Patents Examined by Douglas King
  • Patent number: 11450356
    Abstract: In a chip-to-chip signaling system includes at least one signaling link coupled between first and second ICs, the first IC has an interface coupled to the signaling link and timed by a first interface timing signal. The second IC has an interface coupled to the signaling link and timed by a second interface timing signal that is mesochronous with respect to the first interface timing signal. The second IC further has phase adjustment circuitry that adjusts a phase of the second interface timing signal using a digital counter implemented with Josephson-junction circuit elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, John Eric Linstadt, Carl W. Werner
  • Patent number: 11450379
    Abstract: A device includes a memory array and a sense amplifier (SA) coupled with the memory array and with an input/output (I/O) data line. The SA is to receive bits of data over the I/O data line in association with a program operation. A digital-to-analog converter (DAC) is coupled with the SA, the DAC to convert the bits of data to an analog voltage value. An analog memory element is coupled with the DAC, the analog memory element to store the analog voltage value for a period of time until the bits of data are programmed to the memory array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Violante Moschiano
  • Patent number: 11443815
    Abstract: A memory device may include a first sub-block and a second sub-block each including a plurality of select transistors and a plurality of memory cells, a peripheral circuit performing a read operation on data stored in the first sub-block, and a control logic controlling the peripheral circuit to turn on the plurality of select transistors included in each of the first and second sub-blocks and apply a read voltage to a selected word line among a plurality of word lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Jae Hyeon Shin, Gwi Han Ko, Sung Hun Kim, Gwan Park, Hyun Soo Lee
  • Patent number: 11442664
    Abstract: Provided herein may be a memory system and a method of operating the same. The method of operating a memory system may include receiving a first program command, and performing an operation corresponding to the first program command, receiving a second program command while performing the operation corresponding to the first program command, delaying setting of a queue status register for the second program command by a first wait time, receiving a third read command before the first wait time elapses, and setting the queue status register for the third read command before setting the queue status register for the second program command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Kwang Su Kim
  • Patent number: 11430526
    Abstract: In a coarse programming, the threshold voltage of the memory cell is programmed to a first level representative of N?1 bit values data according to a first mapping between combinations of values of N?1 possible bits and threshold levels. A group identification is representative of whether the first level is an odd or even numbered level in the first mapping. For a fine programming, the memory cell is read, based on the group identification, to obtain the N?1 bit values; and at least one additional bit is received to join the N?1 bit values to form at least N bit values. The threshold voltage of the memory cell is then finely programmed to a second level representative of the at least N bit values according to a second mapping between combinations of values of the at least N possible bits and threshold levels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Phong Sy Nguyen, James Fitzpatrick, Kishore Kumar Muchherla
  • Patent number: 11410724
    Abstract: A semiconductor device is provided. The device includes a memory that stores data in a non-volatile and volatile manner and a memory controller configured to control the memory. The memory includes a word line pair including a first and second word line, a first bit line pair orthogonal to the first and the second word line and including a first bit line and a first complementary bit line, and a memory cell pair including first and second memory cells adjacent to the first memory cell in a word line direction. A left node of the first memory cell, and a right node of the first memory cell and a left node of the second memory cell, are all connected to the first word line, and a value of the data stored in the memory cell pair in the non-volatile manner is determined according to the selected first word line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Dongsoo Lee, Daehyun Kim, Guyeon Wei
  • Patent number: 11398258
    Abstract: A module for multiple dies is disclosed. The module can include a group of dies that include a first die having a first voltage block and a second die having a second voltage block. The module can also include an interconnect that electrically connects the first and second dies. Power supply generation in the first die is enabled in non-active mode, while power supply generation in the second die is disabled. The power supply generation in the second die may be enabled when the second die is in active mode. The first die can send enabling signal to the second the die to enable the second die. The first die can provide supply to the second die in the non-active mode. The first die can send self-refresh timing command to the second die when the module is in a self-refresh mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: Invensas LLC
    Inventor: David Edward Fisch
  • Patent number: 11393524
