Patents Examined by Son Dinh
  • Patent number: 10083079
    Abstract: The invention pertains to semiconductor memories, and more particularly to enhancing the reliability of stacked memory devices. Apparatuses and methods are described for implementing RAID-style error correction to increase the reliability of the stacked memory devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: Invensas Corporation
    Inventor: William C. Plants
  • Patent number: 10083265
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for measuring an electrical characteristic of a model signal line and providing measurement information based at least in part on the measurement of the electrical characteristic. An example apparatus includes a signal line model including a model signal line configured to model electrical characteristics of a signal line. The apparatus further includes a measurement circuit coupled to the signal line model and configured to measure the electrical characteristic of the model signal line responsive to an input signal provided to the model signal line. The measurement circuit is further configured to provide measurement information based at least in part on the measurement to set a signal applied to the signal line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Toru Tanzawa
  • Patent number: 10083748
    Abstract: Disclosed are methods, systems and devices for operation of non-volatile memory devices. In one aspect, a non-volatile memory device may be placed in any one of multiple memory states in a write operation by controlling a current and a voltage applied to terminals of the non-volatile memory device. For example, a write operation may apply a programming signal across terminals of non-volatile memory device having a particular current and a particular voltage for placing the non-volatile memory device in a particular memory state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: ARM Ltd.
    Inventors: Robert Campbell Aitken, Lucian Shifren
  • Patent number: 10083103
    Abstract: A circuit for calculating power consumption of a phase change memory (PCM) device may be provided. The circuit may include a plurality of pipelines and an arithmetic logic circuit. The plurality of pipelines may be configured to correspond to a plurality of write periods exhibiting different power consumption values during a write operation of the PCM device executed by a write command. The plurality of pipelines may shift or transmit data in synchronization with a clock signal. The arithmetic logic circuit may be configured to perform an adding operation of all of deviations of the power consumption values at a point of time that data transmission between at least two of the plurality of pipelines occurs, to thus generate a total power consumption value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Jung Hyun Kwon, Sungeun Lee, Sang Gu Jo
  • Patent number: 10074429
    Abstract: A non-volatile memory cell includes a selection transistor having an insulated selection gate embedded in a semiconducting substrate region. A semiconducting source region contacts a lower part of the insulated selection gate. A state transistor includes a floating gate having an insulated part embedded in the substrate region above an upper part of the insulated selection gate, a semiconducting drain region, and a control gate insulated from the floating gate and located partially above the floating gate. The source region, the drain region, the substrate region, and the control gate are individually polarizable.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: STMICROELECTRONICS (ROUSSET) SAS
    Inventor: Julien Delalleau
  • Patent number: 10073733
    Abstract: A memory capable of carrying out compute-in-memory (CiM) operations is disclosed. The memory includes a matrix of bit cells having a plurality of bit cells along one or more rows and a plurality of bit cells along one or more columns, each bit cell having a value stored therein, an address decoder configured to receive addresses and activate two or more of the rows associated with the addresses, and a sensing circuit coupled to each column of bit cells, and configured to provide two or more outputs, wherein each output is associated with at least one compute operation performed on values stored in the bit cells in the column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2018
    Assignee: Purdue Research Foundation
    Inventors: Shubham Jain, Ashish Ranjan, Kaushik Roy, Anand Raghunathan
  • Patent number: 10068662
    Abstract: A semiconductor device that includes a plurality of memory cells assigned with addresses that are different from each other, a redundant memory cell replacing a defective memory cell among the memory cells, a fuse circuit storing an address of the defective memory cell, an access control circuit accessing the redundant memory cell when the address of the defective memory cell stored in the fuse circuit is supplied, and a roll call circuit outputting the address of the defective memory cell to outside the semiconductor device in a serial manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Masashi Oya
  • Patent number: 10068649
    Abstract: The disclosed technology relates to a memory device configured to perform multiple access operations in response to a single command received through a memory controller and a method of performing the multiple access operations. In one aspect, the memory device includes a memory array comprising a plurality of memory cells and a memory controller. The memory controller is configured to receive a single command which specifies a plurality of memory access operations to be performed on the memory array. The memory controller is further configured to cause the specified plurality of memory access operations to be performed on the memory array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: MICRON TECHNOLOY, INC
    Inventors: Daniele Balluchi, Corrado Villa
  • Patent number: 10068628
    Abstract: Apparatuses for improving resistive memory energy efficiency are provided. An apparatus performs data-driven write to make use of asymmetric write switch energy between write0 and write1 operations. The apparatus comprises: a resistive memory cell coupled to a bit line and a select line; a first pass-gate coupled to the bit line; a second pass-gate coupled to the select line; and a multiplexer operable by input data, the multiplexer to provide a control signal to the first and second pass-gates or to write drivers according to logic level of the input data. An apparatus comprises circuit for performing read before write operation which avoids unnecessary writes with an initial low power read operation. An apparatus comprises circuit to perform self-controlled write operation which stops the write operation as soon as bit-cell flips. An apparatus comprises circuit for performing self-controlled read operation which stops read operation as soon as data is detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Liqiong Wei, Fatih Hamzaoglu, Yih Wang, Nathaniel J. August, Blake C. Lin, Cyrille Dray
  • Patent number: 10062431
    Abstract: An SRAM facility adapted to power an address path using a first developed supply voltage and to power a data path using a second developed supply voltage, the first and second developed power supplies being separate, distinct, and different. The SRAM facility includes a power supply facility or a voltage supply facility adapted to develop the first and second supply voltages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: Ambiq Micro, Inc.
