Patents Examined by Fernando Hidalgo
  • Patent number: 11657869
    Abstract: One aspect of this description relates to a memory cell. In some embodiments, the memory cell includes a first gate structure, a second gate structure, a third gate structure, a fourth gate structure, and a fifth gate structure that each extend along a first lateral direction, a first active structure extending along a second lateral direction and overlaid by respective first portions of the first to fourth gate structures, a second active structure extending along the second lateral direction and overlaid by respective second portions of the first to fourth gate structures, and a third active structure extending along the second lateral direction and overlaid by respective third portions of the third and fifth gate structures. In some embodiments, the first and second gate structures are aligned with each other, with the fourth and fifth gate structures aligned with a first segment and a second segment of the third gate structure, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventors: Chih-Chuan Yang, Feng-Ming Chang, Kuo-Hsiu Hsu, Ping-Wei Wang
  • Patent number: 11635910
    Abstract: Apparatus and methods are disclosed, including memory devices and systems. In an example, a memory module can include a first stack of at least eight memory die including four pairs of memory die, each pair of the four pairs of memory die associated with an individual memory rank of four memory ranks of the memory module, a memory controller configured to receive memory access commands and to access memory locations of the first stack, and a substrate configured to route connections between external terminations of the memory module and the memory controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Brent Keeth
  • Patent number: 11631444
    Abstract: A high bandwidth memory system includes a motherboard; and a semiconductor package coupled to the motherboard. The semiconductor package includes a package substrate mounted on the motherboard and including signal lines providing a plurality of channels; a first semiconductor device mounted on the package substrate and including a first physical layer (PHY) circuit; and a second semiconductor device mounted on the package substrate and including a second PHY circuit. The first semiconductor device and the second semiconductor device exchange a data signal with each other through the plurality of channels, the data signal is a multilevel signal having M levels, where M is a natural number greater than 2, and the first PHY circuit compensates for distortion of the channels and performs digital signal processing to compensate for a mismatch between the channels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Byungsuk Woo, Changkyu Seol, Cheolmin Park, Sucheol Lee, Chanik Park
  • Patent number: 11624790
    Abstract: A spin element includes an element portion including a first ferromagnetic layer, a conducting portion that extends in a first direction as viewed in a lamination direction of the first ferromagnetic layer and faces the first ferromagnetic layer, and a current path extending from the conducting portion to a semiconductor circuit and having a resistance adjusting portion between the conducting portion and the semiconductor circuit, wherein the resistance value of the resistance adjusting portion is higher than the resistance value of the conducting portion, and the temperature coefficient of the volume resistivity of a material forming the resistance adjusting portion is lower than the temperature coefficient of the volume resistivity of a material forming the conducting portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: TDK CORPORATION
    Inventors: Atsushi Tsumita, Tomoyuki Sasaki
  • Patent number: 11615843
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide a computer system, a voltage resistance controlling apparatus, and a method that comprises at least two electrodes on proximal endpoints; a first layer disposed on the at least two electrodes, wherein the first layer is a made of a metal-oxide; a second layer disposed on the second layer, wherein the second first layer is made of an electrically conductive metal-oxide; a forming contact disposed on the second layer, wherein a combination of the forming contact disposed on the first layer disposed on the second layer operatively connects the at least two electrodes; and a computer system operatively connected to the forming contact, wherein the computer system is configured to apply a predetermined voltage to the first layer and the second layer respectively and display an overall resistance increase using a user interface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Bert Jan Offrein, Jean Fompeyrine, Valeria Bragaglia
  • Patent number: 11615821
    Abstract: A memory device includes a command interface configured to receive a two-cycle command from a host device via multiple command address bits. The memory device also includes a command decoder configured to decode a first portion of the multiple command address bits in a first cycle of the two-cycle command. The command decoder includes mask circuitry. The mask circuitry includes mask generation circuitry configured to generate a mask signal. The mask circuitry also includes multiplexer circuitry configured to apply the mask signal to block the command decoder from decoding a second portion of the multiple command address bits in a second cycle of the two-cycle command.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Navya Sri Sreeram, Kallol Mazumder
  • Patent number: 11610612
    Abstract: A row decoder includes decoder logic generating an initial word line signal, and two inverters. The first inverter is formed by a first p-channel transistor having a source coupled to a supply voltage and a gate receiving the initial word line signal. The second inverter is formed by a first n-channel transistor having a drain coupled to a drain of the first p-channel transistor, a source coupled to a shared ground line, and a gate receiving the initial word line signal. An inverse word line signal is generated at the drain of the first n-channel transistor. A second inverter inverts the inverse word line signal to produce a word line signal. Negative bias generation circuitry generates a negative bias voltage on the shared ground line when the initial word line signal is logic high, and otherwise couples the shared ground line to ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics International N.V.
