Patents Examined by Khamdan N. Alrobaie
  • Patent number: 12148472
    Abstract: Semiconductor memory is provided wherein a memory cell includes a capacitorless transistor having a floating body configured to store data as charge therein when power is applied to the cell. The cell further includes a nonvolatile memory comprising a resistance change element configured to store data stored in the floating body under any one of a plurality of predetermined conditions. A method of operating semiconductor memory to function as volatile memory, while having the ability to retain stored data when power is discontinued to the semiconductor memory is described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: Zeno Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Yuniarto Widjaja
  • Patent number: 12142325
    Abstract: A method of operating a non-volatile semiconductor memory device is disclosed. The method comprises: during a first pre-read cycle of a read operation, ramping up a control signal on a wordline selected for the read operation to a first target pre-read voltage and ramping up a control signal on a drain-side select (SGD) transistor of an unselected string of the plurality of strings to a second target pre-read voltage. The method further comprises during a second pre-read cycle of the read operation, ramping down the control signal on the wordline to a target read voltage and ramping down the control signal on the SGD transistor of the unselected string to a third target pre-read voltage after a delay period after the triggering edge of the second pre-read cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Inventors: Yanjie Wang, Guirong Liang
  • Patent number: 12142317
    Abstract: A storage device includes a main system; a power loss protection integrated circuit (PLP IC) configured to provide output power to the main system based on external or internal power; and an auxiliary power supply configured to provide the internal power to the PLP IC. The main system may operate in a dump mode where data is backed up in response to at least one of a first condition or a second condition being satisfied. The PLP IC may provide the output power based on the internal power in response to a sudden power off (SPO) occurring. The first condition is satisfied when the SPO occurs and an SPO time is longer than a maximum filtering time. The second condition is satisfied when the SPO occurs and a voltage level of the internal power provided by the auxiliary power supply is lower than a voltage level of a threshold voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hojin Chun, Minsung Kil, Hyoungtaek Lim
  • Patent number: 12142311
    Abstract: Systems and methods are related to a memory device including a plate line. The memory device also includes a pair of ferroelectric layers implementing a pair of memory cells and coupled to opposite sides of the plate line. The memory device further includes a pair of digit lines each coupled to a respective ferroelectric layer of the pair of ferroelectric layers. The memory device also includes a sense amplifier coupled to the pair of digit lines and configured to sense and amplify voltages received at the digit lines from the respective memory cells. The sense amplifier includes a threshold voltage compensated latch that includes multiple p-channel transistors and is configured to compensate for process, voltage, or temperature variation mismatches between the threshold voltages of the multiple p-channel transistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Tong Liu, Daniele Vimercati
  • Patent number: 12136456
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatuses are provided for drift compensation for codewords in memory. A memory device comprises memory cells and circuitry configured to sense a codeword stored in the array of memory cells using a reference voltage and determine an amount by which to adjust the reference voltage used to sense the codeword based on an estimated weight of the original codeword, a mean of threshold voltage values of each memory cell of the sensed codeword, and a total quantity of memory cells of the sensed codeword. The circuitry can further be configured to adjust the reference voltage used to sense the codeword by the determined amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2024
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Marco Sforzin, Paolo Amato, Luca Barletta, Marco Pietro Ferrari, Antonino Favano
  • Patent number: 12136454
    Abstract: A memory device includes a memory array that includes one or more rows of memory cells and one or more columns of memory cells. The comparator circuitry is operably connected to at least one column of memory cells in the one or more columns of memory cells. The comparator circuitry includes a precompute circuit and a select circuit operably connected to the outputs of the precompute circuit. The precompute circuit is operable to precompute a comparison operation to produce a first precompute signal and a second precompute signal. The select circuit is operable to receive a first cell data signal from a memory cell in the column of memory cells. Based at least on the first cell data signal, the select circuit selects either the first precompute signal or the second precompute signal to output from the comparator circuitry as a signal read from the memory cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2024
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Jaspal Singh Shah, Atul Katoch
  • Patent number: 12124741
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods related to memory module interfaces. A memory module, which may include volatile memory or nonvolatile memory, or both, may be configured to communicate with a host device via one interface and to communicate with another memory module using a different interface. Memory modules may thus be added or removed from a system without impacting a PCB-based bus to the host, and memory modules may communicate with one another without accessing a bus to the host. The host interface may be configured according to one protocol or standard, and other interfaces between memory modules may be configured according to other protocols or standards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Inventor: Robert M. Walker
