Patents Examined by David Lam
-
Patent number: 10971211Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a phase difference detection circuit and an internal circuit. The phase difference detection circuit generates first and second phase difference detection signals by comparing a phase of a phase detection clock signal, generated from a command/address signal in synchronization with a clock signal, with phases of a division clock signal and an internal division clock signal that are generated by dividing a frequency of a data clock signal according to an operation mode. The internal circuit recognizes the phases of the division clock signal and the internal division clock signal according to a logic level combination of the first and second phase difference detection signals.Type: GrantFiled: September 13, 2019Date of Patent: April 6, 2021Assignee: SK hynix Inc.Inventor: Kang Sub Kwak
-
Patent number: 10964807Abstract: A 3D semiconductor device including: a first level including a single crystal layer, a plurality of first transistors and at least one metal layer, where the at least one metal layer overlays the single crystal layer and includes interconnects between the first transistors forming control circuits; a second level overlaying the at least one metal layer, the second level including a plurality of second transistors; a third level overlaying the second level, the third level including a plurality of third transistors; and polysilicon pillars, where the second level includes a plurality of first memory cells, the first memory cells each including at least one of the second transistors, where the third level includes a plurality of second memory cells, the second memory cells each including at least one of the third transistors, where at least one of the second memory cells is at least partially atop of the control circuits.Type: GrantFiled: December 19, 2018Date of Patent: March 30, 2021Assignee: Monolithic 3D Inc.Inventor: Zvi Or-Bach
-
Patent number: 10964364Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a plurality of stacked dies electrically connected with each other. Each of the stacked dies includes a data path, a strobe path, a stack information generation circuit, and a delay control circuit. The data path transmits a data signal. The strobe path transmits a data strobe signal. The stack information generation circuit generates stack information representing a number of the dies. The delay control circuit controls a delay time of at least one of the data path and the strobe path based on the stack information.Type: GrantFiled: March 2, 2020Date of Patent: March 30, 2021Assignee: SK hynix Inc.Inventors: Kwan Su Shon, Yo Han Jeong
-
Patent number: 10963776Abstract: An artificial neuron integrated circuit including a polarizable circuit element having a first electrode, a second electrode, and a polarizable material layer disposed between the first and second electrodes, the polarizable material layer changeable between a first polarization state and a second polarization state, in response to receiving a number of voltage pulses across the first and second electrodes, the polarizable material layer to change from one of the first and second polarization states to the other of the first and second polarization states, where each of the number of voltage pulses individually is insufficient to change the polarization state.Type: GrantFiled: August 26, 2019Date of Patent: March 30, 2021Assignee: NaMLab gGmbHInventors: Halid Mulaosmanovic, Stefan Slesazeck
-
Patent number: 10956334Abstract: Subject matter disclosed herein relates to techniques to read memory in a continuous fashion.Type: GrantFiled: August 9, 2019Date of Patent: March 23, 2021Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.Inventors: Yihua Zhang, Jun Shen
-
Patent number: 10957385Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided a semiconductor storage device including bit cells, a pair of bit lines, a word line, a write amplifier, a word line driver, and an assist timing control circuit. The pair of bit lines are electrically connected to the bit cells. The word line is electrically connected to the bit cells. The write amplifier is electrically connected to the pair of bit lines. The word line driver is electrically connected to the word line. The assist timing control circuit has an output side electrically connected to the write amplifier and the word line driver.Type: GrantFiled: August 29, 2019Date of Patent: March 23, 2021Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Toshiba Electronic Devices & Storage CorporationInventor: Tsuyoshi Midorikawa
-
Memory device having improved program and erase operations and operating method of the memory device
Patent number: 10950306Abstract: A memory device includes a memory cell array having a plurality of memory blocks sharing a source line, a peripheral circuit for performing a program operation and an erase operation on a selected memory block among the plurality of memory blocks, and a control logic for controlling the peripheral circuit. The control logic controls the peripheral circuit such that some source select transistors adjacent to the source line among a plurality of source select transistors included in an unselected memory block among the plurality of memory blocks are floated in a source line precharge operation during the program operation.Type: GrantFiled: July 12, 2019Date of Patent: March 16, 2021Assignee: SK hynix Inc.Inventors: Byung In Lee, Hee Joung Park, Keon Soo Shim, Sang Heon Lee, Jae Il Tak -
Patent number: 10950315Abstract: A request to read data at the memory device is received. A first read operation is performed to read the data at the memory device using a first read threshold voltage. The data read at the memory device using the first read threshold voltage is determined to be associated with a first unsuccessful correction of an error. Responsive to determining that the data read at the memory device using the first read threshold voltage is associated with the first unsuccessful correction of the error, a second read threshold voltage is stored at a register to replace a preread threshold voltage previously stored at the register that is associated with the memory device. The first preread threshold voltage was previously used to perform a preread operation at the memory device. A second read operation to read the data at the memory device is performed using the second read threshold voltage.Type: GrantFiled: December 16, 2019Date of Patent: March 16, 2021Assignee: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.Inventors: Seungjune Jeon, Zhenming Zhou, Zhenlei Shen
