Patents Examined by Harry W Byrne
  • Patent number: 10628316
    Abstract: A memory device for storing data is disclosed. The memory device comprises a plurality of memory banks, wherein each memory bank comprises a plurality of addressable memory cells. The memory device also comprises a plurality of pipelines each comprising a plurality of pipestages, wherein each pipeline is associated with a respective one of the plurality of memory banks. Further, the device comprises a plurality of cache memories, wherein each cache memory is associated with a respective one of the plurality of memory banks and a respective one of the plurality of pipelines, and wherein each cache memory is operable for storing a second plurality of data words and associated memory addresses, and wherein further each data word of said second plurality of data words is either awaiting write verification associated with a given segment of an associated memory bank or is to be re-written into a given segment of said associated memory bank.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: SPIN MEMORY, INC.
    Inventors: Neal Berger, Benjamin Louie, Mourad El-Baraji, Lester Crudele, Daniel Hillman
  • Patent number: 10622559
    Abstract: A memory device including a template layer is disclosed. The memory device also includes a memory layer connected to the template layer, where the memory layer has a variable resistance, and where the crystalline structure of the memory layer matches the crystalline structure of the template layer. The memory device also includes a conductive top electrode on the memory layer, where the top electrode and the memory layer cooperatively form a heterojunction memory structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: 4DS MEMORY, LIMITED
    Inventor: Seshubabu Desu
  • Patent number: 10613184
    Abstract: Some embodiments include memory arrays. The memory arrays can have global bitlines extending along a first horizontal direction, vertical local bitlines extending perpendicularly from the global bitlines, and wordlines extending along a second horizontal direction which is perpendicular to the first horizontal direction. The global bitlines may be subdivided into a first series at a first elevational level, and a second series at a second elevational level which is different from the first elevational level. The global bitlines of the first series can alternate with the global bitlines of the second series. There can be memory cell material directly between the wordlines and the vertical local bitlines. The memory cell material may form a plurality of memory cells uniquely addressed by wordline/global bitline combinations. Some embodiments include cross-point memory cell units that have areas of about 2F2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Zengtao T. Liu
  • Patent number: 10607678
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for erasing data on a plurality of ferroelectric memory cells in a memory cell array in a memory apparatus are disclosed. An example apparatus includes: a memory cell array including a first plurality of word lines; a digit line; and a plurality of ferroelectric memory cells; a control circuit that provides a section select signal and a word line select signal to select a second plurality of word lines among the first plurality of word lines responsive to an address; and an address decoder that activates the second plurality of word lines. Each ferroelectric memory cell includes: a ferroelectric capacitor having a first terminal coupled to a cell plate node and a second terminal coupled to a selection circuit that couples the digit line to the second terminal responsive to a signal on a corresponding word line of the second plurality of word lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Kiyotake Sakurai, Yasushi Matsubara
  • Patent number: 10600489
    Abstract: According to one embodiment, a memory system includes memory cells capable of having data written therein at different write levels. A memory controller is configured to detect first data of the memory cells, then apply a first voltage that is lower than a voltage used for writing the data to the plurality of memory cells, detect second data of the memory cells after the first voltage has been applied, and estimate a write level for the data written to the memory cells based on a comparison of the first data and the second data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tomoya Kodama, Takayuki Itoh
  • Patent number: 10600477
    Abstract: Various implementations described herein refer to an integrated circuit having a bitcell coupled to a bitline and a column multiplexer device coupled to the bitline between the bitcell and an output of a write driver. The integrated circuit may include a first signal line coupled to a gate of the column multiplexor device that provides a first transition signal. The integrated circuit may include a second signal line coupled to an input of the write driver that provides a second transitioning signal, and the second transition signal transitions substantially similar to the first transitioning signal. The integrated circuit may include a coupling device coupled between the first signal line and the second signal line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: Arm Limited
    Inventors: Vivek Nautiyal, Lalit Gupta, Fakhruddin Ali Bohra, Shri Sagar Dwivedi
  • Patent number: 10600459
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for setting a duty cycler adjuster for improving clock duty cycle are disclosed. The duty cycle adjuster may be adjusted by different amounts, at least one smaller than another. Determining when to use the smaller adjustment may be based on duty cycle results. A duty cycle monitor may have an offset. A duty cycle code for the duty cycle adjuster may be set to an intermediate value of a duty cycle monitor offset. The duty cycle monitor offset may be determined by identifying duty cycle codes for an upper and for a lower boundary of the duty cycle monitor offset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Kang-Yong Kim
  • Patent number: 10593698
    Abstract: A memory structure, includes active columns of polysilicon formed above a semiconductor substrate, each active column includes one or more vertical NOR strings, with each NOR string having thin-film storage transistors sharing a local source line and a local bit line, the local bit line is connected by one segment of a segmented global bit line to a sense amplifier provided in the semiconductor substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: SUNRISE MEMORY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Eli Harari
  • Patent number: 10593678
    Abstract: A method of forming a semiconductor device comprises forming a patterned masking material comprising parallel structures and parallel trenches extending at a first angle from about 30° to about 75° relative to a lateral direction. A mask is provided over the patterned masking material and comprises additional parallel structures and parallel apertures extending at a second, different angle from about 0° to about 90° relative to the lateral direction. The patterned masking material is further patterned using the mask to form a patterned masking structure comprising elongate structures separated by the parallel trenches and additional parallel trenches. Exposed portions of a hard mask material underlying the patterned masking structure are subjected to ARDE to form a patterned hard mask material. Exposed portions of a semiconductive material underlying the patterned hard mask material are removed to form semiconductive pillar structures. Semiconductor devices and electronic systems are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Song Guo, Sanh D. Tang, Vlad Temchenko, Shivani Srivastava
  • Patent number: 10580980
