Patents Examined by Harry W Bryne
  • Patent number: 10769520
    Abstract: To provide a semiconductor device which can execute the product-sum operation. The semiconductor device includes a first memory cell, a second memory cell, and an offset circuit. First analog data is stored in the first memory cell, and reference analog data is stored in the second memory cell. The first memory cell and the second memory cell supply a first current and a second current, respectively, when a reference potential is applied as a selection signal. The offset circuit has a function of supplying a third current corresponding to a differential current between the first current and the second current. In the semiconductor device, the first memory and the second memory supply a fourth current and a fifth current, respectively, when a potential corresponding to second analog data is applied as a selection signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yoshiyuki Kurokawa
  • Patent number: 10727277
    Abstract: A storage device includes a first conductor, a resistance variable film, and a second conductor. The resistance variable film includes a first layer and a second layer. The second layer is located on a side opposite to the first conductor with respect to the first layer, contains oxygen, and has conductivity higher than that of the first layer. The second conductor includes a first portion and a second portion. The first portion abuts on the second layer of the resistance variable film. The second portion is separated from the resistance variable film as compared to the first portion. The oxygen content of the first portion is higher than that of the second portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2020
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Yosuke Murakami, Takeshi Ishizaki, Yusuke Arayashiki, Kazuhiko Yamamoto, Kana Hirayama
  • Patent number: 10199093
    Abstract: A detection circuit that can detect a two-terminal memory cell changing state. For example, in response to electrical stimuli, a memory cell will change state, e.g., to a defined higher resistance state or a defined lower resistance state. Other, techniques do not detect this state change until after the stimuli is completed and a subsequent sensing operation (e.g., read pulse) is performed. The detection circuit can detect the state change during application of the electrical stimuli that cause the state change and can do so by comparing the magnitudes or values of two particular current parameters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 5, 2019
    Assignee: CROSSBAR, INC.
    Inventors: Sang Nguyen, Hagop Nazarian, Tianhong Yan
  • Patent number: 10141062
    Abstract: A circuit and method are disclosed for operating a non-volatile memory device, comprising time sampling a reference current or voltage in a floating holding node to obtain a hold voltage and applying the hold voltage in sensing circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2018
    Assignee: SILICON STORAGE TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Hieu Van Tran, Anh Ly, Thuan Vu, Hung Quoc Nguyen, Viet Tan Nguyen
  • Patent number: 9857973
    Abstract: An interface circuit may include a first FIFO circuit and a second FIFO circuit. The first FIFO circuit may generate first output data based on a first sampling signal and a second sampling signal. The second FIFO circuit may generate second output data based on a third sampling signal and a fourth sampling signal. The first FIFO circuit and the second FIFO circuit may be cross-reset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kwanyeob Chae, Yoonjee Nam, Ji Hun Oh, Shinyoung Yi, Jong-Ryun Choi
  • Patent number: 9846204
    Abstract: An integrated semiconductor device for measuring a magnetic field, comprising: a Hall sensor, a first lateral isotropic sensor having a first stress sensitivity and a first temperature sensitivity, a second lateral isotropic sensor having a second stress sensitivity and a second temperature sensitivity, optional amplifying means, digitization means; and calculation means configured for calculating a stress and temperature compensated Hall value in the digital domain, based on a predefined formula which can be expressed as an n-th order polynomial in only two parameters. These parameters may be obtained directly from the sensor elements, or they may be calculated from a set of two simultaneous equations. A method of obtaining a Hall voltage signal, and compensating said signal for stress and temperature drift.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 19, 2017
    Assignee: MELEXIS TECHNOLOGIES SA
    Inventors: Samuel Huber, Samuel Francois
  • Patent number: 9779820
    Abstract: A non-volatile memory and a programming method thereof are provided. The programming method for the non-volatile memory includes: setting at least one first isolation cell between a first side cell and at least one first pass cell of an inhibited memory string; cutting off the at least one first isolation cell and providing a pre-boosting voltage to a word line of the first side cell and at a first time point; turning on the at least one first isolation cell at a second time point for transporting the pre-boosting potential to channels of the at least one first pass cell and a primary cell at a second time period; and providing a boosting voltage to word lines of the at least one first pass cell during a boosting time period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: MACRONIX International Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ya-Jui Lee, Kuan-Fu Chen
  • Patent number: 9741416
    Abstract: Memory devices based on gate controlled ferromagnetism and spin-polarized current injection are provided. The device structure can include a two dimensional (2D) topological insulator (TI) having an active area body. One or a pair of ferromagnetic storage units are provided on top of the 2D TI with a dielectric and a gate thereon. A first contact can be at one end of the 2D TI and a second contact can be at the other end of the 2D TI, with the one or pair of ferromagnetic storage units on the 2D TI between the two contacts to facilitate 2D TI transport along a one-dimensional edge of the first and/or second lateral side. Application of biases via the gate and the first and second contacts enable read and write operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: Board of Regents, the University of Texas System
    Inventors: William G. Vandenberghe, Christopher L. Hinkle, Massimo V. Fischetti
  • Patent number: 9715922
