Patents Examined by James G Norman
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Patent number: 10783963Abstract: An in-memory computation device is described that comprises a memory with a plurality of blocks B(n) of cells, where n ranges from 0 to N?1. A page output circuit PO(n) and page input circuit PI(n) are operatively coupled to block B(n) in the plurality of sets. A data bus system for providing an external source of input data and a destination for output data is provided. Data circuits are configurable connect page input circuit PI(n) to one or more of page output circuit PO(n), page output circuit PO(n?1), and the data bus system to source the page input data in a sensing cycle. This configuration can be done between each sensing cycle, or in longer intervals, in order to support a variety of neural network configurations and operations.Type: GrantFiled: March 8, 2019Date of Patent: September 22, 2020Assignee: MACRONIX INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD.Inventors: Chun-Hsiung Hung, Shang-Chi Yang
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Patent number: 10777261Abstract: A data-processing device, such as a memory device, includes a signal generator configured to transmit an enable-signal, and a plurality of circuit elements arranged in an array of plurality of rows spaced along a direction, each of the plurality of the circuit elements configured to receive the enable-signal from the signal generator and to input and output data as a result of receiving the enable-signal. The device also includes an input/out (I/O) interface operatively connected to the plurality of circuit elements and located to propagate data from the I/O interface to the circuit elements in a first direction relative to the direction in which the rows are spaced and receive data propagated from the circuit elements to the I/O interface in a second direction relative to the first direction. The signal generator maintains the direction of enable-signal propagation relative to the direction of data propagation regardless of the direction of data propagation.Type: GrantFiled: June 22, 2018Date of Patent: September 15, 2020Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.Inventor: Hyunsung Hong
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Patent number: 10762963Abstract: A semiconductor memory device comprises a first memory cell array including a first memory cell and a second memory cell array including a second memory cell, a first transistor electrically connectable to a first end of the first memory cell via a first source line, a second transistor connectable to a first end of the second memory cell via a second source line, a pad supplied with a reference voltage from outside, a first wiring that electrically connects the first transistor and the pad, and a second wiring that is different from the first wiring and electrically connects the second transistor and the pad.Type: GrantFiled: September 2, 2018Date of Patent: September 1, 2020Assignee: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATIONInventors: Yuki Shimizu, Yoshihiko Kamata, Tsukasa Kobayashi, Hideyuki Kataoka, Koji Kato, Takumi Fujimoto, Yoshinao Suzuki, Yuui Shimizu
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Patent number: 10762931Abstract: A memory device includes an array of memory cells, such as SRAM cells, and a plurality of peripheral circuits operably coupled to the memory array. A power control circuit is configured to individually control an application of power to each of the plurality of peripheral circuits and the array of memory cells.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2018Date of Patent: September 1, 2020Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.Inventors: Sanjeev Kumar Jain, Jaspal Singh Shah
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Patent number: 10748633Abstract: Provided herein is a semiconductor memory device. The semiconductor memory device may include: a memory cell array including a plurality of pages; a voltage supply unit configured to provide operating voltages to the plurality of pages; a plurality of page buffers coupled to a plurality of bit lines of the memory cell array and configured to control and sense currents flowing through the plurality of bit lines in response to a page buffer sensing signal; and a control logic configured to control the voltage supply unit and the plurality of page buffers such that the plurality of pages are successively programmed, and to control a potential level of the page buffer sensing signal depending on a program sequence of the plurality of pages during a program verify operation of a program operation.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2019Date of Patent: August 18, 2020Assignee: SK hynix Inc.Inventor: Won Hee Lee
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Patent number: 10748600Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for phase charge sharing are described. In some memory systems or memory devices, one or more decoders may be used to bias access lines of a memory die. The decoders may transfer voltage or current between a first conductive line of the decoder and a second conductive line of the decoder via a shorting device. Transferring the voltage or current may be performed as part of or in association with an operation (e.g., an activate or pre-charge operation) to access one or more memory cells of the memory die. In some examples, the decoders may transfer voltage or current between a first conductive line of a decoder associated with a first refresh activity and a second conductive line of the decoder associated with a second refresh activity via a shorting device.Type: GrantFiled: December 11, 2018Date of Patent: August 18, 2020Assignee: Micron Technologies, Inc.Inventors: James S. Rehmeyer, George B. Raad, Debra M. Bell, Markus H. Geiger, Anthony D. Veches
