Patents Examined by Dang Nguyen
  • Patent number: 8599605
    Abstract: A magnetic storage device includes a laminated structure and a third magnetic body. The laminated structure includes a first magnetic body, a nonmagnetic body, and a second magnetic body which are laminated. The third magnetic body is provided at any of a first magnetic body side and a second magnetic body side. Resistance of the laminated structure is changed based on a difference between magnetization directions of the first magnetic body and the second magnetic body. A projection of the third magnetic body onto the first magnetic body at least partly overlaps the first magnetic body. The first magnetic body and the third magnetic body are magnetically coupled. A planar shape of the first magnetic body is a shape that is long in a first direction. A length of the third magnetic body is shorter than a length of the first magnetic body in the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Yuukou Katou
  • Patent number: 8599639
    Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit device has a negative voltage generation circuit provided at each power supply circuit unit for six memory macros. Therefore, the response with respect to variation in a negative voltage is increased. In a standby mode, a negative voltage supply line for the six memory macros is connected by a switch circuit, and only a negative voltage generation circuit of one power supply circuit unit among six negative voltage generation circuits of the six power supply circuit units is rendered active. Thus, increase in standby current can be prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Mihoko Akiyama, Futoshi Igaue, Kenji Yoshinaga, Masashi Matsumura, Fukashi Morishita
  • Patent number: 8593896
    Abstract: A differential read write back sense amplifier circuit and corresponding methods. A memory array comprises a plurality of memory cells arranged in rows and columns; a plurality of read word lines coupled to the memory cells; a plurality of write word lines coupled to the memory cells arranged along rows of the memory array; a plurality of read bit line pairs coupled to the memory cells arranged in columns; a plurality of write bit line pairs coupled to the memory cells arranged in columns; and at least one differential read write back sense amplifier coupled to a read bit line pair and coupled to a write bit line pair corresponding to one of the columns of memory cells, configured to differentially sense small signal read data on the read bit line pair, and output the sensed data onto the write bit line pair. Corresponding methods are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Jui-Jen Wu
  • Patent number: 8593883
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes a plurality of wordlines and a driver configured to, when an wordline of the plurality of wordlines is activated by an active command, drive at least one non-activated wordline neighboring the activated wordline and remaining non-activated wordlines with different wordline driving voltage levels during a period of time that the activated wordline is driven to a high voltage level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2013
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventors: Myoung-Jin Lee, Jin-Hong An
  • Patent number: 8582360
    Abstract: Provided is a method for reading data from a nonvolatile memory device. In the method, a read method includes a first read step including reading a first memory cell of the nonvolatile memory device by applying a first set of read voltages to the first memory cell. The read method further includes a second read step including reading the first memory cell by applying a second set of read voltages and none of the voltages in the first set to the first memory cell when it is determined that the first read step results in an error and cannot be corrected with error correction. The second read step is performed by using data resulting from the first read step.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Min Gun Park, Ki Tae Park
  • Patent number: 8582363
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for operating an array block of dual charge retaining transistor NOR flash memory cells by erasing the dual charge retaining transistor NOR flash memory cells to set their threshold voltage levels to prevent leakage current from corrupting data during a read operation. Erasure of the array block of NOR flash memory cells begins by selecting one of block section of the array block and strongly and deeply erasing, over-erase verifying, and programming iteratively until the charge retaining transistors have their threshold voltages between the lower voltage limit and the upper voltage limit of the first program state. Other block sections are iteratively selected and erased, over-erase verified, and programmed repeatedly until the charge retaining transistors have their threshold voltages between the lower voltage limit and the upper voltage limit of the first program state until the entire block has been erased and reprogrammed to a positive threshold level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2013
    Assignee: Aplus Flash Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Peter Wung Lee
  • Patent number: 8576638
    Abstract: A non-volatile memory device may include a memory cell array, a page buffer, a column decoder, a column selection circuit and a repair circuit. The memory cell array includes normal memory cells and redundancy memory cells. In one example, the page buffer may load normal data and redundancy data from the memory cell array. The column decoder may generate a normal column selection signal and a redundancy column selection signal in response to a column address. The column selection circuit may select the normal data and redundancy data in response to the normal column selection signal and redundancy column selection signal. The repair circuit may then output one of the normal data and redundancy data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2013
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hyung-Gon Kim, Hyuk-Jun Yoo, Youn-Yeol Lee, Soo-Woong Lee, Kyung-Min Kim
  • Patent number: 8565024
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes methods, devices, modules, and systems for operating memory cells. One method embodiment includes applying a ramping voltage to a control gate of a memory cell and to an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The aforementioned embodiment of a method also includes detecting an output of the ADC at least partially in response to when the ramping voltage causes the memory cell to trip sense circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2013
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Vishal Sarin, Frankie F. Roohparvar, Jung Sheng Hoei, Giulio-Giuseppe Marotta
  • Patent number: 8553477
    Abstract: A data interface unit is used in a semiconductor memory device and includes a data alignment unit configured to separate consecutive input data into rising data and falling data, and a data transfer unit configured to selectively transfer the rising data and falling data to an even column line and an odd column line in response to a start column address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Inc.
