Patents Examined by Allison P. Bernstein
  • Patent number: 9720828
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a first magnetic layer pinned in its magnetization direction, a third magnetic layer pinned in its magnetization direction, a second magnetic layer interposed between the first magnetic layer and the third magnetic layer, and changeable in its magnetization direction, a barrier layer interposed between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer, and a dielectric layer interposed between the second magnetic layer and the third magnetic layer, wherein the first magnetic layer has a width 1.5 to 5 times wider than a width of the second magnetic layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignees: SK Hynix Inc., KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
    Inventors: Sung-Joon Yoon, Tadashi Kai
  • Patent number: 9711202
    Abstract: This technology provides an electronic device. An electronic device in accordance with an implementation of this document may include a semiconductor memory, and the semiconductor memory may include: an under layer including a plurality of material layers having a different crystal structures; a first magnetic layer formed over the under layer and having a variable magnetization direction; a tunnel barrier layer formed over the first magnetic layer; and a second magnetic layer formed over the tunnel barrier layer and having a pinned magnetization direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Yang-Kon Kim, Guk-Cheon Kim, Jeong-Myeong Kim, Jong-Koo Lim, Ku-Youl Jung, Won-Joon Choi
  • Patent number: 9711510
    Abstract: A memory device includes a plurality of memory cells At least one of the memory cells includes a plurality of transistors with vertical-gate-all-around configurations and a plurality of active blocks. A portion of at least one of the active blocks serves as a source or a drain of one of the transistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Jhon-Jhy Liaw
  • Patent number: 9704569
    Abstract: A programmable read-only-memory (ROM) cell and method of operating. The ROM cell comprises: a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate having a bottom substrate layer, an insulating layer formed over said bottom substrate layer, and a top semiconductor substrate layer. A series coupled CMOS NFET and PFET device is formed at said semiconductor substrate layer, each NFET and PFET device having a respective gate, drain and source terminals, wherein a source terminal of said PFET device is electrically shorted to a drain terminal of said NFET device. An injected charge storage layer is provided at an interface between a channel formed beneath a gate terminal of said PFET and the insulating layer. The charge storage layer having trapped charge carriers representative of a logic bit value. The stored bit value is physically undetectable data. Biasing conditions established at the substrate and PFET device enable injection of charge carriers into the charge storage layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Tak H. Ning, Ghavam G. Shahidi, Jeng-Bang Yau
  • Patent number: 9698201
    Abstract: A high density non-volatile memory device is provided that uses one or more volatile elements. In some embodiments, the non-volatile memory device can include a resistive two-terminal selector that can be in a low resistive state or a high resistive state depending on the voltage being applied. A deep trench MOS (“metal-oxide-semiconductor”) transistor having a floating gate with small area relative to conventional devices can be provided, in addition to a capacitor or transistor acting as a capacitor. A first terminal of the capacitor can be connected to a voltage source, and the second terminal of the capacitor can be connected to the selector device. The small area floating gate of the deep trench transistor can be connected to the other side of the selector device, and a second transistor can be connected in series with the deep trench transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: CROSSBAR, INC.
    Inventors: Hagop Nazarian, Sung Hyun Jo, Harry Yue Gee
  • Patent number: 9698267
    Abstract: A transistor is disclosed and includes forming a gate of a transistor within a substrate having a surface and a buried oxide (BOX) layer within the substrate and adjacent to the gate at a first BOX layer face. The method also includes a raised source-drain channel (“fin”), where at least a portion of the fin extends from the surface of the substrate, and where the fin has a first fin face adjacent to a second BOX layer face of the BOX layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Stanley Seungchul Song, Mohamed Hassan Abu-Rahma, Beom-Mo Han
  • Patent number: 9691497
    Abstract: Programmable devices and fabrication methods thereof are presented. The programmable devices include, for instance, a first electrode and a second electrode electrically connected by a link portion. The link portion includes one material of a metal material or a semiconductor material and the first and second electrodes includes the other material of the metal material or the semiconductor material. For example, the link portion facilitates programming the programmable device by applying a programming current between the first electrode and the second electrode to facilitate migration of the one material of the link portion towards at least one of the first or second electrodes. In one embodiment, the programming current is configured to heat the link portion to facilitate the migration of the one material of the link portion towards the at least one of the first or second electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc.