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Patent number: 10741267Abstract: A memory cell includes a first anti-fuse element, a second anti-fuse element, and a selection circuit. The first anti-fuse element has a first terminal, a second terminal being floating, and a control terminal coupled to a first anti-fuse control line. The second anti-fuse element has a first terminal coupled to the first terminal of the first anti-fuse element, a second terminal being floating, and a control terminal coupled to a second anti-fuse control line. The selection circuit is coupled to the first terminal of the first anti-fuse element, the first terminal of the second anti-fuse element, and a source line. The selection circuit controls an electrical connection from the source line to the first terminal of the first anti-fuse element and the first terminal of the second anti-fuse element.Type: GrantFiled: June 9, 2019Date of Patent: August 11, 2020Assignee: eMemory Technology Inc.Inventor: Dung Le Tan Hoang
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Patent number: 10734082Abstract: A memory device includes multiple word lines. A method of operating the memory device includes: performing a first dummy read operation, with respect to first memory cells connected to a first word line among the word lines, by applying a dummy read voltage, having an offset level of a first level, to the first word line; determining, based on a result of the performing of the first dummy read operation, degradation of a threshold voltage distribution of the first memory cells; adjusting an offset level of the dummy read voltage as a second level, based on a result of the determining of the threshold voltage distribution; and performing a second dummy read operation with respect to second memory cells connected to a second word line among the word lines, by applying a dummy read voltage, having the offset level adjusted as the second level, to the second word line among the word lines.Type: GrantFiled: February 13, 2019Date of Patent: August 4, 2020Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.Inventors: Han-Jun Lee, Seung-Bum Kim, Chul-Bum Kim, Seung-Jae Lee
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Patent number: 10734064Abstract: A memory control component has control circuitry and a data interface, the data interface to be coupled, via a plurality of data signaling paths, to a respective plurality of memory dies disposed on a memory module. The control circuitry transmits to the memory module a first configuration value that specifies a memory die quantity N that is permitted to range from a first value corresponding to the quantity of the data signaling paths to at least one value less than the first value. Thereafter, the control circuitry transmits a memory read command to the memory module to enable, in accordance with the first configuration value, a quantity N of the memory dies to output read data and enables the data interface to receive the read data via a respective quantity N of the data signaling paths.Type: GrantFiled: May 29, 2018Date of Patent: August 4, 2020Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, John Eric Linstadt, Kenneth L. Wright
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Patent number: 10734080Abstract: A three-dimensional memory device includes memory stack structures in multiple memory arrays. Bit lines are split into multiple portions traversing different memory arrays. Each sense amplifier is connected to a first portion of a respective bit line via a respective first switching transistor device, and is connected to a second portion of the respective bit line via a respective second switching transistor device. The switching transistor devices connect each sense amplifier to one portion of the bit lines without connecting to another portion of the bit lines, thereby reducing the RC delay. The switching transistor devices may be provided as vertical field effect transistors located at a memory array level, or may be provided in another semiconductor chip.Type: GrantFiled: December 7, 2018Date of Patent: August 4, 2020Assignee: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLCInventors: Hardwell Chibvongodze, Masatoshi Nishikawa, Naoki Ookuma, Takuya Ariki, Toru Miwa
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Patent number: 10726901Abstract: A memory cell within an integrated-circuit memory component receives a first control signal that transitions between supply voltage levels of a first voltage domain and a second control signal that transitions between supply voltage levels of a second voltage domain different from the first voltage domain. In response to the transitions of the first and second control signal, output-enable circuitry within the memory cell transitions an output-enable signal between one of the supply voltage levels of the first voltage domain and one of the supply voltage levels of the second voltage domain to enable output signal generation on an output signal line coupled to the memory cell.Type: GrantFiled: July 31, 2019Date of Patent: July 28, 2020Assignee: Rambus Inc.Inventors: Frederick A. Ware, John Eric Linstadt
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Patent number: 10726893Abstract: A perpendicular spin orbit torque MRAM memory cell comprises a magnetic tunnel junction that includes a free layer in a plane, a ferromagnetic layer and a spacer layer between the ferromagnetic layer and the free layer. The free layer comprises a switchable direction of magnetization perpendicular to the plane. The ferromagnetic layer is configured to generate perpendicularly polarized spin current in response to an electrical current through the ferromagnetic layer and inject the perpendicularly polarized spin current through the spacer layer into the free layer to change the direction of magnetization of the free layer.Type: GrantFiled: December 12, 2018Date of Patent: July 28, 2020Assignee: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLCInventors: Goran Mihajlovic, Oleksandr Mosendz