    Abstract: There are provided a semiconductor memory and an operating method thereof. The semiconductor memory includes a memory block including a plurality of pages, a peripheral circuit for performing a program operation and an erase operation on a selected page among the plurality of pages, and a control logic for controlling the peripheral circuit to perform the program operation and the erase operation. The control logic decreases threshold voltages of memory cells corresponding to an erase state among a plurality of memory cells included in the selected page in the erase operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Jae Woong Kim
  • Patent number: 11386957
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory apparatus may include a cell string and a page buffer. The cell string may include a drain select transistor coupled with a bit line, and memory cells coupled with the drain select transistor. The page buffer may be coupled to the cell string through the bit line. The page buffer may include a latch and a first current path. The latch may store data of a value indicative of a result of a threshold voltage verification on the drain select transistor. The first current path may set a voltage of the bit line to a program inhibit voltage, based on the value of the data stored in the latch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Tae Heui Kwon
  • Patent number: 11373715
    Abstract: A post over-erase correction (POEC) method with an auto-adjusting verification mechanism and a leakage degree detection function detects gm degradation or leakage degree of flash cells before or after entering the POEC process. When a preset condition is satisfied, the auto-adjusting verification mechanism of the POEC is switched on to further reduce leakage current. After cycling, the POEC repairs Vt of over-erased cells to a higher level to solve leakage issues. The erase shot count increases due to slower erase speeds after cycling. Therefore, the cycling degree of flash cells is detected by observing the shot number that the erase operation used. When the leakage phenomenon becomes serious, the bit line (BL) leakage current, amount of repaired BLs, and over-erase correction (OEC) shot number will increase during the OEC procedure. Therefore, the leakage degree of flash cells can be detected by inspecting the above data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2022
    Assignee: ELITE SEMICONDUCTOR MICROELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY INC.
    Inventors: Ming-Xun Wang, Chih-Hao Chen, Ji-Jr Luo
  • Patent number: 11367487
    Abstract: A non-volatile memory device includes a memory cell array including a plurality of cell strings, each of the plurality of cell strings includes a gate-induced drain leakage (GIDL) transistor and a memory cell group, and a control logic to apply a voltage to each of the plurality of cell strings. The control logic performs a first erase operation of erasing the memory cell groups of each of the plurality of cell strings, a first verification operation of detecting erase results of the memory cell groups of each of the plurality of cell strings, and a program operation of programming the GIDL transistors of some of the plurality of cell strings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sang-Won Park, Won Bo Shim, Bong Soon Lim
  • Patent number: 11361830
    Abstract: A target value of programmed bits is established for each programming distribution of a set of programming distributions of a memory sub-system. A read voltage level is applied to determine a measured value of programmed bits in one or more programming distributions of the set of programming distributions. The target value of programmed bits is compared to the measured value of programmed bits to determine a comparison result and an action is executed in view of the comparison result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Douglas E. Majerus
  • Patent number: 11361215
    Abstract: A non-volatile synapse circuit of a non-volatile neural network. The synapse includes: an input signal line; a reference signal line; first and second output lines, and first and second cells for generating the first and second output signals, respectively. Each of the first and second cells includes: an upper select transistor having a gate that is electrically coupled to the input signal line; and a resistive changing element having one end connected to the upper select transistor in series and another end electrically coupled to the reference signal line. The value of the resistive changing element is programmable to change the magnitude of an output signal. The drain of the upper select transistor of the first cell is electrically coupled to the first output line and the drain of the upper select transistor of the second cell is electrically coupled to the second output line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Anaflash Inc.
    Inventors: Seung-Hwan Song, Sang-Soo Lee
  • Patent number: 11361216
    Abstract: A synapse circuit of a non-volatile neural network. The synapse includes: an input signal line; a reference signal line; an output line, and a cell for generating the output signal. The cell includes: an upper select transistor having a gate that is electrically coupled to the input signal line; and a resistive changing element having one end connected to the upper select transistor in series and another end electrically coupled to the reference signal line. The value of the resistive changing element is programmable to change the magnitude of an output signal. The drain of the upper select transistor is electrically coupled to the first output line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Anaflash Inc.