    Inventors: Ashish Kumar, Dipti Arya
  • Patent number: 11605438
    Abstract: Provided is a memory device including a memory structure including a substrate, a channel region, first and second doped regions, a floating gate and a dielectric layer. The channel region is disposed on the substrate. The first and the second doped regions are disposed on the substrate and respectively located at two sides of the channel region. The floating gate is disposed on the channel region. The dielectric layer is disposed between the floating gate and the channel region, the first doped region and the second doped region. The floating gate and the first doped region are partially overlapped, and/or the floating gate and the second doped region are not overlapped and a sidewall of the floating gate adjacent to the second doped region and a boundary between the second doped region and the channel region are separated by a distance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: eMemory Technology Inc.
    Inventor: Ting-Ting Su
  • Patent number: 11600315
    Abstract: A method for performing a refresh operation based on system characteristics is provided. A The method includes determining that a current operation condition of a memory component is in a first state and detecting a change in the operation condition from the first state to a second state. The method further includes determining a range of the operation condition to which the second state belongs. The method further includes determining a refresh period associated with the range of the operation condition, the refresh period corresponding to a period of time between a first time when a write operation is performed on a segment of the memory component and a second time when a refresh operation is to be performed on the segment. The method further includes performing the refresh operation on the memory component according to the refresh period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhenming Zhou, Tingjun Xie
  • Patent number: 11599474
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for stacked memory dice and combined access operations are described. A device may include multiple memory dice. One die may be configured as a master, and another may be configured as a slave. The master may communicate with a host device. A slave may be coupled with the master but not the host device. The device may include a first die (e.g., master) and a second die (e.g., slave). The first die may be coupled with a host device and configured to output a set of data in response to a read command. The first die may supply a first subset of the data and obtain a second subset of the data from the second die. In some cases, the first die may select, based on a data rate, a modulation scheme (e.g., PAM4, NRZ, etc.) and output the data using the selected modulation scheme.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Dean D. Gans
  • Patent number: 11600355
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for monitoring and adjusting access operations at a memory device are described to support integrating monitors or sensors for detecting memory device health issues, such as those resulting from device access or wear. The monitoring may include traffic monitoring of access operations performed at various components of the memory device, or may include sensors that may measure parameters of components of the memory device to detect wear. The traffic monitoring or the parameters measured by the sensors may be represented by a metric related to access operations for the memory device. The memory device may use the metric (e.g., along with a threshold) to determine whether to adjust a parameter associated with performing access operations received by the memory device, in order to implement a corrective action.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark D. Ingram, Todd Jackson Plum, Scott E. Schaefer, Aaron P. Boehm, Scott D. Van De Graaff
  • Patent number: 11594291
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes a memory block and a peripheral circuit. The memory block includes normal pages and buffer pages. Each of the normal pages includes memory cells that store the N bits of data. Each of the buffer pages includes memory cells that store one bit of data. The peripheral circuit receives a first page data and performs a single level cell (SLC) program on the first page data in a first buffer page. In addition, the peripheral circuit receives a second page data and performs the SLC program on the second page data in a second buffer page. In addition, the peripheral circuit performs a multiple-level program operation on a normal page based on the first and second page data programmed in the first and second buffer page, respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Jae Woong Kim
  • Patent number: 11586355
    Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods related to a selectively operable memory device are described. An example method corresponding to a selectively operable memory device can include receiving, by a resistance variable memory device, a command to operate the resistance variable memory device in a first mode or a second mode and operating the resistance variable memory device in the first mode or the second mode based, at least in part, on the received command to perform, in the first mode, a read operation or a write operation, or both, or, in the second mode, a compute operation. The method can further include performing, using a processing unit resident on the resistance variable memory device, the compute operation, the testing operation, or both based, at least in part, on a determination that the resistance variable memory device is operating in the second mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Vijay S. Ramesh, Allan Porterfield