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Patent number: 10726935Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a memory device including a BIST circuit and an operating method thereof. The memory device includes a comparison circuit comparing test pattern data with sensing data to generate a comparison signal, a status information generating circuit generating a fail mask signal by marking data in which a failure occurs in the sensing data in response to the comparison signal, a column address generating circuit generating column addresses sequentially increasing in response to an input/output strobe signal, a latch enable signal generating circuit generating a latch enable signal in response to the fail mask signal, and an input/output circuit receiving the column addresses and selectively latching a column address in which a failure occurs among the column addresses in response to the latch enable signal.Type: GrantFiled: May 24, 2019Date of Patent: July 28, 2020Assignee: SK hynix Inc.Inventor: Wan Seob Lee
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Patent number: 10726888Abstract: A memory device can include: a memory array with memory cells arranged as data lines; an interface that receives a read command requesting bytes of data in a consecutively addressed order from an address of a starting byte; a first buffer that stores a first data line from the memory array that includes the starting byte; a second buffer that stores a second data line from the memory array, which is consecutively addressed with respect to the first data line; output circuitry configured to access data from the buffers, and to sequentially output each byte from the starting byte through a highest addressed byte of the first data line, and each byte from a lowest addressed byte of the second data line until the requested data bytes has been output; and a data strobe driver that clocks each byte of data output by a data strobe on the interface.Type: GrantFiled: March 12, 2019Date of Patent: July 28, 2020Assignee: Adesto Technologies CorporationInventors: Gideon Intrater, Bard Pedersen, Ishai Naveh
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Patent number: 10720212Abstract: A memory device with a plurality of memory block may include a plurality of memory cells constituting a memory blocks, and two or more select transistors coupled to the plurality of memory cells constituting the memory block and configured to select the memory block, the two or more select transistors having different threshold voltages from one another.Type: GrantFiled: April 24, 2019Date of Patent: July 21, 2020Assignee: SK hynix Inc.Inventor: Hee Youl Lee
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Patent number: 10720208Abstract: A semiconductor memory device according to an embodiment includes a memory cell array having plural memory cells that can be set to any one of plural different threshold voltages, plural bit lines connected to the plural memory cells respectively, a word line connected to gates of the plural memory cells, a control unit configured to execute a write sequence for repetitively performing plural loops including a set of a program operation of writing data into the memory cells and a verify operation of verifying data written in the memory cells to write predetermined data in the memory cells MT, and prior to execution of the write sequence, the control unit corrects the write sequence based on a result of performing the preliminary program operation and the detection verify operation on the memory cells.Type: GrantFiled: March 11, 2019Date of Patent: July 21, 2020Assignee: Toshiba Memory CorporationInventor: Shinji Suzuki
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Patent number: 10720178Abstract: A magnetoresistance effect element has a first ferromagnetic metal layer, a second ferromagnetic metal layer, and a tunnel barrier layer that is sandwiched between the first and second ferromagnetic metal layers, and the tunnel barrier layer has a spinel structure represented by a composition formula AGa2Ox (0<x?4), and an A-site is a non-magnetic divalent cation which is one or more selected from a group consisting of magnesium, zinc and cadmium.Type: GrantFiled: February 15, 2019Date of Patent: July 21, 2020Assignee: TDK CORPORATIONInventors: Tomoyuki Sasaki, Katsuyuki Nakada, Tatsuo Shibata
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Patent number: 10714158Abstract: Apparatus and methods are disclosed, including an apparatus having a first transistor configured to be coupled to a first bit line, and a control circuit configured to supply a gate of the first transistor with a first voltage to turn on the first transistor, and to supply the gate of the first transistor with a second voltage higher than the first voltage to strengthen a current drive capability of the first transistor.Type: GrantFiled: February 7, 2019Date of Patent: July 14, 2020Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.Inventor: Shinichi Miyatake
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Patent number: 10714197Abstract: A memory device and a program verification method thereof are provided. The write verification method includes: reading a previous page to obtain first read data, writing input data to a current page, reading the previous page or the current page to obtain second read data, and analyzing at least one of the first read data and the second read data to determine whether to back up at least one of the first read data and the input data to a redundant block of the memory device.Type: GrantFiled: April 18, 2019Date of Patent: July 14, 2020Assignee: MACRONIX INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD.Inventors: Ya-Jui Lee, Kuan-Fu Chen
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Patent number: 10706921Abstract: One embodiment provides an apparatus. The apparatus includes a bipolar junction transistor (BJT) and an integrated resistive element. The BJT includes a base contact, a base region, a collector contact, a collector region and an integrated emitter contact. The integrated resistive element includes a resistive layer and an integrated electrode. The resistive element is positioned between the base region and the integrated emitter contact.Type: GrantFiled: April 1, 2016Date of Patent: July 7, 2020Assignee: INTEL CORPORATIONInventors: Elijah V. Karpov, Ravi Pillarisetty, Prashant Majhi, Niloy Mukherjee, Uday Shah