    Inventors: Suraj K. Patil, Min-hwa Chi, Ajey P. Jacob
  • Patent number: 9691820
    Abstract: Three-dimensional memory structures that are configured to use area efficiently, and methods for providing three-dimensional memory structures that use area efficiently are provided. The vertical memory structure can include a number of bit line bits that is greater than a number of word line bits. In addition, the ratio of bit line bits to word line bits can be equal to a ratio of a first side a memory cell included in a memory array of the memory structure to a dimension of a second side of the memory cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation
    Inventor: Jun Sumino
  • Patent number: 9685483
    Abstract: A circuit operable as a non-volatile memory cell, formed in part from a volatile selection device, is provided. The circuit can be fabricated utilizing Integrated Circuit (IC)-Foundry compatible processes to simplify manufacturing, reduce cost and improve yield. For instance, the circuit can comprise a set of transistors fabricated at least in part with front-end-of-line IC processes, and can comprise the volatile selection device and a set of interconnects fabricated at least in part with back-end-of-line IC processes. In further embodiments, the volatile selection device can be a two-terminal, volatile resistive-switching device connected at one end to a gate of an n-well transistor, and connected at a second end to a gate of a p-well transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: CROSSBAR, INC.
    Inventors: Hagop Nazarian, Sung Hyun Jo, Harry Yue Gee
  • Patent number: 9679849
    Abstract: Area overhead is reduced between adjacent blocks of a 3D vertical channel memory device. In various embodiments, vertically oriented pillars that intersect layers of string select lines and word lines are arranged at intersections of a regular grid that is rotated, in a “twisted” array of pillars. Sides of shapes of the 3D NAND array structure are undulating, and follow undulating lines in which the outer pillars are disposed. For example, any of the string select lines, word lines, ground select lines, and ground lines have sides with undulating shapes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: MACRONIX INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Shih-Hung Chen
  • Patent number: 9673202
    Abstract: Provided is an embedded FinFET SRAM structure and methods of making the same. The embedded FinFET SRAM structure includes an array of SRAM cells. The SRAM cells have a first pitch in a first direction and a second pitch in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. The first and second pitches are configured so as to align fin active lines and gate features of the SRAM cells with those of peripheral logic circuits. A layout of the SRAM structure includes three layers, wherein a first layer defines mandrel patterns for forming fins, a second layer defines a first cut pattern for removing dummy fins, and a third layer defines a second cut pattern for shortening fin ends. The three layers collectively define fin active lines of the SRAM structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Jhon Jhy Liaw
  • Patent number: 9673391
    Abstract: A method includes forming a protection material over a conductive structure, an opening over the structure is partially filled with a first electrode material to form a first electrode; a resistance variable layer and a second electrode material are also formed in the opening. The second electrode material and the resistance variable layer are patterned to form a memory element. The method includes forming an interlayer dielectric over the memory element and the periphery region of the substrate and disposing contacts in the interlayer dielectric.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Kuo-Chi Tu, Chih-Yang Chang, Hsia-Wei Chen, Yu-Wen Liao, Chin-Chieh Yang, Wen-Ting Chu
  • Patent number: 9666532
    Abstract: Roughly described, a memory device has a multilevel stack of conductive layers. Vertically oriented pillars each include series-connected memory cells at cross-points between the pillars and the conductive layers. SSLs run above the conductive layers, each intersection of a pillar and an SSL defining a respective select gate of the pillar. Bit lines run above the SSLs. The pillars are arranged on a regular grid which is rotated relative to the bit lines. The grid may have a square, rectangle or diamond-shaped unit cell, and may be rotated relative to the bit lines by an angle ? where tan(?)=±X/Y, where X and Y are co-prime integers. The SSLs may be made wide enough so as to intersect two pillars on one side of the unit cell, or all pillars of the cell, or sufficiently wide as to intersect pillars in two or more non-adjacent cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: Macronix International Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Shih-Hung Chen
  • Patent number: 9666289
    Abstract: Provided are semiconductor devices including a peripheral region and a cell region stacked thereon and a method of fabricating the same. The semiconductor device may include a peripheral region including a lower substrate and a peripheral circuit provided thereon and a cell region including an upper substrate and a cell array provided thereon. The cell region may be stacked on the peripheral region. When an operation signal is applied to the cell region from the peripheral region, at least a portion of the peripheral and cell regions may be used as a ground pattern applied with a ground signal, thereby being in an electrical ground state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jae-Eun Lee, Sunghoon Kim
  • Patent number: 9666279
    Abstract: A non-volatile memory has an array of non-volatile memory cells. Each of the non-volatile memory cells includes a coupling device formed on a first well, a read device, a floating gate device formed on a second well and coupled to the coupling device, a program device formed on the second well, and an erase device formed on a third well and coupled to the first floating gate device. The read device, the program device, and the erase device are formed on separate wells so as to separate the cycling counts of a read operation, a program operation and an erase operation of the non-volatile memory cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2017
    Assignee: eMemory Technology Inc.