    Inventor: Byoung-Sung Yoo
  • Patent number: 8553467
    Abstract: A control circuit controls various kinds of operations on the memory cell array. The control circuit executes a pre-erase stress application operation in which, when an erase operation on one of the memory cells is executed, prior to the erase operation, a first voltage belonging in a certain voltage range is applied to the control gate while a second voltage having a value smaller than a value of the first voltage is applied to the channel region, whereby a stress is applied to the memory cell due to a potential difference between the first voltage and the second voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
    Inventors: Yasuhiro Shimura, Mitsuhiro Noguchi
  • Patent number: 8547734
    Abstract: A method of writing to a magnetic memory cell that includes selecting a magnetic memory cell having a pair of MTJs, and based on whether the selected magnetic memory cell is an ‘odd’ magnetic memory cell or an ‘even’ magnetic memory cell and a state to which the selected magnetic memory cell is being written, setting a distinct bit line (BL), coupled to a first MTJ of the pair of MTJs or a second MTJ of the pair of MTJs, to a voltage level indicative of a certain state that causes current to flow through the pair of MTJs in a manner that causes the direction of current flow through one of the first or second MTJs to be in a direction opposite to that of the other one of the first or second MTJs to program the first and second MTJs in opposite states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2013
    Assignee: Avalanche Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Ebrahim Abedifard, Siamack Nemazie, Parviz Keshtbod
  • Patent number: 8542525
    Abstract: A memory device comprising: a plurality of magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) cells arranged in rows and columns, each MRAM cell comprising a magnetic tunnel junction and a select transistor, one end of the magnetic tunnel junction being electrically coupled to the source of the select transistor; a plurality of word lines, each word line connecting MRAM cells along a row via the gate of their select transistor; a plurality of bit lines, each bit line connecting MRAM cells along a column, each bit line connecting the MRAM cells via the drain of their select transistor; wherein the memory device further comprises a plurality of source lines, each source line connecting MRAM cells along a row; and wherein each source line connecting the MRAM cells via the other end of the magnetic tunnel junction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Crocus Technology SA
    Inventors: Neal Berger, Mourad El Baraji
  • Patent number: 8539180
    Abstract: Systems and methods for data migration are disclosed. A method may include allocating a destination storage resource to receive migration data. The method may also include assigning the destination storage resource a first identifier value equal to an identifier value associated with a source storage resource. The method may additionally include assigning the source storage resource a second identifier value different than the first identifier value. The method may further include migrating data from the source storage resource to the destination storage resource.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Jacob Cherian, Gaurav Chawla
  • Patent number: 8537626
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a data input/output circuit connected to the memory cell array via a sense circuit, and an access control circuit that controls access to the memory cell array. The access control circuit includes: a first signal unit outputting a first signal for activating or inactivating a word line; a second signal unit outputting a second signal for activating or inactivating a bit line and the sense circuit; a third signal unit outputting a third signal for starting or stopping a supply of an overdrive voltage to the sense circuit; and a fourth signal unit outputting a fourth signal for inactivating the word line. The period during which the third signal remains activated is determined in accordance with the magnitude of an external voltage. In the fourth signal unit, the timing to generate the fourth signal is determined independently of the magnitude of the external voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2013
    Assignee: Elpida Memory, Inc.
