Patents Examined by Roberto Mancera
  • Patent number: 9747979
    Abstract: A memory array includes a plurality of memory cells arranged in a matrix, each memory cell including a cell transistor and a variable resistance element connected to an end of the cell transistor, and a cell transistor performance measuring cell including a MOS transistor. The cell transistor performance measuring cell is used to stabilize resistance values in a low resistance state and a high resistance state of the variable resistance element irrespective of variations in the cell transistor and thereby improve read characteristics and reliability characteristics of a nonvolatile semiconductor storage device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignee: PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Masayoshi Nakayama, Kazuyuki Kouno, Reiji Mochida, Keita Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9715934
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an electronic device, and more particularly, to a peripheral circuit, semiconductor memory device, and an operating method of the semiconductor memory device and/or peripheral circuit. The method of operating the semiconductor memory device may include turning on pass transistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2017
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Hee Youl Lee
  • Patent number: 9711190
    Abstract: A stabilizing circuit is provided that is connected to a biased voltage. The stabilizing circuit is configured to inhibit a change in voltage of the biased voltage caused by a first change in voltage of one or more nodes that are connected to the biased voltage through a first parasitic capacitance. In some embodiments, the stabilizing circuit induces a voltage on the biased voltage through a second parasitic capacitance that changes from a first voltage level to a second voltage level during the first change in voltage such that a total change in parasitic voltage that is induced at the biased voltage during the first change in voltage is close to 0 V.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO. LIMITED
    Inventors: Kai-Chun Lin, Hung-Chang Yu, Ku-Feng Lin, Yue-Der Chih
  • Patent number: 9704580
    Abstract: A non-volatile memory device using existing row decoding circuitry to selectively provide a global erase voltage to at least one selected memory block in order to facilitate erasing of all the non-volatile memory cells of the at least one selected memory block. More specifically, the erase voltage is coupled to the cell body or substrate of memory cells of the at least one selected memory block, where the cell body is electrically isolated from the cell body of non-volatile memory cells in at least one other memory block. By integrating the erase voltage path with the existing row decoding circuitry used to drive row signals for a selected memory block, no additional decoding logic or circuitry is required for providing the erase voltage to the at least one selected memory block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: CONVERSANT INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT INC.
    Inventor: Hyoung Seub Rhie
  • Patent number: 9704581
    Abstract: Method, system and apparatus for detecting voltage ramping to a target voltage level in steady state, comprising, ramping a regulated voltage to a steady state target voltage for an operation of a load circuit, the steady state target voltage being a voltage level that enables the load circuit to perform the operation, generating an output signal indicating that the regulated voltage has reached the target voltage and generating a ready signal responsive to detecting the output signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Jason Guo, Qiang Tang
  • Patent number: 9685233
    Abstract: A multiple bits per cell memory is operated by applying a one-pass, multiple-level programming, using a single pulse sequence one time (or in one-pass), such as an incremental pulse program sequence, with program verify steps for multiple target program levels, to program multiple bits per cell in a plurality of memory cells. Using these techniques, the number of program pulses required, and the time required for programming the data can be reduced. As a result, an improvement in programming throughput and a reduction in disturbance conditions are achieved. Variants of the one-pass, multiple-level programming operation can be adopted for a variety of memory cell types, memory architectures, programming speeds, and data storage densities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2017
    Assignee: Macronix International Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chih-Chang Hsieh, Ti-Wen Chen, Yung Chun Li, Kuo-Pin Chang
  • Patent number: 9679633
    Abstract: In one aspect, a method includes receiving a differential strobe signal including first and second components; buffering, by a first buffer, both the first and second components; and buffering, by a second buffer, the first component. The method includes receiving, by a control logic block, the output of the second buffer. The method includes, after a period when the values of both the first and second components are at a first logic state, but before receiving a burst of clock edges in the differential strobe signal, detecting a transition in the first component from the first logic state to a second logic state, and in response to the detected transition, asserting an enable signal. The method further includes receiving, by a gating logic block, the enable signal and the output of the first buffer, and, when the enable signal is asserted, un-gating the output of the first buffer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2017
    Assignee: Altera Corporation
    Inventors: Krzysztof Maryan, Gordon Raymond Chiu, Warren Nordyke, Navid Azizi
  • Patent number: 9659662
    Abstract: A method is provided for erasing a nonvolatile memory device, including multiple memory blocks formed in a direction perpendicular to a substrate, each memory block having multiple strings connected to a bit line. The method includes selecting a memory block to be erased using a power supply voltage; unselecting a remaining memory block, other than the selected memory block, using a negative voltage; setting a bias condition to reduce leakage currents of the unselected memory block; and performing an erase operation on the selected memory block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sang-Wan Nam, Kang-Bin Lee, Kihwan Choi
  • Patent number: 9646664
    Abstract: A memory device may include a plurality of memory banks, a row control signal input unit suitable for receiving a plurality of row control signals, a column control signal input unit suitable for receiving a plurality of column control signals, a row control unit suitable for selecting a memory bank and a row in response to the row control signals, and controlling a row operation for the selected row, and a column control unit suitable for selecting a memory bank and column in response to the column control signals, and controlling a column operation for the selected column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Young-Ju Kim, Dong-Uk Lee
  • Patent number: 9627032
    Abstract: An address generation circuit may include: a first latch unit suitable for latching an address obtained by inverting a part of an input address; a second latch unit suitable for latching the partly inverted input address of the first latch unit, and suitable for latching an added/subtracted address after a first refresh operation during a target refresh period; a third latch unit suitable for latching the partly inverted input address of the first latch unit during a period other than the target refresh period; and an addition/subtraction unit suitable for generating the added/subtracted address by adding/subtracting a predetermined value to/from the latched address of the second latch unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Chul-Moon Jung, Saeng-Hwan Kim
  • Patent number: 9618575
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a device that includes a plurality of first terminals; a first circuit including a plurality of first nodes; a buffer circuit including a plurality of second nodes connected to the first terminals through a plurality of first interconnection lines, respectively, and a plurality of third nodes connected to the first nodes of the first circuit through a plurality of second interconnection lines, respectively; and a second circuit configured to perform at least one of first and second operations. The first operation is such that a plurality of first signals, that appear respectively on the first interconnection lines, are outputted in series, and the second operation is such that a plurality of second signals, that are supplied in series, are transferred respectively to the first interconnection lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2017
    Assignee: Longitude Semiconductor S.a.r.l.
