Patents Examined by Son Mai
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Patent number: 10049733Abstract: A method to access two memory cells include determining a first cell current flowing through a first memory cell by subtracting a sneak current associated with the first memory cell from a first access current of the first bitline and determining a second cell current flowing through a second memory cell in the first bitline or a second bitline by subtracting the sneak current associated with the first memory cell from a second access current of the first bitline or the second bitline.Type: GrantFiled: October 31, 2014Date of Patent: August 14, 2018Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LPInventors: Naveen Muralimanohar, Erik Ordentlich, Yoocharn Jeon
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Patent number: 10043584Abstract: A fuse structure includes a substrate, a gate dielectric formed on the substrate, a gate electrode formed on the gate dielectric, and first and second source/drain regions formed on the substrate on opposite sides with respect to the gate electrode, wherein the gate dielectric is configured such that a plurality of oxygen vacancies trapping respective charges are formed upon application of a pulse to the gate electrode.Type: GrantFiled: October 28, 2016Date of Patent: August 7, 2018Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Eduard A. Cartier, Chandrasekharan Kothandaraman
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Patent number: 10043556Abstract: The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods related to data shifting. An example apparatus comprises a first memory cell coupled to a first sense line of an array, a first isolation device located between the first memory cell and first sensing circuitry corresponding thereto, and a second isolation device located between the first memory cell and second sensing circuitry corresponding to a second sense line. The first and the second isolation devices are operated to shift data in the array without transferring the data via an input/output line of the array.Type: GrantFiled: November 27, 2017Date of Patent: August 7, 2018Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.Inventors: Timothy B. Cowles, Steven M. Bodily
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Patent number: 10037786Abstract: The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods related to converting a mask to an index. An example apparatus comprises an array of memory cells and periphery logic configured to: generate an indicator mask by resetting, in response to a first control signal, a second digit of a mask different from a first digit of the mask that is set; and convert, in response to a second control signal, a digit position in the indicator mask of the first digit that is set to an identifier value as an index.Type: GrantFiled: August 28, 2017Date of Patent: July 31, 2018Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.Inventor: Patrick A. La Fratta
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Patent number: 10026474Abstract: Switched memristor analog tuning employs a switch-selectable programmed resistance to tune a resistance-tunable analog circuit. A plurality of switched memristors is to provide the switch-selectable programmed resistance. The resistance-tunable analog circuit is connected to the plurality of switched memristors. The switch-selectable programmed resistance is to tune an analog attribute of the resistance-tunable analog circuit.Type: GrantFiled: April 26, 2014Date of Patent: July 17, 2018Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LPInventor: Brent Buchanan
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Patent number: 10026479Abstract: A content addressable memory cell includes a first floating body transistor and a second floating body transistor. The first floating body transistor and the second floating body transistor are electrically connected in series through a common node. The first floating body transistor and the second floating body transistor store complementary data.Type: GrantFiled: September 28, 2015Date of Patent: July 17, 2018Assignee: Zeno Semiconductor, Inc.Inventors: Benjamin S. Louie, Jin-Woo Han, Yuniarto Widjaja
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Patent number: 10020046Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for self-refreshing a plurality of dies are described. An example apparatus includes a first die including a first bank and a second bank, the first bank and the second bank including memory cells; and a second die vertically stacked with the first die, the second die including a third bank and a fourth bank, the third bank and the fourth bank including memory cells. The third bank is vertically aligned with the first bank. The first bank and the fourth bank are configured to be refreshed prior to refreshing the second bank and the fourth bank.Type: GrantFiled: March 3, 2017Date of Patent: July 10, 2018Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.Inventor: Yutaka Uemura
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Patent number: 10020038Abstract: Apparatuses for controlling defective bit lines in a semiconductor device are described. An example apparatus includes: a first region including a plurality of bit lines, a plurality of word lines and a plurality of memory cells, each memory cell is coupled to an associated bit line and an associated word line; a second region including a plurality of sense amplifiers, each sense amplifier includes a sense node and a column selection switch coupled to the sense node; a third region including a plurality of bleeder circuits, and disposed between the first and second regions; and a plurality of column selection lines. Each bit line from the first region to the second region is coupled to the sense node of an associated one of the plurality of sense amplifiers, and each column selection line from the column selection switch is coupled to an associated bleeder circuit.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 2017Date of Patent: July 10, 2018Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.Inventor: Mamoru Nishizaki
