Patents Examined by Connie C. Yoha
  • Patent number: 11373697
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes a cell array including a plurality of word lines; a plurality of address storing circuits suitable for sequentially storing a sampling address as one of a plurality of latch addresses, and sequentially outputting each of the latch addresses as a target address according to a refresh command; a duplication decision circuit suitable for preventing the sampling address from being stored in the address storing circuits when the sampling address is identical to any of the latch addresses stored in the address storing circuits; and a row control circuit suitable for refreshing one or more word lines based on the target address in response to the refresh command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Jung Ho Lim, Ja Beom Koo
  • Patent number: 11361816
    Abstract: Apparatuses and techniques are described for providing separate source regions in the substrate below a block of memory cells. The source regions can be separately driven by respective voltage drivers to provide benefits such as more uniform program and erase speeds and narrower threshold voltage distributions. In one approach, a single source region is provided and divided into multiple source regions by etching trenches and filling the trenches with an insulating material. Contacts to the source regions can include post-shaped contacts which extend through the block for each source region. In another approach, one or more planar contacts extend through the block for each source region. In another aspect, a program operation applies different voltages to the respective source regions during a verify test of a program operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Zhixin Cui, Rajdeep Gautam, Hardwell Chibvongodze
  • Patent number: 11355187
    Abstract: A method for erasing a ReRAM memory cell that includes a ReRAM device having a select circuit with two series-connected select transistors. The method includes determining if the ReRAM cell is selected for erasing. If the ReRAM cell is selected for erasing, the bit line node is biased at a first voltage potential, the source line node is biased at a second voltage potential greater than the first voltage potential and the gates of the series-connected select transistors are supplied with positive voltage pulses. The difference between the first voltage potential and the second voltage potential is sufficient to erase the ReRAM device in the ReRAM cell. If the ReRAM cell is unselected for erasing, the gate of the one of the series-connected select transistors having its drain connected to an electrode of the ReRAM device is supplied with a voltage potential insufficient to turn it on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Microchip Technology Inc.
    Inventors: Victor Nguyen, Fethi Dhaoui, John L McCollum, Fengliang Xue
  • Patent number: 11355166
    Abstract: Some embodiments include apparatuses and methods for activating a signal associated with an access line coupled to different groups of memory cells during a memory operation of a device, and for sensing data lines of the device during different time intervals of the memory operation to determine the value of information stored in the memory cells. Each of the data lines can be coupled to a respective memory cell of each of the groups of memory cells. In at least one of such apparatuses and methods, the signal applied to the access line can remain activated during the memory operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Koji Sakui, Peter Sean Feeley
  • Patent number: 11348622
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods can be related to implementing a conditional write back scheme for memory. The data may be stored by memory cells of a memory array. The data may be moved to sense circuitry. The data can be conditionally held by the sense circuitry while a plurality of operations is performed. The results of the plurality of operations can dictate whether to commit the data to the memory cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard C. Murphy, Glen E. Hush, Honglin Sun
  • Patent number: 11348635
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for biasing a memory cell during a read operation are described. For example, a memory device may bias a memory cell to a first voltage (e.g., a read voltage) during an activation phase of a read operation. After biasing the memory cell to the first voltage, the memory device may bias the memory cell to a second voltage greater than the first voltage (e.g., a write voltage) during the activation phase of the read operation. After biasing the memory cell to the second voltage, the memory device may initiate a refresh phase of the read operation. Based on a value stored by the memory cell prior to biasing the memory cell to the first voltage, the memory device may initiate a precharge phase of the read operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrea Locatelli, Giorgio Servalli, Angelo Visconti
  • Patent number: 11335388
    Abstract: In a semiconductor memory device, in a write operation performed to a memory cell transistor, a first voltage is applied to a first word line and a second voltage lower than the first voltage is applied to a second word line. When a command to stop is received during the write operation, a third voltage lower than the second voltage is applied to the first and second word lines, thereafter a fourth voltage higher than the third voltage is applied to a first selection line, thereon or thereafter a fifth voltage higher than the fourth voltage is applied to the first and second word lines, thereafter a sixth voltage lower than the fourth voltage is applied to the first selection line, and thereafter a seventh voltage is applied to the first and second word lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: KIOXIA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Hiroki Date