-
Patent number: 10950279Abstract: A BLSA circuit includes a first inverter disposed between a first sensing node and a second inner bit line, a second inverter disposed between a second sensing node and a first inner bit line, a first capacitor disposed between a first bit line and the first sensing node, a second capacitor disposed between a second bit line and the second sensing node, a first offset canceling switch for electrically coupling the first inner bit line with the second sensing node during an offset canceling operation, a second offset canceling switch for electrically coupling the second inner bit line with the first sensing node during the offset canceling operation, a first isolation switch for electrically coupling the first bit line with the first inner bit line, and a second isolation switch for electrically coupling the second bit line with the second inner bit line.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2019Date of Patent: March 16, 2021Assignees: SK hynix Inc., Seoul National University R&DB FoundationInventors: Deog-Kyoon Jeong, Jung Min Yoon, Hyungrok Do, Dae-Hyun Koh
-
Patent number: 10943649Abstract: A memory apparatus includes a memory array including a plurality of memory cells capable of selectively storing logic states and a plurality of bit lines and word lines connected to the plurality of memory cells; a controller for controlling a writing step and a reading step; a writing unit; and a reading unit, wherein the controller selects one or more memory cells through the writing unit, sequentially applies a writing voltage thereto to allow the logic states to be written therein, and applies a reading voltage to the one or more memory cells, which are selected to have the logic states written therein, through the reading unit so as to determine synaptic weights through a sum of currents flowing through the one or more memory cells so that the selected one or more memory cells are allowed to be recognized to operate as one synaptic element.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 2019Date of Patent: March 9, 2021Inventor: Junsung Kim
-
Patent number: 10937469Abstract: A memory circuit may include a plurality of electrically programmable memory cells arranged in an electrically programmable non-volatile memory cell array along a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, a plurality of word lines, each word line coupled with a plurality of word portions of the plurality of memory cells, each word portion configured to store a data word, and at least one overlay word line coupled with a plurality of overlay portions, each overlay portion including overlay memory cells, each of the plurality of overlay portions including an overlay word. The memory circuit is configured to read, for each of the plurality of word lines, from each of the word portions simultaneously with an overlay portion of the plurality of overlay portions, with an output of the read operation being a result of a logic operation performed on the data word and the overlay word.Type: GrantFiled: October 29, 2019Date of Patent: March 2, 2021Assignee: INFINEON TECHNOLOGIES AGInventors: Jan Otterstedt, Robin Boch, Gerd Dirscherl, Bernd Meyer, Christian Peters, Steffen Sonnekalb
-
Patent number: 10931470Abstract: A thermostat includes a microprocessor operatively coupled to and adapted to control a HVAC system. The thermostat also includes a wireless transceiver operatively coupled to the microprocessor and adapted to communicate with wireless routers. The thermostat is adapted to be placed into a listen mode, connect with a remote input device in a direct wireless connection while in the listen mode, receive a Wi-Fi password from the remote input device for accessing a first Wi-Fi wireless network over the direct wireless connection, be disconnected from the remote input device after the Wi-Fi password is received, detect a set of available networks accessible over the wireless transceiver, attempt to login to the set of available networks with the Wi-Fi password, successfully connect to the first Wi-Fi wireless network using the Wi-Fi password, and transmit device information of the thermostat over the first Wi-Fi wireless network to a cloud server.Type: GrantFiled: June 4, 2019Date of Patent: February 23, 2021Assignee: Braeburn Systems LLCInventors: Daniel S Poplawski, Ernest E Soderlund, W. L. Ha
-
Macro storage cell composed of multiple storage devices each capable of storing more than two states
Patent number: 10923188Abstract: An apparatus. The apparatus includes a macro storage cell having a first storage device and a second storage device. The first and second storage devices each able to store more than two states. The macro storage cell to store multiple values resulting from a combination of the respectively stored states of the first and second storage devices.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2019Date of Patent: February 16, 2021Assignee: Intel CorporationInventors: Ian A. Young, Dmitri E. Nikonov, Elijah V. Karpov -