    Inventors: Teppei Miyaji, Yoshinori Matsui
  • Patent number: 9595529
    Abstract: A fuse cell circuit may include a bit line, a first fuse transistor having first and second program states, a first select transistor coupled between one terminal of the first fuse transistor and the bit line, and suitable for turning on when the first fuse transistor is selected, a second fuse transistor including one terminal coupled to the other terminal of the first fuse transistor, and having first and second program states, and a second select transistor coupled between a other terminal of the second fuse transistor and the bit line, and suitable for turning on when the second fuse transistor is selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2017
    Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Kang-Seol Lee
  • Patent number: 9576635
    Abstract: A thermally-assisted magnetic writing device includes at least one magnetic element including: a reference layer having a stable vortex magnetization configuration; a device to create a magnetic field to reversibly move the vortex core in the plane of the reference layer; a storage layer having a variable magnetization configuration; a non-magnetic spacer that separates and magnetically decouples the reference layer and the storage layer; an antiferromagnetic pinning layer in contact with the storage layer, the antiferromagnetic layer being capable of pinning the magnetization configuration of the storage layer, the storage layer having at least two storage levels corresponding to two pinned magnetization configurations; a device to heat the antiferromagnetic pinning layer such that when heated, the temperature of the antiferromagnetic pinning layer exceeds its blocking temperature such that the magnetization configuration of the storage layer is no longer pinned when warm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: COMMISSARIAT A L'ENERGIE ATOMIQUE ET AUX ENERGIES ALTERNATIVES
    Inventor: Bernard Dieny
  • Patent number: 9559665
    Abstract: An integrated circuit die includes a plurality of transistors formed in a semiconductor substrate, the body regions of the transistors on a doped well region of the semiconductor substrate. A threshold detector selectively applies either a first voltage or second voltage to the doped well region based on whether the temperature of the semiconductor substrate is above or below a threshold temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: STMicroelectronics International N.V.
    Inventor: Amit Chhabra
  • Patent number: 9490760
    Abstract: The present invention provides a self-timed differential amplifier, including an amplifier unit, having a pair of read/write terminals, wherein data is read or written by a select line; a pair of precharge transistors, controlled by a control line; and a pair of cross-coupled transistors, controlled by a column select line. Moreover, a complementary differential amplifier is formed by the combination of the pair of precharge transistors and the pair of cross-coupled transistors. The pair of the precharge transistors and the pair of cross-coupled transistors are connected to the pair of read/write terminals of the amplifier unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2016
    Assignee: CHINGIS TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mingshiang Wang, Ping-Chao Ho
  • Patent number: 9478296
    Abstract: A method of erasing a nonvolatile memory device which includes a plurality of memory blocks includes receiving an erase command; erasing a selected memory block among the plurality of memory blocks in response to the erase command; and performing an operation of checking whether a threshold voltage of a selection transistor connected to at least one selection line for selecting strings included in the selected memory block is changed while performing an erase verification operation for checking whether the selected memory block is normally erased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Sang-Wan Nam
  • Patent number: 9455008
    Abstract: A semiconductor apparatus includes a plurality of memory blocks divided into an even mat group and an odd mat group; and an active control block configured to activate any one group of the even mat group and the odd mat group at a first timing in response to a plurality of test signals, and activate the other group at a second timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Don Hyun Choi
  • Patent number: 9454998
    Abstract: A semiconductor device that includes first to fourth banks spaced apart from each other in first and second directions, column control regions extending in the second direction between the first bank and the second bank and between the third bank and the fourth bank, and suitable for controlling column operations of the first to fourth banks, at least one power supply/ground voltage line extending in the second direction at one side edge of the first to fourth banks adjacent to the column control regions, and at least one power supply/ground voltage pad adjacent to and coupled with the at least one power supply/ground voltage line between the first bank and the third bank and between the second bank and the fourth bank, and suitable for receiving an external power supply voltage and a ground voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 27, 2016
    Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Jai-Hwan Seo
  • Patent number: 9449653
    Abstract: A memory chip package includes memory chips stacked, electrically connected one another, and configured to input and output an optical signal through an optical line formed by a via penetrating the memory chips. The memory chips input and output optical signals with different wavelengths, and each of the memory chips has an optical-electrical converter configured to convert an optical signal with a corresponding wavelength into an electrical signal and to convert an electrical signal into an optical signal with the corresponding wavelength.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jeong-Kyoum Kim, Indal Song, Junghwan Choi
  • Patent number: 9443575
    Abstract: The disclosed invention provides an SRAM capable of stably generating a PUF-ID without having to be powered on/off under control. The SRAM including a plurality of write ports is provided with a plurality of word lines, each transferring write data from each of the write ports to one memory cell. Timing to negate at least two word lines (AWL, BWL), respectively coupled to two write ports, among the word lines is synchronized. Because synchronicity of writing different values to the memory cell is assured, by using a large number of such memory cells, it is possible to stably generate a PUF-ID without power on/off control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2016
    Assignee: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Makoto Yabuuchi