  • Patent number: 11335420
    Abstract: There are provided a memory device and an operating method thereof. The memory device includes memory cells connected between a bit line and a source line, a voltage generator for generating program voltages and verify voltages which are to be applied to a selected word line connected to a selected memory cell, a page buffer for storing data respectively sensed in verify operations using the verify voltages, and for transferring a program allow voltage, a program inhibit voltage or a program control voltage to the bit line by sequentially using the data, and a logic circuit for generating page buffer control signals for controlling the page buffer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Soo Yeol Chai
  • Patent number: 11322213
    Abstract: A method comprises determining a verify voltage for a next iteration of a verify operation to be performed on memory cells a first set of memory cells of a selected word line, and determining data states for a second set of memory cells of at least one neighboring word line. The method further comprises determining, based on the data states, a verify voltage configuration that includes bit line voltage biases or sense times, and performing the next iteration of the verify operation on the selected word line by using the verify voltage configuration to iteratively verify whether respective memory cells, of the second set of memory cells, have threshold voltages above the verify voltage, wherein determining the data states, determining the verify voltage configuration, and performing the next iteration are to be repeated until a program stop condition is satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Muhammad Masuduzzaman, Deepanshu Dutta
  • Patent number: 11302373
    Abstract: A race track magnetic memory device includes a magnetic fine wire having a plurality of magnetic domains, a magnetic tunnel junction element comprising a pinned layer and an insulating layer, and a spin-orbit torque (SOT) generator. An easy axis of the magnetic fine wire is substantially perpendicular to a contact surface of the magnetic fine wire and the SOT generator. The magnetic tunnel junction element and the SOT generator are disposed on a magnetic domain write region of the magnetic fine wire. Data is written by generating spin-transfer torque at magnetization of the magnetic domain write region by flowing a first current in the magnetic tunnel junction element and by generating spin-orbit torque at the magnetization of the magnetic domain write region by flowing a second current in the SOT generator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Sonobe, Syuta Honda, Teruo Ono
  • Patent number: 11295788
    Abstract: A method provided herein is adapted to a sense amplifier having a first cross-coupled latch and a second cross-coupled latch, each of which includes a first pair of transistors and a pair of coupling capacitors coupled to respective gate terminals of the first pair of transistors. The method includes, during a first phase, charging the pair of coupling capacitors of a first pair of transistors at a first cross-coupled latch to achieve zeroing and providing a first set of input voltages to a second cross-coupled latch, and, during a second phase following the first phase, discharging the pair of coupling capacitors to cancel a mismatch between the first pair of transistors and comparing the first set of input voltages provided to the second cross-coupled latch to generate a first set of output voltages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: EMEMORY TECHNOLOGY INC.
    Inventor: Wei-Ming Ku
  • Patent number: 11276456
    Abstract: A memory device includes at least one memory bank comprising a set of redundant word lines, a set of normal word lines, and row hammer refresh logic. The RHR logic comprises a first input to receive a first signal indicative of whether a match was generated at a fuse of the memory device, a second input to receive a redundant row address corresponding to a first location of a memory array of the memory device, a third input to receive a word line address corresponding to a second location of the memory array of the memory device. The RHR logic also comprises an output to transmit at least one first memory address adjacent to the first location or at least one second memory address adjacent to the second location based on a value of the first signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Joo-Sang Lee, John E. Riley
  • Patent number: 11276438
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes a sensitivity amplifier in the field of storage technology. The sensitivity amplifier includes: a first inverter, a second inverter, a first switch unit, a second switch unit, a third switch unit, a fourth switch unit, a fifth switch unit, the sixth switch unit, the seventh switch unit, and the eighth switch unit. The sensitivity amplifier can control the fifth switch unit, the sixth switch unit, the seventh switch unit, and the eighth switch unit to turn on or off, so that the sensitivity amplifier works in two different power rails, to achieve reduction of the static operating point deviation of the sensitivity amplifier during the noise cancellation stage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: CHANGXIN MEMORY TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventor: Ying Wang
  • Patent number: 11270759