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Patent number: 10002671Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes first and second memory cell arrays, and first and second control circuits configured to execute an operation on the first and second memory cell arrays. The first control circuit executes an operation on the first memory cell array responsive to a first command set that is received by the semiconductor memory device. The second control circuit executes an operation on the second memory cell array responsive to second and third command sets that are received by the semiconductor memory device while the first control circuit is executing the operation on the first memory cell array.Type: GrantFiled: March 2, 2017Date of Patent: June 19, 2018Assignee: Toshiba Memory CorporationInventors: Takahiro Shimizu, Noboru Shibata, Hiroshi Maejima
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Patent number: 9997208Abstract: A circuit including an output node and a cross-coupled pair of semiconductor devices configured to provide, at the output node, an output signal in a second voltage domain based on an input signal in a first voltage domain is described herein. The circuit further includes a pull-up assist circuit coupled to the output node; and a look-ahead circuit coupled to the pull-up assist circuit, wherein the look-ahead circuit is configured to cause the pull-up assist circuit to assist in increasing a voltage level at the output node when there is a decrease in a voltage level of an inverted output signal in the second voltage domain from a high voltage level of the second voltage domain to a low voltage level of the second voltage domain.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2017Date of Patent: June 12, 2018Assignee: QUALCOMM IncorporatedInventors: Chulmin Jung, Po-Hung Chen, Fahad Ahmed, Changho Jung, Sei Seung Yoon, David Li
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Patent number: 9996411Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention provide methods, program products, and systems for improving DIMM level memory mirroring. Embodiments of the present invention can be used to configure a first memory module device of a pair memory module devices to receive a set of read and write operations and configure a second memory module device of the pair of memory module devices to receive only write operations of the set of read and write operations. Embodiments of the present invention can, responsive to detecting a failure, reconfiguring the first and the second memory module device to set the first memory module device to receive only write operations of the set of read and write operations and the second memory module device to receive read and write operations of the set of read and write operations.Type: GrantFiled: November 29, 2016Date of Patent: June 12, 2018Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Diyanesh B. Chinnakkonda Vidyapoornachary, Saravanan Sethuraman
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Patent number: 9997226Abstract: In one embodiment, a SO-STT device has a non-symmetric device geometry. The device may be fabricated to have a non-symmetric magnetic pattern by tilting a shaped magnetic pattern (e.g., an ellipse, diamond, rectangle, etc. shaped magnetic pattern) such that the pattern's main (long and short) axes are tilted with respected to an in-plane current direction. Alternatively, the non-symmetric device geometry may be produced by locating the magnetic pattern away from the center of a current injection line. The non-symmetric may permit switching absent application of an external magnetic field. A SO-STT device with non-symmetric device geometry, or another type of SO-STT device, may further integrate an additional semiconductor, insulator or metal layer into the device's multilayer stack. By integrating the additional semiconductor, insulator or metal layer, a significant reduction of SO-STT switching current density may be achieved.Type: GrantFiled: January 10, 2017Date of Patent: June 12, 2018Assignee: National University of SingaporeInventors: Xuepeng Qiu, William Sylvain Legrand, Hyunsoo Yang
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Patent number: 9990963Abstract: A word line voltage generator circuit, a semiconductor device, and an electronic device are provided. The word line voltage generator circuit includes a switch circuit connected to a high-level signal and a low-level signal and configured to output the high-level signal or the low-level signal as a word line voltage signal based on an input signal, and a drive signal control circuit configured to provide a drive signal connected to the switch circuit in response to the input signal. A voltage rising speed of the word line voltage signal is controlled by the drive signal.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2017Date of Patent: June 5, 2018Assignees: Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Shanghai) Corporation, Semiconductor Manufacturing International (Beijing) CorporationInventors: Yijin Kwon, Hao Ni, Zijian Zhao, Yu Cheng
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Patent number: 9977711Abstract: An operation method of a nonvolatile memory system is provided. The method includes selecting a source block of memory blocks, performing a cell-counting with respect to the selected source block based on a reference voltage, and performing a reclaim operation on the source block based on the cell-counting result.Type: GrantFiled: December 9, 2016Date of Patent: May 22, 2018Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.Inventor: Young-Ho Park