    Inventors: Hiroki Fujisawa, Kazuhisa Ureshino
  • Patent number: 8520459
    Abstract: A method for storing data into a memory is provided. In this method, at first, data desired to be written into the memory is provided, wherein the data comprises a plurality of data records. Then, a memory space of the memory for storing the data is provided. Thereafter, a data-writing step is performed to write the data into the memory. In the data-writing step, at first, it is determined that if the values of all the data records of the data are cleared values to provide a first determined result. Then, it is determined that if the data matches an erasing unit of the memory to provide a second determined result. Thereafter, the contents of the memory space are erased, when both the first determined result and the second determined result are yes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: HTC Corporation
    Inventor: Chao-Chung Hsien
  • Patent number: 8520426
    Abstract: In a driving method of a semiconductor device which conducts a multilevel writing operation, a signal line for controlling on/off of a writing transistor for conducting a writing operation on a memory cell using a transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer is disposed along a bit line, and a multilevel writing operation is conducted with use of, also in a writing operation, a voltage which is applied to a capacitor at a reading operation. The potential of a bit line is detected while data writing is conducted, and thereby whether a potential corresponding to the written data is normally applied to the floating gate can be confirmed without a writing verify operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Tatsuya Ohnuki
  • Patent number: 8520428
    Abstract: Various embodiments of this disclosure may describe a circuit for transmitting data from a transmitting region of an integrated circuit to a receiving region of the integrated circuit. The circuit may level-shift the data to the appropriate voltage level and may have good tolerance to clock skews. Other embodiments, including an integrated circuit having the circuit or a system with the integrated circuit, may also be disclosed or claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2013
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Edward E. Helder, Brandon M. Walters, Mahesh M. Chheda, Shenggao Li, Kenneth R. Smits
  • Patent number: 8508987
    Abstract: A write disturbance margin of reference cells that generate reference current during read is improved. A bit line forms a clad interconnect structure in the normal cell region where normal cells are disposed, and a partially clad or non-clad interconnect structure in the reference cell region where a reference cell is disposed. Thus, a writing magnetic field intensity applied to the reference cell is smaller than the write magnetic field intensity applied to a normal memory cell during identical write currents.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
    Inventors: Takaharu Tsuji, Genta Watanabe
  • Patent number: 8482955
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes resistive memory sensing methods and devices. One such method includes performing a voltage based multiple pass sensing operation on a group of cells coupled to a selected conductive line of an array of resistive memory cells. The voltage based multiple pass sensing operation can include providing an indication of those cells of the group that conduct at least a threshold amount of current responsive to one of a number of different sense voltages successively applied to the selected conductive line during each of a corresponding number of the multiple passes, and for each successive pass of the multiple passes, disabling data lines corresponding to those cells determined to have conducted the threshold amount of current in association with a previous one of the multiple passes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2013
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Adam D. Johnson
  • Patent number: 8472255
    Abstract: To program a set of non-volatile storage elements, a set of programming pulses are applied to the control gates (or other terminals) of the non-volatile storage elements. The programming pulses have pulse widths that vary as a function of simulated pulse magnitude data. The programming pulses can also have pulse magnitudes that vary based on measurements taken while testing the set of non-volatile storage elements. In one embodiment, the pulse widths are determined after simulation performed prior to fabrication of the non-volatile storage elements. In another embodiment, the pulse magnitudes are calculated after fabrication of the non-volatile storage elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2013
    Assignee: SanDisk Technologies Inc.
    Inventors: Nima Mokhlesi, Dengtao Zhao, Henry Chin, Tapan Samaddar