Patent number: 10916294Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for concentrated arrangement of amplifiers. An example apparatus may include a first amplifier circuit including a first and second transistors. The first width different from the second width, the first length different from the second length. The apparatus further including a second amplifier circuit including a third and fourth transistors. The first transistor including a first gate electrode and the third transistor having a third gate electrode each having a first length and a first diffusion region and a third diffusion region, respectively, each having a first width, and the second transistor including a second gate electrode and the fourth transistor having a fourth gate electrode each with a fourth length and a second diffusion region and a fourth diffusion region, respectively, each having a second width. The first and third transistors are collectively arranged and the second and fourth transistors are collectively arranged.Type: GrantFiled: August 26, 2019Date of Patent: February 9, 2021Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.Inventor: Yoshiaki Shimizu
-
Patent number: 10916278Abstract: A memory controller comprising: a delay circuit, configured to use a first delay value and a second delay value to respectively delay a sampling clock signal to generate a first and a second delayed sampling clock signal; a sampling circuit, configured to use a first edge of the first delayed sampling clock signal to sample a data signal to generate a first sampling value, and configured to use a second edge of the second delayed sampling clock signal to sample the data signal to generate a second sampling value; and a calibrating circuit, configured to generate a sampling delay value according to the first delay value based on the first sampling value and the second sampling value. The delay circuit uses the sampling delay value to generate an adjusted sampling clock signal and the sampling circuit sample the data signal by the adjusted sampling clock signal.Type: GrantFiled: September 18, 2019Date of Patent: February 9, 2021Assignee: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.Inventors: Kuo-Wei Chi, Chun-Chi Yu, Chih-Wei Chang, Gerchih Chou, Shih-Chang Chen, Fu-Chin Tsai, Shih-Han Lin, Min-Han Tsai
-
Patent number: 10902898Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array, a buffer unit, control logic, and a decoding circuit. The memory cell array includes a plurality of memory cells. The buffer coupled to the memory cell array, and includes a first memory area, a second memory area, and a conversion memory area. The control logic outputs a mode control signal representing an operating mode of the buffer. The decoding circuit controls the operating mode of the buffer such that the conversion memory area operates as any one of a main memory area and a repair memory area, based on the mode control signal.Type: GrantFiled: July 5, 2019Date of Patent: January 26, 2021Assignee: SK hynix Inc.Inventor: Sang Hwan Kim
-
Patent number: 10902889Abstract: A memory may include: a bit line sense amplifier circuit configured to operate based on voltages supplied to a pull-up voltage terminal and a pull-down voltage terminal, provide an offset between a first bit line and a second bit line during an offset canceling period, and amplify a voltage difference between the first bit line and the second bit line during an amplification period; a first down-converter configured to generate a second pull-up voltage by down-converting a first pull-up voltage and supply the generated second pull-up voltage to a first node; a capacitor electrically connected to the first node; a charging component configured to charge the capacitor with the first pull-up voltage before the offset canceling period; and a first pull-up supply configured to supply a voltage of the first node to the pull-up voltage terminal during the offset canceling period.Type: GrantFiled: October 9, 2019Date of Patent: January 26, 2021Assignee: SK hynix Inc.Inventor: Seung-Han Oak
-
Patent number: 10902910Abstract: The present invention provides PCM devices with gradual SET and RESET characteristics. In one aspect, a method of forming a PCM computing device includes: forming word lines and an insulating hardmask cap on a substrate; forming a PCM material over the word lines, having a tapered thickness; and forming bit lines over the PCM material, the insulating hardmask cap, and the word lines, wherein the tapered thickness of the PCM material varies gradually between the word lines and the bit lines. The tapered thickness can be formed by depositing a non-conformal layer of the PCM material or by depositing a conformal layer and then tapering the PCM material using a directional etch. A PCM device is also provided.Type: GrantFiled: June 25, 2019Date of Patent: January 26, 2021Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Kangguo Cheng, Xin Miao, Chen Zhang, Wenyu Xu
-
Patent number: 10896703Abstract: A memory device includes: a set of input pads configured to receive from a source external to the memory device one or more input signals and a chip select signal; an operation circuit electrically coupled to the input pads, operation circuit configured to perform operations corresponding to the one or more input signals when the chip select signal is enabled; and an input management circuit electrically coupled to and between the input pads and the operation circuit, the input management circuit configured to control propagation of the one or more input signals based on the chip select signal.Type: GrantFiled: July 26, 2019Date of Patent: January 19, 2021Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.Inventors: Scott E. Smith, Vijayakrishna J. Vankayala
-
Patent number: 10896709Abstract: A memory device includes a memory cell array that includes memory cells, a row decoder that is connected with the memory cell array through word lines, a column decoder that is connected with the memory cell array through bit lines and source lines, and a write driver that outputs a write voltage in a write operation. The column decoder includes switches, which are respectively connected to the bit lines and are respectively connected to the source lines. During the write operation, a selected switch of the switches transfers the write voltage to a selected bit line of the bit lines. Each unselected switch of the switches electrically separates the write driver from a corresponding unselected bit line of the bit lines by using the write voltage.Type: GrantFiled: November 19, 2019Date of Patent: January 19, 2021Inventor: Artur Antonyan