    Abstract: A memory comprised of a plurality of single port SRAM memory cells, each driven by two word lines in an asynchronous manner has a hold mode, a read mode and a write mode. Each of the single port SRAM memory cells includes a first write switch, a second write switch and a latch. The first write switch is electrically connected to a first word line and is turned on by a first turn-on signal transmitted by the first word line. The second write switch is electrically connected to a second word line and is turned on by a second turn-on signal transmitted by the second word line. When the memory is in the write mode, the second write switch is turned on by the second turn-on signal having a delay with respect to the first turn-on signal, thereby blocking the pseudo read of the unselected memory cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: National Cheng Kung University
    Inventors: Lih-Yih Chiou, Chi-Ray Huang
  • Patent number: 9653139
    Abstract: A refresh control device and a semiconductor device including the same, for preventing a row hammer failure from occurring, may include an enable signal generator configured to generate an enable signal for performing a smart refresh operation and a plurality of active controllers configured to generate a plurality of refresh signals for refreshing word lines located at different positions within one bank, based on receiving the enable signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: So Min Park
  • Patent number: 9263133
    Abstract: Techniques for providing a semiconductor memory device are disclosed. In one particular embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a semiconductor memory device including a plurality of memory cells arranged in an array of rows and columns, each memory cell. Each of the memory cell may include a first region coupled to a source line, a second region coupled to a bit line, and a body region capacitively coupled to at least one word line via a gate region and disposed between the first region and the second region, wherein the body region may include a plurality of floating body regions and a plurality of floating gate regions capacitively coupled to the at least one word line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2016
    Assignee: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Srinivasa R. Banna, Michael A. Van Bushkirk, Timothy Thurgate
  • Patent number: 9257176
    Abstract: A variable resistance memory device includes a plurality of cell gate electrodes extending in a first direction, wherein the plurality of cell gate electrodes are stacked in a second direction that is substantially perpendicular to the first direction. A gate insulating layer surrounds each cell gate electrode of the plurality of cell gate electrodes and a cell drain region is formed on two sides of the each cell gate electrode of the plurality of cell gate electrodes. A channel layer extends in the second direction along the stack of the plurality of cell gate electrodes, and a variable resistance layer contacting the channel layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Nam Kyun Park
  • Patent number: 9036448
    Abstract: A device includes a first clock generation circuit that receives an external clock signal supplied to the device, delays the external clock signal to output a first clock signal synchronized with the external clock signal, and a circuit that generates a control signal to control output of data, based on second clock signals obtained by dividing an internal clock signal generated from the external clock signal, and third clock signals obtained by dividing the first clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignee: PS4 Luxco S.a.r.l.
    Inventor: Kyoichi Nagata
  • Patent number: 8908423
    Abstract: A magnetoresistive effect element includes: a magnetization free layer having an invertible magnetization; an insulating layer being adjacent to the magnetization free layer; and a magnetization fixed layer being adjacent to the insulation layer and in an opposite side of the insulation layer to the magnetization free layer. The magnetization free layer includes: a first magnetization free layer being adjacent to the insulating layer and comprising Fe or Co; and a second magnetization free layer being adjacent to the first magnetization layer and comprising NiFeB.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2014
    Assignee: NEC Corporation
    Inventor: Hiroaki Honjou
  • Patent number: 8837209
    Abstract: A relation between a drive current of a selection transistor of a magnetic memory and a threshold magnetization switching current of the magnetoresistance effect element is optimized. In order to optimize the relation between the drive current of the selection transistor and the threshold magnetization switching current of the magnetoresistance effect element 101 of the magnetic memory cell, a mechanism 601-604 for dropping the threshold magnetization switching current on “1” writing is provided that applies a magnetic field that is in the inverse direction of the pinned layer to the recording layer of the magnetoresistance effect element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 16, 2014
    Assignees: Hitachi, Ltd., Tohoku University
    Inventors: Hideo Ohno, Shoji Ikeda, Katsuya Miura, Kazuo Ono, Riichiro Takemura, Hiromasa Takahashi
  • Patent number: 8493778
    Abstract: A non-volatile magnetic memory element includes a number of layers one of which is a free layer which is graded. The graded free layer may include various elements with each element having a different anisotropy or it may include nonmagnetic compounds and magnetic regions with the non-magnetic compounds forming graded contents forming a unique shape such as cone shaped, diamond shaped or other shapes and whose thickness is based on the reactivity of the magnetic compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Avalanche Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Rajiv Yadav Ranjan, Parviz Keshtbod, Roger Klas Malmhall
  • Patent number: 8411494
    Abstract: One embodiment of a magnetic random access memory includes a transistor formed on a substrate and having a gate width, a plurality of magnetoresistive elements disposed above the transistor and jointly electrically coupled to the transistor at their first terminals, a plurality of parallel conductive lines formed above magnetoresistive elements and independently electrically coupled to their second terminals. A magnetoresistive element includes, a pinned layer having a fixed magnetization direction, a free layer having a reversible magnetization direction, a tunnel barrier layer disposed between the free and pinned layers, and an element width that is substantially smaller than the gate width. The magnetization directions of the pinned and free layers are directed substantially perpendicular to the substrate. The magnetization direction of the free layer is reversed by a joint effect of a bias magnetic field and a spin-polarized current applied to the magnetoresistive element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 16, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Inventor: Alexander Mikhailovich Shukh