Patents Examined by Pho M. Luu
  • Patent number: 12200920
    Abstract: Integrated circuit devices and methods of forming the same are provided. The integrated circuit devices may include a static random access memory (SRAM) unit. The SRAM unit may include a first inverter on a substrate and a power distribution network (PDN) structure including a first power rail and a second power rail. The substrate may extend between the first inverter and the PDN structure. The first inverter may include a first upper transistor including a first upper source/drain region, a first lower transistor between the substrate and the first upper transistor and including a first lower source/drain region, a first power contact extending through the substrate and electrically connecting the first upper source/drain region to the first power rail, and a second power contact extending through the substrate and electrically connecting the first lower source/drain region to the second power rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Inchan Hwang, Jaemyung Choi, Kang-Ill Seo
  • Patent number: 12198757
    Abstract: A memory device and a method for operating the same are provided. The memory device includes a plurality of resistive memory cells and a control circuitry electrically connected to the plurality of resistive memory cells. The control circuitry provides operation modes to operate the plurality of resistive memory cells. The operation modes include a first program operation and a refresh operation. The first program operation includes applying a first program bias voltage to a selected resistive memory cell of the plurality of resistive memory cells to establish a low-resistance state in the selected resistive memory cell. The first program operation establishes a first threshold voltage in the memory device. The refresh operation includes applying a refresh bias voltage to the selected resistive memory cell to refresh the selected resistive memory cell. An absolute value of the refresh bias voltage is greater than the first threshold voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Assignee: MACRONIX INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yu-Yu Lin, Feng-Min Lee, Ming-Hsiu Lee
  • Patent number: 12198769
    Abstract: An apparatus disclosed herein comprises: a plurality of memory cells and a control circuit coupled to the plurality of memory cells. The control circuit is configured to: erase a block; verify, using a first erase verify level, that the block was properly erased; verify, using a second erase verify level, that the block was properly erased; determine whether there are any mismatches in a plurality of verify statuses between neighboring wordlines of the block from verifying the block using the second erase verify level; and identify, based on the determination, whether the block has failed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2025
    Inventors: Huiwen Xu, Bo Lei, Jun Wan
  • Patent number: 12190993
    Abstract: A device having a memory cell array configured with inverted weight data for operations of multiplication and accumulation. Each respective memory cell in the memory cell array has a threshold voltage programmable in a first mode to perform operations of multiplication and accumulation. The memory cell array has a plurality of regions operable in parallel to perform operations of multiplication and accumulation. The plurality of regions include a first region and a second region. At least a second portion of weight bits stored in the second region is an inverted version of a first portion of weight bits stored in the first region. The device includes a logic circuit configured to adjust a computation result of multiplication and accumulation generated using the second region to account for weight inversion and generate an output result based on a plurality of results generated using the plurality of regions respectively.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Poorna Kale
  • Patent number: 12193340
    Abstract: A switching element includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a switching material layer provided between the first electrode and the second electrode. The switching material layer contains silicon (Si), oxygen (O), arsenic (As), and a predetermined element selected from lead (Pb), silver (Ag), indium (In), tin (Sn), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), gallium (Ga), germanium (Ge), selenium (Se), antimony (Sb), tellurium (Te), gold (Au) and bismuth (Bi).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: Kioxia Corporation
    Inventors: Taichi Igarashi, Yuichi Ito, Eiji Kitagawa
  • Patent number: 12183417
    Abstract: A memory device in an integrated circuit is provided, including an input/output (I/O) circuit, a first memory segment and a second memory segment that separated from the first memory segment in a first direction, a first pair of data lines on a first side of the integrated circuit, extending in the first direction and configured to couple the first memory segment to the I/O circuit, and a second pair of data lines separated from the first pair of data lines in a second direction, different from the first direction, on a second side, opposite to the first side, of the integrated circuit, and configured to couple the second memory segment to the I/O circuit. A first width of the first pair of data lines is different from a second width of the second pair of data lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Po-Sheng Wang, Kao-Cheng Lin, Yangsyu Lin, Yen-Huei Chen, Cheng Hung Lee, Jonathan Tsung-Yung Chang
  • Patent number: 12183392
