the memory switching properties, due to the electric field induced movement of either Sn or Te into the Ge-chalcogenide layer. One embodiment of the invention is a device comprising a stack of chalcogenide-containing layers which exhibit phase-change switching only after a reverse polarity voltage potential is applied across the stack causing ion movement into an adjacent layer and thus “activating” the device to act as a phase-change random access memory device or a reconfigurable electronics device when the applied voltage potential is returned to the normal polarity.

Abstract: An apparatus that includes a magnetic structure including a reference layer; and a free layer; an exchange coupling spacer layer; and a stabilizing layer, wherein the exchange coupling spacer layer is between the magnetic structure and the stabilizing layer and exchange couples the free layer of the magnetic structure to the stabilizing layer.

Abstract: A magnetic random access memory (MRAM) cell includes an embedded MRAM and an access transistor. The embedded MRAM is formed on a number of metal-interposed-in-interlayer dielectric (ILD) layers, which each include metal dispersed therethrough and are formed on top of the access transistor. An magneto tunnel junction (MTJ) is formed on top of a metal formed in the ILD layers that is in close proximity to a bit line. An MTJ mask is used to pattern the MTJ and is etched to expose the MTJ. Ultimately, metal is formed on top of the bit line and extended to contact the MTJ.

Abstract: A data reading method for a flash memory module is provided. The method includes applying a bit-data-read voltage to get read data from memory cells of the flash memory module. The method also includes setting a minus-adjustment-bit-data-read voltage and a plus-adjustment-bit-data-read voltage corresponding to the bit-data-read voltage based on an error-distribution estimated value and applying the minus-adjustment-bit-data-read voltage and the plus-adjustment-bit-data-read voltage to obtain soft values corresponding to the read data from the memory cells. The method further includes calculating a soft-information estimated value corresponding to each bit of the read data according to the soft-values. Accordingly, the method can effectively obtain soft information.

Abstract: A data processing device according to the present invention comprises a nonvolatile memory and a trimming data read control circuit. The nonvolatile memory has a plurality of memory regions in which the same trimming data is stored. The trimming data read control circuit reads the trimming data from a random one of the plurality of memory regions.