    Inventors: Wen-Hao Ching, Yen-Hsin Lai, Shih-Chen Wang
  • Patent number: 9659950
    Abstract: Semiconductor devices, such as three-dimensional memory devices, include a memory array including a stack of conductive tiers and a stair step structure. The stair step structure is positioned between first and second portions of the memory array and includes contact regions for respective conductive tiers of the stack of conductive tiers. The first portion of the memory array includes a first plurality of select gates extending in a particular direction over the stack. The second portion of the memory array includes a second plurality of select gates also extending in the particular direction over the stack of conductive tiers. Methods of forming and methods of operating such semiconductor devices, including vertical memory devices, are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Aaron Yip, Qiang Tang, Chang Wan Ha
  • Patent number: 9660076
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device according to an embodiment includes a substrate, a plurality of conductive members containing a metal and provided on the substrate, a stacked body provided in each region between the conductive members, a semiconductor pillar piercing the stacked body, a memory film and internal stress films. The plurality of conductive members extend in a first direction and are separated from each other in a second direction. The internal stress films also extend in the first direction and are separated from each other in the second direction. The first direction and the second direction are parallel to an upper surface of the substrate and intersect each other. The internal stress films contain material having internal stress having the reverse polarity of internal stress of the metal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Toshihiko Iinuma, Yasunori Oshima
  • Patent number: 9653170
    Abstract: A pillar-shaped semiconductor memory device includes Si pillars arranged in at least two rows; a tunnel insulating layer; a data charge storage insulating layer; first, second, and third interlayer insulating layers; and first and second conductor layers, all of which surround outer peripheries of the Si pillars, the first and second conductor layers being located at the same height in a perpendicular direction. A row of the semiconductor pillars is interposed between the first and second conductor layers of Si pillars arranged in an X direction. Shapes of the first and second conductor layers facing the semiconductor pillars are circular arcs. Adjacent circular arcs of the first conductor layer are in contact with each other, and adjacent circular arcs of the second conductor layer are in contact with each other. A pitch length of the Si pillars in the X direction is smaller than that in a Y direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: UNISANTIS ELECTRONICS SINGAPORE PTE. LTD.
    Inventors: Fujio Masuoka, Nozomu Harada
  • Patent number: 9647036
    Abstract: Resistive RAM (RRAM) devices having increased uniformity and related manufacturing methods are described. Greater uniformity of performance across an entire chip that includes larger numbers of RRAM cells can be achieved by uniformly creating enhanced channels in the switching layers through the use of radiation damage. The radiation, according to various described embodiments, can be in the form of ions, electromagnetic photons, neutral particles, electrons, and ultrasound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Inventors: Shih-Yuan Wang, Shih-Ping Wang
  • Patent number: 9620411
    Abstract: In one embodiment, there is provided a non-volatile magnetic memory cell. The non-volatile magnetic memory cell comprises a switchable magnetic element; and a word line and a bit line to energize the switchable magnetic element; wherein at least one of the word line and the bit line comprises a magnetic sidewall that is discontinuous.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: III HOLDINGS 1, LLC
    Inventor: Krishnakumar Mani