    Abstract: A bistable circuit includes a pair of inverter circuits each including a first FET being connected between a power supply line and an intermediate node and having a gate coupled to an input node and a first conductivity type channel, a second FET being connected between the intermediate node and an output node and having a gate coupled to the input node and the first conductivity type channel, a third FET being connected between the intermediate node and a bias node, a fourth FET being connected between the output node and a control line and having a gate coupled to a word line and a second conductivity type channel, wherein the pair of inverter circuits are connected in a loop shape, and gates of the third FETs of the pair of inverter circuits are coupled to one of the input and output nodes of the pair of inverter circuits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: JAPAN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AGENCY
    Inventors: Satoshi Sugahara, Yusaku Shiotsu
  • Patent number: 12184271
    Abstract: An integrated circuit device having insulated gate field effect transistors (IGFETs) having a plurality of horizontally disposed channels that can be vertically aligned above a substrate with each channel being surrounded by a gate structure has been disclosed. The integrated circuit device may include a temperature sensor circuit and core circuitry. The temperature senor circuit may include at least one portion formed in a region other than the region that the IGFETs are formed as well as at least another portion formed in the region that the IGFETs having a plurality of horizontally disposed channels that can be vertically aligned above a substrate with each channel being surrounded by a gate structure are formed. By forming a portion of the temperature sensor circuit in regions below the IGFETs, an older process technology may be used and device size may be decreased and cost may be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Darryl G. Walker
  • Patent number: 12177370
    Abstract: Disclosed is a physical unclonable function generator circuit and method.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Cormac Michael O'Connell
  • Patent number: 12178138
    Abstract: A magnetic memory includes: a first and second wirings; an insulator portion; a magnetic member including: a first portion electrically connected to the first wiring; a second portion electrically connected to the second wiring; and a third portion disposed between the first and second portions, the magnetic member extending in a first direction from the first portion toward the second portion and surrounding the insulator portion, and in a cross-section parallel to the first direction and including part of the magnetic member and part of the insulator portion, a curvature of the first portion being smaller than a curvature of the third portion, a length of the first portion in the first direction being greater than half a length of the third portion in the first direction; and a control circuit electrically connected to the first and second wirings.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: Kioxia Corporation
    Inventors: Nobuyuki Umetsu, Yasuaki Ootera, Masaki Kado, Michael Arnaud Quinsat, Naoharu Shimomura, Tsutomu Nakanishi, Shiho Nakamura, Susumu Hashimoto, Tsuyoshi Kondo
  • Patent number: 12165709
    Abstract: A method includes performing, over a time period, a quantity of write operations associated with a quad-level cell (QLC) memory block, determining the time period exceeds a threshold time, designating the QLC memory block as a bimodal, determining a voltage threshold level of a last successful read operation associated with the QLC memory block, and setting a read threshold level of at least a portion of the QLC memory block at the voltage threshold level of the last successful read operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Tingjun Xie, Murong Lang, Fangfang Zhu, Jiangli Zhu, Zhenming Zhou
  • Patent number: 12166089
    Abstract: A method includes: providing a substrate including a planar portion and a mesa portion over the planar portion; depositing an oxide layer over the mesa portion; depositing a ferroelectric material strip over the oxide layer and aligned with the mesa portion; and depositing a gate strip crossing the ferroelectric material strip and over the oxide layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
    Inventors: Nuo Xu, Zhiqiang Wu
  • Patent number: 12165689
    Abstract: A refresh control circuit includes: a counting bloom filter that includes N hash control logics, each of which performs a hash operation on input data and outputs an M-bit sequence and M counters, each of which corresponds to a bit of the M-bit sequence, and updates count values of corresponding counters indicated by values of the M-bit sequences obtained from the N hash logics by using an address of a row of the memory cells as the input data; a candidate row determiner that determines rows of the memory cells accessed in a predetermined period in which the count values of the corresponding counters are greater than a threshold value as candidate rows for a target refresh operation; and a target refresh controller that outputs target refresh signals for rows of the candidate rows adjacent to one or more target rows determined by the candidate row determiner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hoyoun Kim
  • Patent number: 12159669