  • Patent number: 12112830
    Abstract: Systems, apparatuses, and methods for operating a memory device or devices are described. A memory device or module may introduce latency in commands to coordinate operations at the device or to improve timing or power consumption at the device. For example, a host may issue a command to a memory module, and a component or feature of the memory module may receive the command and modify the command or the timing of its execution in manner that is invisible or non-disruptive to the host while facilitating operations at the memory module. In some examples, components or features of a memory module may be disabled to effect or introduce latency in operation without affecting timing or operation of a host device. A memory module may operate in different modes that allow for different latencies; the use or introduction of latencies may not affect other features or operability of the memory module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Inventors: Eric J. Stave, George E. Pax, Yogesh Sharma, Gregory A. King, Chan H. Yoo, Randon K. Richards, Timothy M. Hollis
  • Patent number: 12094543
    Abstract: A memory and a sense amplifying device are provided. The sense amplifying device includes a differential amplifier, a first pre-charge circuit, and a control voltage generator. The differential amplifier has a first input terminal and a second input terminal to receive a data signal and a reference signal, respectively. The first pre-charge circuit is coupled to the first input terminal of the differential amplifier. The first pre-charge circuit, based on a power voltage, performs a pre-charge operation on the first input terminal of the differential amplifier according to a pre-charge enable signal and a control voltage. The control voltage generator generates the control voltage according to the power voltage, and the control voltage and the power voltage are in a positive correlation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignee: Winbond Electronics Corp.
    Inventor: Chung-Zen Chen
  • Patent number: 12094542
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to an integrated circuit that includes a non-volatile memory (NVM). The integrated circuit includes a bias generator that produces stable wordline and bitline voltages for a reliable read operation of the NVM. This disclosure is directed to low voltage memory operations of memory read, erase verify, and program verify. The present disclosure is directed to non-volatile memory circuits that can also operate at low supply voltages in digital voltage supply range.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics International N.V.
    Inventors: Vikas Rana, Neha Dalal
  • Patent number: 12087384
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to memory devices and, more particularly, to bias voltage generation circuit for memory devices and methods of operation. The voltage generation circuit includes: an internal voltage generator which providing a bias voltage to at least one internal node of a bias voltage generation circuitry; and at least one pre-charging circuitry providing a predefined bias voltage to at least one internal node including a distributed network of local drivers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2024
    Assignee: GLOBALFOUNDRIES U.S. Inc.
    Inventors: Ming Yin, Bipul C. Paul, Nishtha Gaul, Shashank Nemawarkar
  • Patent number: 12080372
    Abstract: A device includes a first virtual power line coupled to a power supply through a first group of transistor switches, and a second virtual power line configured to receive the power supply through a second group of transistor switches. The device also includes a delay circuit coupled between the gate terminals of the first group of transistor switches and the gate terminals in the second group of transistor switches. The device further includes a wakeup detector and a plurality of main input-output (MIO) controllers. The wakeup detector is configured to generate a trigger signal after receiving a signal from the output of the delay circuit. The plurality of MIO controllers is coupled to the power supply through a group of wakeup switches and through a group of function switches. The gate terminals in the group of wakeup switches are configured to receive the trigger signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignees: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD., TSMC CHINA COMPANY, LIMITED
    Inventors: He-Zhou Wan, Xiuli Yang, Ming-En Bu, Mengxiang Xu, Zong-Liang Cao
  • Patent number: 12080330
    Abstract: Systems and method for sensing an accessed voltage value associated with a memory cell is described. In different embodiments, a memory array may include a different number of sense amplifiers. Moreover, each sense amplifier may include capacitors with different capacitance values to compensate for a difference in received charges associated with a similar memory state caused by various circuit delays. For example, farther memory cells from a word line driver may receive activation signals with higher delays which in turn may result in delayed activation. As such, the sense amplifiers may include capacitors with varying capacitance values to compensate for an amount charge received at a latching time caused by delayed provision of charges associated with the targeted memory states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2024
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Si Hong Kim, John D. Porter
  • Patent number: 12068051