    Inventors: Christophe J. Chevallier, Scott Hanson
  • Patent number: 10062428
    Abstract: A semiconductor apparatus may be provided. The semiconductor apparatus may include a base die. The semiconductor apparatus may include a plurality of core dies stacked on the base die, and each including a plurality of memory blocks. The base die or each of the core dies may include a refresh timing generation circuit configured to delay a refresh pulse, and output delayed signals as a plurality of refresh timing signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Hyun Sung Lee
  • Patent number: 10062429
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a graphics processor includes a register file having a plurality of storage segments to store information and output a plurality of segment outputs via a plurality of segmented bitlines to a static logic circuit to receive the plurality of segment outputs from the plurality of storage segments and to output read data based on the plurality of segment outputs. The register file may output the read data with a same amount of power without regard to a logic state of the read data. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Bhushan Borole, Iqbal R. Rajwani, Anupama A. Thaploo, Sunil Nekkanti, Altug Koker, Abhisek R. Appu
  • Patent number: 10061541
    Abstract: A system includes multiple memory banks that store data. The system also includes an address path coupled to the memory banks that provides a row address to the memory banks. The system further includes a command address input circuit coupled to the address path that refreshes a first set of memory banks via the address path and, when the command address input circuit refreshes the first set of memory banks, activates a row of a second set of memory banks to store the data or read the data from the row of the second set of memory banks via the address path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2018
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Joosang Lee
  • Patent number: 10056119
    Abstract: According to an embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a substrate, a connector, a volatile semiconductor memory element, multiple nonvolatile semiconductor memory elements, and a controller. A wiring pattern includes a signal line that is formed between the connector and the controller and that connects the connector to the controller. On the opposite side of the controller to the signal line, the multiple nonvolatile semiconductor memory elements are aligned along the longitudinal direction of the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masato Sugita, Naoki Kimura, Daisuke Kimura
  • Patent number: 10056157
    Abstract: Apparatuses for memory repair for a memory device are described. An example apparatus includes: a non-volatile storage element that stores information; a storage latch circuit coupled to the non-volatile storage element and stores latch information; and a control circuit that, in a first repair mode, receives first repair address information, provides the first repair address information to the non-volatile storage element, and further transmits the first repair address information from the non-volatile storage element to the storage latch circuit. The control circuit, in a second repair mode, receives second repair address information and provides the second repair address information to the storage latch circuit and disables storing the second address information into the non-volatile storage element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Hideyuki Yoko
  • Patent number: 10048870
    Abstract: In one implementation, an electronic system includes a host and a data storage device. The data storage device includes a flash memory, a controller and a delay circuit. The controller is configured to receive a read command from the host, read a first data sector from the flash memory according to the read command, and produce a setting signal according to a maintenance time of the flash memory when the flash memory needs to be maintained. The delay circuit is configured to receive the setting signal from the controller, divide the first data sector into a plurality of first sub-data sectors according to the setting signal, and transmit at least one of the first sub-data sectors to the host at a predetermined time interval for extending a busy time of the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: SILICON MOTION, INC.
    Inventors: Chang-Kai Cheng, Yu-Chih Lin
  • Patent number: 10042569
    Abstract: A memory system may include: a memory device including a plurality of memory blocks each memory block having a plurality of pages; and a controller suitable for checking parameters and deviations of the parameters for the respective memory blocks, which are recorded in a count information, and selecting source memory blocks among the memory blocks based on a result of the checking.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Jong-Min Lee
  • Patent number: 10037806
    Abstract: Methods of operating a memory include applying a programming pulse having a particular voltage level to a selected access line connected to selected memory cells of a programming operation, assigning the selected memory cells to respective groups of memory cells each having a different range of threshold voltages, determining a respective value of VgVt for each group of memory cells, applying a subsequent programming pulse to the selected access line and having a particular voltage level determined in response to the value of VgVt for a particular group of memory cells, enabling the selected memory cells of the particular group of memory cells for programming while the subsequent programming pulse has the particular voltage level, and repeating for a next group of memory cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Aaron S. Yip
  • Patent number: 10037816
    Abstract: A memory controller may include a detector configured for checking whether the number of bits having a first state among a plurality of bits constituting write data is less than a reference value. The memory controller may include an inverter configured for inverting/non-inverting the write data according to the check result of the detector. The detector may generate an error detection signal based on whether or not the number of bits having the first state among a plurality of bits constituting read data is equal to or more than the reference value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Sung-Eun Lee, Jung-Hyun Kwon, Sang-Gu Jo
  • Patent number: 10037812
    Abstract: In a memory cell array, a plurality of memory cells connected to a plurality of word lines and a plurality of bit lines are arranged in a matrix. A control circuit controls the potentials of said plurality of word lines and said plurality of bit lines. In an erase operation, the control circuit erases an n number of memory cells (n is a natural number equal to or larger than 2) of said plurality of memory cells at the same time using a first erase voltage, carries out a verify operation using a first verify level, finds the number of cells k (k?n) exceeding the first verify level, determines a second erase voltage according to the number k, and carries out an erase operation again using the second erase voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 31, 2018
    Assignee: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Noboru Shibata