    Abstract: A flash memory device includes: first pads; second pads; third pads; a memory cell region including first metal pads and a memory cell array; and a peripheral circuit region including a second metal pads and vertically connected to the memory cell region by the first metal pads and the second metal pads directly. The peripheral circuit region includes a row decoder block; a buffer block storing a command and an address received from an external semiconductor chip through the first pads; a page buffer block connected to the memory cell array through bit lines, connected to the third pads through data lines, and exchanging data signals with the external semiconductor chip through the data lines and the third pads; and a control logic block receiving control signals from the external semiconductor chip through the second pads, and controlling the row decoder block and the page buffer block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chanho Kim, Daeseok Byeon, Hyunsurk Ryu
  • Patent number: 11264084
    Abstract: A flash memory device includes: first pads; second pads; third pads; a memory cell array; a row decoder block; a buffer block that stores a command and an address received from an external semiconductor chip through the first pads and provides the address to the row decoder block; a page buffer block that is connected to the memory cell array through bit lines, is connected to the third pads through data lines, and exchanges data signals with the external semiconductor chip through the data lines and the third pads; and a control logic block that receives the command from the buffer block, receives control signals from the external semiconductor chip through the second pads, and controls the row decoder block and the page buffer block based on the received command and the received control signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chanho Kim, Daeseok Byeon, Hyunsurk Ryu
  • Patent number: 11264063
    Abstract: A memory device, including a secure command decoder implementing security logic configured to detect commands carrying an encrypted immediate data payload from a requesting host, authenticate the host as source of the command, decode the immediate data and perform a memory access command called for by a command portion of the decrypted immediate data upon the storage cells of the memory device using the non-command portion of the decrypted immediate data, as well as to encrypt any result from executing the command portion prior to returning the result to the requesting host, and an input/output interface for I/O data units supporting multiple hosts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: MACRONIX INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Chia-Jung Chen, Chin-Hung Chang, Ken-Hui Chen
  • Patent number: 11257556
    Abstract: A data transfer circuit includes: a one-time PROM storing first to m-th register addresses and first to m-th register data; first to n-th registers holding first to n-th data corresponding to first to n-th parameters controlling an operation of a functional element; and a data transfer control circuit acquiring the i-th register address and the i-th register data from the one-time PROM, transferring the i-th register data to the k-th register designated by the i-th register address, k being an integer equal to or greater than 1 and equal to or smaller than n, and updating the k-th data with the i-th register data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Inventor: Katsuhito Nakajima
  • Patent number: 11257550
    Abstract: Disclosed herein are related to a memory device including a memory cell and a bias supply circuit providing a bias voltage to the memory cell. In one aspect, the bias supply circuit includes a bias memory cell coupled to the memory cell, where the bias memory cell and the memory cell may be of a same semiconductor conductivity type. The memory cell may include at least two gate electrodes, and the bias memory cell may include at least two gate electrodes. In one configuration, the bias memory cell includes a drain electrode coupled to one of the at least two gate electrodes of the bias memory cell. In this configuration, the bias voltage provided to the memory cell can be controlled by regulating or controlling current provided to the drain electrode of the bias memory cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
    Inventors: Szu-Chun Tsao, Jaw-Juinn Horng
  • Patent number: 11250908
    Abstract: A method for sensing logical states of memory cells in multiple segments in a memory device, each cell having a high- and low-resistance state, resulting in different cell current levels for the different resistance states. The method includes determining target reference current levels for the respective segments, at least two of the target reference current levels being different from each other; generating a reference current for each segment with the target reference current level for that segment; comparing the cell current level for each cell to the reference current level for the segment the cell is in; and determining the logical states of the memory cells based on the comparison.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yu-Der Chih, Chia-Fu Lee, Yi-Chun Shih, Hon-Jarn Lin, Ku-Feng Lin
  • Patent number: 11250907
    Abstract: A memory device includes a bit line precharge circuit configured to precharge bit lines of a memory array in response to a clock pulse. A controller is configured to output the clock pulse to the bit line precharge circuit, and to output a first word line enable signal to a word line driver. The first word line enable signal is delayed by a first delay time from the clock pulse, and a second word line enable signal is delayed by a second delay time from the clock pulse.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Hyunsung Hong