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Patent number: 9978457Abstract: A method for operating a memory array is disclosed. The memory array includes a first memory cell, a second memory cell and a third memory cell sharing a gate and arranged along an extending direction of the gate in order. The method includes the following steps. A first bias is applied to a channel of the first memory cell to program the first memory cell. A second bias is applied to a channel of the second memory cell to inhibit programming of the second memory cell. A third bias is applied to a channel of the third memory cell to program or inhibit programming of the third memory cell. The first bias and the third bias are different.Type: GrantFiled: November 22, 2016Date of Patent: May 22, 2018Assignee: MACRONIX INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD.Inventors: Yung-Hsiang Chen, Yao-Wen Chang, I-Chen Yang
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Patent number: 9978435Abstract: A memory device includes a memory array including a plurality of memory cells coupled to a plurality of bitlines and a plurality of wordlines and a plurality of sense amplifier circuits coupled to the plurality of bitlines. Each sense amplifier circuit includes a sense amplifier configured to sense and amplify a voltage difference between two of the bitlines coupled thereto. The memory device further includes an address decoder to receive and decode addresses of memory cells to enable corresponding bitlines and wordlines, a refresh controller to control data refreshing of the memory cells, and a mode controller to control the memory device to operate in different operating modes including a deep power down (DPD) mode. The mode controller controls data of a group of the memory cells, sensed by corresponding ones of the sense amplifier circuits, to be latched in the corresponding sense amplifier circuits when entering the DPD mode.Type: GrantFiled: January 25, 2017Date of Patent: May 22, 2018Assignee: Winbond Electronics CorporationInventor: San-Ha Park
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Patent number: 9966119Abstract: A reference selection circuit may be provided. The reference selection circuit may include a plurality of reference drivers configured to respectively output a plurality of reference voltages having different voltage levels, and a plurality of selectors configured to select any one of the plurality of reference voltages based on a selection signal, and output the selected reference voltage to a monitoring pad.Type: GrantFiled: April 17, 2017Date of Patent: May 8, 2018Assignee: SK hynix Inc.Inventor: Young Joo Kim
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Patent number: 9966123Abstract: According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory device includes a first memory cell capable of storing one of first and second data, first and second lines coupled to the first memory cell, a first controller capable of simultaneously outputting first and second signals, and a first driver configured to apply a first voltage to the first line and apply a second voltage to the second line according to the first data and an asserted first signal in the first data writing, and apply a third voltage to the first line and apply a fourth voltage to the second line according to the second data and an asserted second signal in the second data writing.Type: GrantFiled: March 3, 2017Date of Patent: May 8, 2018Assignee: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATIONInventor: Fumiyoshi Matsuoka
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Patent number: 9959917Abstract: An output timing control circuit of a semiconductor apparatus may include a strobe signal generation path configured to control a latency and a delay time of an internal signal, and generate a strobe signal. The output timing control circuit may include a first detection block configured to detect a phase difference of the strobe signal and a clock signal, and control the delay time according to the detected phase difference. The output timing control circuit may include a second detection block configured to detect a latency difference of the strobe signal and the internal signal, and control the latency according to the detected latency difference. The internal signal may be generated according to a preset timing of a command received by the strobe signal generation path.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2014Date of Patent: May 1, 2018Assignee: SK hynix Inc.Inventor: Dong Uk Lee
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Patent number: 9959923Abstract: Apparatuses and methods are provided for reversing data stored in memory. An example apparatus comprises an array of memory cells, a first plurality of sensing components corresponding to a respective first plurality of columns of the array, a second plurality of sensing components corresponding to a respective second plurality of columns of the array, and a plurality of shared input/output (I/O) lines (which may be referred to as SIO lines). Each one of the plurality of SIO lines can be selectively coupled to a respective subset of the first plurality of sensing components and to a respective subset of the second plurality of sensing components. The apparatus can include a controller configured to control reversing a logical sequence of data stored in a group of memory cells coupled to a first access line of the array by performing a plurality of transfer operations via the plurality of SIO lines.Type: GrantFiled: April 14, 2016Date of Patent: May 1, 2018Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.Inventors: Jason T. Zawodny, Glen E. Hush