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory cell including a capacitorless transistor having a floating body configured to store data as charge therein when power is applied to the cell, and a non-volatile memory comprising a bipolar resistive change element, and methods of operating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2024
    Assignee: Zeno Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Yuniarto Widjaja
  • Patent number: 12142312
    Abstract: A memory control circuit and a refresh method for a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) array are provided. The memory control circuit includes a mode register circuit, a command decoder and a refresh circuit. The mode register circuit includes a plurality of mode registers. The command decoder receives a refresh command and sets a flag of a target mode register corresponding to the refresh command among the plurality of mode registers to a setting value. The refresh circuit refreshes the DRAM array in response to the refresh command through the command decoder and the setting value of the flag of the target mode register.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: NANYA TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Shu-Wei Yang
  • Patent number: 12136447
    Abstract: A magnetoresistive random-access memory cell includes a templating layer. The templating layer includes a binary alloy having an alternating layer lattice structure. The cell further includes a half metallic half-Heusler layer including a half metallic half-Heusler material having a tetragonal lattice structure. The half metallic half-Heusler layer is located outward of the templating layer, and has a half-Heusler in-plane lattice constant that is different from an in-plane lattice constant in a cubic form of the half metallic half-Heusler material. A tunnel barrier is located outward of the half metallic half-Heusler layer, and a magnetic layer is located outward of the tunnel barrier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2024
    Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sergey Faleev, Panagiotis Charilaos Filippou, Yari Ferrante, Chirag Garg, Mahesh Samant, Jaewoo Jeong
  • Patent number: 12119079
    Abstract: A memory device includes one or more memory cells, and a pipeline coupled to the one or more memory cells. The memory device includes a first pulse generator coupled to the one or more memory cells. The first pulse generator is configured to generate, based on a first delayed clock signal, a memory clock signal to control the one or more memory cells. The first delayed clock signal is delayed with respect to a clock signal. The memory device includes a second pulse generator to generate, based on a second delayed clock signal and the memory clock signal, a pipeline clock signal to provide data from the one or more memory cells through the pipeline. The second delayed clock signal is delayed with respect to the clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2024
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Jaspal Singh Shah
  • Patent number: 12112814
    Abstract: Technology for open block boundary group programming of non-volatile memory such as NAND. The open block boundary group could potentially be read in response to a request from a host for the data stored in the group. In an aspect, the memory system will determine whether programming a group of memory cells in a selected block will result in an open block. If it will not result in an open block, then the memory system uses a first set of programming parameters to program the group. However, if it will result in an open block then the memory system uses a second set of programming parameters to program the boundary group. The programming parameters may include verify levels and/or a program voltage step size. The second set of programming parameters can tighten Vt distributions, which mitigates mis-reads if the boundary group is read.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Assignee: Sandisk Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ke Zhang, Ming Wang, Liang Li
  • Patent number: 12112784
    Abstract: A magneto resistive random access memory (MRAM) device including a spin orbit torque structure including a stack of an oxide layer pattern, a ferromagnetic pattern, and a non-magnetic pattern; and a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) structure on the spin orbit torque structure, the MTJ structure including a stack of a free layer pattern, a tunnel barrier pattern, and a pinned layer pattern, wherein the spin orbit torque structure extends in a first direction parallel to an upper surface of the spin orbit torque structure, the ferromagnetic pattern includes a horizontal magnetic material, and the free layer pattern has a magnetization direction in a vertical direction perpendicular to the upper surface of the spin orbit torque structure, the magnetization direction being changeable in response to spin currents generated in the spin orbit torque structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sungchul Lee, Kyungjin Lee
  • Patent number: 12112789
    Abstract: Apparatuses, systems, and methods for input buffer enable clock synchronization. A command shifter receives a command, such as a write command. The command shifter passes the command through latches of the shifter in synchronization with a clock signal. Data buffer enable logic provides a data buffer enable signal with a level based on how long it takes the command to pass through the command shifter. The data buffer enable logic synchronizes changes to the level of the data buffer enable signal to the clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2024
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Takayuki Miyamoto