    Abstract: Techniques for mitigating/eliminating the impact of duty distortion caused by delays in clock paths within a built-in high-frequency test circuit for NAND flash are disclosed. By mitigating or eliminating the impact of duty distortion, accuracy of the valid data window measurement is ensured. Rising edges of a strobe clock signal and an inverted strobe clock signal are used to respectively locate even and odd data (or vice versa) within an input buffer of the NAND flash during respective sweeps of the strobe and inverted strobe clock signals. In this manner, even if the strobe clock signal's duty ratio is distorted, there is no impact on the valid data window measurement. Further, read latency is used to introduce delay to a read enable (RE) clock signal, thereby obviating the need for a replica controlled delay in the RE clock path and eliminating the duty distortion that would otherwise occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignee: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: Hoon Choi, Anil Pai, Venkatesh Prasad Ramachandra
  • Patent number: 12068039
    Abstract: Provided herein may be a memory device and a method of operating the same. The memory device may include a memory block including a plurality of memory cells that are coupled to a plurality of word lines, a peripheral circuit configured to perform a read operation by applying a read voltage to a selected word line, among the plurality of word lines, and applying a first pass voltage to target word lines, wherein the target word lines are adjacent to the selected word line, among unselected word lines other than the selected word line, and a control logic configured to decrease the read voltage based on a read voltage variation and to decrease the first pass voltage based on a pass voltage variation when the read voltage decreases, wherein the pass voltage variation is less than the read voltage variation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Jae Il Tak
  • Patent number: 12068024
    Abstract: A static random access memory (SRAM) has one or more arrays of memory cells, each array of memory cells activated in columns by a wordline. The activated column of memory cells asserts output data onto a plurality of bitlines coupled to output drivers. The SRAM includes a wordline controller generating a variable pulse width wordline which may be reduced sufficient to introduce memory read errors. Each of a high error rate, medium error rate, low error rate, and error-free rate is associated with a pulse width value generated by the wordline controller. A power consumption tradeoff exists between the wordline pulse width and consumed SRAM power. The wordline controller is thereby able to associate a wordline pulse width to an associated error rate for performing tasks which are insensitive to a high error rate or a medium error rate, which are specific to certain neural network training and inference using various NN data types.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignee: Ceremorphic, Inc.
    Inventors: Jay A. Chesavage, Robert Wiser, Neelam Surana
  • Patent number: 12062388
    Abstract: A semiconductor storage device including a first magnetoresistive memory and a second magnetoresistive memory that are two types of magnetoresistive memories accessed by a target logic unit that is one logic unit. The target logic unit ? the first magnetoresistive memory, and the second magnetoresistive memory are formed on one semiconductor chip, and the first magnetoresistive memory has a larger coercive force than the second magnetoresistive memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2024
    Assignee: AISIN CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takanobu Naruse
  • Patent number: 12051463
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for decoder architecture for memory device are described. An apparatus includes a memory array having a memory cell and an access line coupled with the cell and a decoder having a first stage and a second stage. The decoder supplying a first voltage during a first access operation and a second voltage during a second access operation to the access line. The second stage of the decoder includes a first transistor that supplies the first voltage based on a third voltage at the source of the first transistor exceeding a fourth voltage at a gate of the first transistor and a first threshold voltage. The second stage includes a second transistor that supplies the second voltage based on a fifth voltage at a gate of the second transistor exceeding a sixth voltage at the source of the second transistor and a second threshold voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2024
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Ferdinando Bedeschi, Jeffrey E. Koelling, Hari Giduturi, Riccardo Muzzetto, Corrado Villa
  • Patent number: 12033683
    Abstract: A power-management integrated circuit (PMIC) is installed on a memory module to optimize power use among a collection of memory devices. The PMIC includes external power-supply nodes that receive relatively high and low supply voltages. Depending on availability, the PMIC uses one or both of these supply voltages to generate a managed supply voltage for powering the memory devices. The PMIC selects between operational modes for improved efficiency in dependence upon the availability of one or both externally provided supply voltages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Panduka Wijetunga, Aws Shallal, Joey M. Esteves
  • Patent number: 12033704
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a first circuit configured to receive a first signal, and output a first voltage to a first node in accordance with a voltage of the first signal being at a first level and output a second voltage to the first node in accordance with the voltage of the first signal being at a second level, the first voltage being higher than the second voltage. A second circuit is coupled to the first node and is configured to latch data based on a voltage of the first node; and a third circuit is coupled to the first node and is configured to output a third voltage to the first node while the first circuit is outputting the first voltage to the first node, and to output a fourth voltage to the first node while the first circuit is outputting the second voltage to the first node, the third voltage being lower than the first voltage, and the fourth voltage being higher than the second voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2024
    Assignee: Kioxia Corporation
    Inventors: Junya Matsuno, Kenro Kubota, Masato Dome, Kensuke Yamamoto, Kei Shiraishi, Kazuhiko Satou, Ryo Fukuda, Masaru Koyanagi