    Abstract: Embodiments disclosed herein may include depositing a storage component material over and/or in a trench in a dielectric material, including depositing the storage component material on approximately vertical walls of the trench and a bottom of the trench. Embodiments may also include etching the storage component material so that at least a portion of the storage component material remains on the approximately vertical walls and the bottom of the trench, wherein the trench is contacting an electrode and a selector such that storage component material on the bottom of the trench contacts the electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: OVONYX MEMORY TECHNOLOGY, LLC
    Inventors: Fabio Pellizzer, Innocenzo Tortorelli
  • Patent number: 10580490
    Abstract: A semiconductor device is provided where high-speed search operation can be performed. The semiconductor device includes a plurality of search memory cells arranged in a matrix form a plurality of search line pairs which are respectively provided corresponding to memory cell columns and which respectively transmit a plurality of search data to be compared with data stored in the search memory cells, a plurality of search drivers which are respectively arranged at corresponding to one end sides of the search line pairs and which drive the search line pairs according to the search data, and a plurality of assist circuits which are respectively provided corresponding to the other end sides of the search line pairs and which assist driving corresponding search line pairs according to the search data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Makoto Yabuuchi, Koji Nii
  • Patent number: 10573396
    Abstract: A semiconductor device may include a mask control circuit suitable for generating a section-masking signal activated during a strobe section, based on at least one strobe signal; a strobe signal input circuit suitable for generating an input control signal toggled during the strobe section, based on the section-masking signal and the strobe signal; and a data signal input circuit suitable for receiving a data signal based on the input control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Ki-Bong Koo
  • Patent number: 10573362
    Abstract: In an example, an apparatus includes a memory array in a first region and decode circuitry in a second region separate from a semiconductor. The decode circuitry is coupled to an access line in the memory array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard K. Dodge, Timothy C. Langtry
  • Patent number: 10573358
    Abstract: A driver of a multi-level signaling interface is provided. The driver may be configured reduce noise in a multi-level signal (e.g., a pulse amplitude modulation signal) generated by the driver using switching components of different polarities. The driver may include a pull-up circuit and/or a pull-down circuit. The pull-up circuit and the pull-down circuit may include at least one switching component of a first polarity (e.g., nmos transistor) and at least one switching component of a second polarity different from the first polarity (e.g., pmos transistor). Such a configuration of pull-up and pull down circuits may generate a more linear relationship between an output current and an output voltage of an output of the driver, thereby improving one or more characteristics of the multi-level signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2020
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Justin D. Butterfield
  • Patent number: 10566061
    Abstract: After a predetermined period of time in a life cycle of a flash memory device, a plurality of reliability values corresponding to a plurality of reads of one or more of the plurality of memory cells are generated; each of the reads using a variation of a predetermined read level voltage. An offset voltage is then identified, offset from the read level voltage. The offset voltage corresponds to a zero crossing point in the range of the reliability values. Once the offset voltage is identified, the read level voltage is set to a calibrated voltage based on the offset voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2020
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Seyhan Karakulak, Anthony Dwayne Weathers, Richard David Barndt
  • Patent number: 10559375
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a non-volatile memory including a normal region, a self-repair region and a redundancy region, each having a plurality of cells; a first boot-up control block suitable for controlling a first boot-up operation to detect defective cells of the normal region and store a defective address in a first latch unit; a self-program control block suitable for controlling a self-program operation to program the defective address stored in the first latch unit into the self-repair region; and a second boot-up control block suitable for controlling a second boot-up operation to read out data of the normal region based on an input address while reading out data of the redundancy region instead of the data of the normal region when data of the self-repair region coincides with the input address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Young-Bo Shim
  • Patent number: 10559589
    Abstract: Provided herein may be a semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same. The semiconductor device may include a memory string including memory cells coupled to each other in series via a channel layer, the memory string coupled between a bit line and a second source line. The semiconductor device may include a first source line electrically coupled to the second source line through the channel layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 11, 2020
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: In Su Park, Dong Sun Sheen
  • Patent number: 10553260
    Abstract: A stacked memory device includes; a logic semiconductor die; a plurality of memory semiconductor dies stacked with the logic semiconductor die, wherein each of the memory semiconductor dies includes a memory integrated circuit and one or more of the memory semiconductor dies is a calculation semiconductor die including a calculation unit; and through-silicon vias electrically connecting the logic semiconductor die and the plurality of memory semiconductor dies, wherein each of the calculation units is configured to perform calculations based on broadcast data and internal data and to generate calculation result data, wherein the broadcast data is commonly provided to the calculation semiconductor dies through the through-silicon vias, and the internal data is respectively read from the memory integrated circuits of the calculation semiconductor dies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hyun-Sung Shin, Ik-Joon Choi, So-Young Kim, Tae-Kyu Byun, Jae-Youn Youn
  • Patent number: 10553298
    Abstract: Program disturb is a condition that includes the unintended programming while performing a programming process for other memory cells. Such unintended programming can cause an error in the data being stored. In some cases, program disturb can result from electrons trapped in the channel being accelerated from one side of a dummy word line to another side of the dummy word line and redirected into a select gate. To prevent such program disturb, it is proposed to open the channel from one side of the dummy word line to the other side of the dummy word line after a sensing operation for program verify and prior to a subsequent programming voltage being applied. For example, the channel can be opened up by applying a voltage to the dummy word line prior to pre-charging unselected memory cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: Dengtao Zhao, Deepanshu Dutta
  • Patent number: 10546877
    Abstract: Provided herein may be a semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same. The semiconductor device may include a memory string including memory cells coupled to each other in series via a channel layer, the memory string coupled between a bit line and a second source line. The semiconductor device may include a first source line electrically coupled to the second source line through the channel layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: In Su Park, Dong Sun Sheen