    Inventors: Seung-Hwan Song, Ji Hye Hur, Sang-Soo Lee
  • Patent number: 11335430
    Abstract: Many error correction schemes fail to correct for double-bit errors and a module must be replaced when these double-bit errors occur repeatedly at the same address. This helps prevent data corruption. In an embodiment, the addresses for one of the memory devices exhibiting a single-bit error (but not the other also exhibiting a single bit error) is transformed before the internal memory arrays are accessed. This has the effect of moving one of the error prone memory cells to a different external (to the module) address such that there is only one error prone bit that is accessed by the previously double-bit error prone address. Thus, a double-bit error at the original address is remapped into two correctable single-bit errors that are at different addresses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher Haywood
  • Patent number: 11335407
    Abstract: A memory system to store multiple bits of data in a memory cell. A memory device coarsely programs a threshold voltage of the memory cell to a first level representative of a combination of bit values according to a mapping between bit value combinations and threshold levels. The threshold levels are partitioned into groups, each containing a subset of the threshold levels and having associated read voltages separating threshold levels in the subset. A group identification of a first group, among the groups, containing the first level is determined for the memory cell. The memory device applies read voltages of different groups, interleaved in an increasing order in a sequence, to read the memory cell when a read voltage applied is associated with the first group. The data bits read back from the memory cell are used to finely program the threshold voltage of the memory cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Phong Sy Nguyen, James Fitzpatrick, Kishore Kumar Muchherla
  • Patent number: 11328778
    Abstract: A method of operating a non-volatile memory including having a first set of non-volatile memory cells and a second set of non-volatile memory cells. The first set of non-volatile memory cells and second set of non-volatile memory cells are associated with host addresses. Voltage levels are determined to erase the first and second sets of non-volatile memory cells. The first and second sets of non-volatile memory cells are disassociated from the host addresses. And, the first set of non-volatile memory cells is associated to another address based on the voltage level effective to erase the non-volatile memory cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS S.R.L.
    Inventors: Gianbattista Lo Giudice, Giovanni Matranga, Rosario Roberto Grasso, Alberto Jose' Di Martino
  • Patent number: 11321008
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for temperature-based memory management are described. A system may include a memory device and a host device. The host device may identify a temperature (e.g., of the memory device). The host device may determine a value for a parameter for operating the memory device—such as a timing, voltage, or frequency parameter—based on the temperature of the memory device. The host device may transmit signaling to the memory device or another component of the system based on the value of the parameter. In some cases, the host device may determine the temperature of the memory device based on an indication (e.g., provided by the memory device). In some cases, the host device may determine the temperature of the memory device based on a temperature of the host device or a temperature of another component of the system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Mayer, Thomas Hein, Wolfgang Anton Spirkl, Martin Brox, Michael Dieter Richter
  • Patent number: 11309026
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to the field of semiconductor integrated circuits and manufacturing technologies thereof, and discloses a method and device for realizing a convolution operation based on an NOR flash storage structure. The NOR flash array has a structure of an array composed of a plurality of NOR flash cells. The convolution operation method includes: storing elements of a convolution kernel matrix into the NOR flash cells; converting elements of an input matrix into voltages and applying the voltages to gate terminals of the NOR flash cells; applying a driving voltage to source terminals of the NOR flash cells; and collecting, via drain terminals of the NOR flash cells, current values of each column to obtain a convolution operation result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: PEKING UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Jinfeng Kang, Peng Huang, Runze Han, Xiaoyan Liu
  • Patent number: 11288149
    Abstract: Devices and techniques for a flash memory block retirement policy are disclosed herein. In an example embodiment, a first memory block is provisionally removed from service in response to encountering read errors in the first memory block. Memory pages of the first memory block are tested in a second mode comprising reading memory pages at different read voltages. A raw bit error rate (RBER) or a read window budget (RWB) is determined for memory pages at the different read voltages and the provisionally removed first memory block is returned to service or retired based on the determined RBER or the RWB.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Harish Reddy Singidi, Giuseppe Cariello, Deping He, Scott Anthony Stoller, Devin Batutis, Preston Allen Thomson