  • Patent number: 11581368
    Abstract: A memory device includes at least one bit line, at least one word line, and at least one memory cell. The memory cell includes a first transistor, a plurality of data storage elements, and a plurality of second transistors corresponding to the plurality of data storage elements. The first transistor includes a gate electrically coupled to the word line, a first source/drain, and a second source/drain. Each data storage element among the plurality of data storage elements and the corresponding second transistor are electrically coupled in series between the first source/drain of the first transistor and the bit line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Meng-Han Lin, Sai-Hooi Yeong, Han-Jong Chia, Chenchen Jacob Wang, Yu-Ming Lin
  • Patent number: 11579812
    Abstract: An integrated memory assembly comprises a memory die and a control die bonded to the memory die. The memory die includes a memory structure of non-volatile memory cells. The control die is configured to program user data to and read user data from the memory die in response to commands from a memory controller. To utilize space more efficiently on the memory die, the control die compacts fragmented data on the memory die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Rakesh Balakrishnan, Eldhose Peter, Akhilesh Yadav
  • Patent number: 11574690
    Abstract: A system includes a memory device including a memory array including a plurality of wordline groups and control logic, operatively coupled with the memory array, to perform operation including causing a first erase verify to be performed sequentially with respect to each wordline group of the plurality of wordline groups, identifying a set of failing wordline groups determined to have failed the first erase verify, and causing a second erase verify to be performed sequentially with respect to each wordline group of the set of failing wordline groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Ronit Roneel Prakash, Jiun-Horng Lai, Chengkuan Yin, Shinji Sato
  • Patent number: 11568912
    Abstract: A memory cell includes a write bit line, a write transistor and a read transistor. The write transistor is coupled between the write bit line and a first node. The read transistor is coupled to the write transistor by the first node. The read transistor includes a ferroelectric layer. The write transistor is configured to set a stored data value of the memory cell by a write bit line signal that adjusts a polarization state of the read transistor. The polarization state corresponds to the stored data value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Bo-Feng Young, Sai-Hooi Yeong, Chao-I Wu, Chih-Yu Chang, Yu-Ming Lin
  • Patent number: 11568121
    Abstract: A method of designing a circuit is provided. The method includes: providing a circuit; selecting a first NMOS fin field-effect transistor (FinFET) in the circuit; and replacing the first NMOS FinFET having a first fin number with a second NMOS FinFET having a second fin number and a third NMOS FinFET having a third fin number, wherein the sum of the second fin number and the third fin number is equal to the first fin number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yi-Tzu Chen, Hau-Tai Shieh, Che-Ju Yeh
  • Patent number: 11562785
    Abstract: A microelectronic device comprises local digit line structures, global digit line structures, source line structures, sense transistors, read transistors, and write transistors. The local digit line structures are coupled to strings of memory cells. The global digit line structures overlie the local digit line structures. The source line structures are interposed between the local digit line structures and the global digit line structures. The sense transistors are interposed between the source line structures and the global digit line structures, and are coupled to the local digit line structures and the source line structures. The read transistors are interposed between and are coupled to the sense transistors and the global digit line structures. The write transistors are interposed between and are coupled to the global digit line structures and the local digit line structures. Additional microelectronic devices, memory devices, and electronic systems are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Tomoharu Tanaka, Yoshiaki Fukuzumi
  • Patent number: 11557330
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for deck-level shunting in a memory device are described. A memory device may include memory arrays arranged in a stack of decks over a substrate, and a combination of deck selection circuitry and shunting circuitry may be distributed among the decks to leverage common substrate-based circuitry, such as logic or addressing circuitry. For example, each memory array of a stack may include a set of digit lines and deck selection circuitry, such as deck selection transistors or other switching circuitry, operable to couple the set of digit lines with a column decoder that may be shared among multiple decks. Each memory array of a stack also may include shunting circuitry, such as shunting transistors or other switching circuitry operable to couple the set of digit lines with a plate node, thereby equalizing a voltage across the memory cells of the respective memory array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Daniele Vimercati