Patents Examined by Sultana Begum
  • Patent number: 11615832
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a drive control signal generation circuit and an internal voltage drive circuit. The drive control signal generation circuit detects a level of an internal voltage to generate a drive control signal that adjusts a level of the internal voltage. The internal voltage drive circuit drives the internal voltage based on the drive control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Woongrae Kim, Se Won Lee
  • Patent number: 11615838
    Abstract: One embodiment of a memory device includes an array of multiple-level memory cells and a controller. The controller is configured to program the multiple-level memory cells via a multiple-pass programming operation, the multiple-pass programming operation to program lower page data in a first pass and program higher page data in a second pass such that memory cells to be programmed to a higher level are programmed in parallel with memory cells to be programmed to a lower level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Changhyun Lee, Akira Goda, William C. Filipiak
  • Patent number: 11600326
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure are drawn to apparatuses and methods for content addressable memory (CAM) cells. Each CAM cell may include a comparator portion which stores a bit of information. Each CAM cell may also include a comparator portion, which compares an external bit to the stored bit. A group of CAM cells may be organized into a CAM register, with each CAM cell coupled in common to a signal line. Any of the CAM cells may change a voltage on the signal line if the external bit does not match the stored bit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: John Schreck, Dan Penney
  • Patent number: 11594294
    Abstract: A method of operating a memory device that includes a plurality of stages each having a plurality of page buffers. The method including performing a verify operation of a first program loop from among a plurality of program loops, the verify operation of the first program loop including, performing a first off-cell counting operation on a first stage of the plurality of stages based on a first sampling rate to generate a first off-cell counting result; selectively changing the first sampling rate based on the first off-cell counting result to generate a changed first sampling rate; and performing a second off-cell counting operation on a second stage of the plurality of stages based on one of the first sampling rate and the changed first sampling rate to generate a second off-cell counting result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sung-won Yun, Han-jun Lee
  • Patent number: 11585703
    Abstract: Structures including non-volatile memory elements and methods of forming such structures. The structure includes a first non-volatile memory element, a second non-volatile memory element, and temperature sensing electronics coupled to the first non-volatile memory element and the second non-volatile memory element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: GlobalFoundries Singapore Pte. Ltd.
    Inventors: Bin Liu, Eng-Huat Toh, Shyue Seng Tan, Kiok Boone Elgin Quek
  • Patent number: 11587599
    Abstract: A memory system includes a memory chip, one or more signal lines including a first signal line, and a controller. The controller is connected to the memory chip via the one or more signal lines. The controller is configured to transmit and receive signals via the first signal line in accordance with a first standard under which voltages of communicated signals transition in a first range and with a second standard under which voltages of communicated signals transition in a second range narrower than the first range. The controller is configured to transmit a command to the memory chip via the first signal line in accordance with the first standard, and based on a response to the command from the memory chip, enable communication in accordance with the second standard.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: KIOXIA CORPORATION
    Inventor: Takehisa Kurosawa
  • Patent number: 11586553
    Abstract: A memory device for storing data comprises a memory bank comprising a plurality of addressable memory cells, wherein the memory bank is divided into a plurality of segments. The memory device also comprises a cache memory operable for storing a second plurality of data words, wherein further each data word of the second plurality of data words is either awaiting write verification or is to be re-written into the memory bank. The cache memory is divided into a plurality of primary segments, wherein each primary segment of the cache memory is direct mapped to a corresponding segment of the plurality of segments of the memory bank, wherein each primary segment of the plurality of primary segments of the cache memory is sub-divided into a plurality of secondary segments, and each of the plurality of secondary segments comprises at least one counter for tracking a number of valid entries stored therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: Integrated Silicon Solution, (Cayman) Inc.
    Inventors: Neal Berger, Susmita Karmakar, TaeJin Pyon, Kuk-Hwan Kim
  • Patent number: 11580014
    Abstract: A memory device comprises a memory bank comprising a plurality of addressable memory cells, wherein the memory bank is divided into a plurality of segments. Further, the device comprises a cache memory operable for storing a second plurality of data words, wherein each data word of the second plurality of data words is either awaiting write verification associated with the memory bank or is to be re-written into the memory bank. The cache memory is divided into a plurality of primary segments, wherein each primary segment of the cache memory is direct mapped to a corresponding segment of the plurality of segments, wherein each primary segment is sub-divided into a plurality of secondary segments, and wherein each of the plurality of secondary segments comprises at least one counter for tracking a number of entries stored therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2023
    Assignee: Integrated Silicon Solution, (Cayman) Inc.
    Inventors: Neal Berger, Susmita Karmakar, TaeJin Pyon, Kuk-Hwan Kim
  • Patent number: 11574689
    Abstract: A non-volatile memory device, including a non-volatile memory cell array, a sense amplifier, a random access memory (RAM), and a buffer circuit, is provided. The sense amplifier is configured to generate readout data. The RAM is configured to store write-in data. The buffer circuit generates a detection result according to target data and the readout data, and writes the detection result to the RAM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Winbond Electronics Corp.
    Inventors: Hsing-Yu Liu, Jyun-Yu Lai
  • Patent number: 11556250
    Abstract: A system including a stack of two or more layers of volatile memory, such as layers of a 3D stacked DRAM memory, places data in the stack based on a temperature or a refresh rate. When a threshold is exceeded, data are moved from a first region to a second region in the stack, the second region having one or both of a second temperature lower than a first temperature of the first region or a second refresh rate lower than a first refresh rate of the first region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2023
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Jagadish B. Kotra, Karthik Rao, Joseph L. Greathouse
  • Patent number: 11538516
    Abstract: A memory mat architecture is presented where a column decoder is disposed within the memory array. The location of the column decoder reduces a distance between the column decoder and a target memory cell and thus reduces a distance that a column select signal travels from the column decoder to the target memory cell. A single predecoder is disposed in a bank controller for the memory array. The column decoder may be disposed in the middle of the memory array or offset from the middle near the far edge of the memory array opposite the bank controller. The location of the column decoder enables a reduced array access time to obtain data from the target memory cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuan He, Hiroshi Akamatsu
  • Patent number: 11532373
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed including a memory device and a processing device operatively coupled to the memory device. The processing device can perform operations including detecting a read error with respect to data residing in a block of the memory device, wherein the block is associated with a voltage offset bin, determining an order of a plurality of error-handling operations to be performed to recovery data associated with the read error, wherein the order is specified in a metadata table and is based on the voltage offset bin associated with the block, and performing at least one error-handling operation of the plurality of error-handling operations in the order specified by the metadata table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2022
    Assignee: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Kishore Kumar Muchherla, Shane Nowell, Mustafa N. Kaynak, Sampath K. Ratnam, Peter Feeley, Sivagnanam Parthasarathy, Devin M. Batutis, Xiangang Luo
  • Patent number: 11527296
    Abstract: An operation method of a nonvolatile memory device which includes a memory block having wordlines includes performing an erase on the memory block, performing a block verification on the memory block by using a 0-th erase verification voltage, performing a delta verification on the memory block by using a first erase verification voltage different from the 0-th erase verification voltage when a result of the block verification indicates a pass, and outputting information about an erase result of the memory block based on the result of the block verification or a result of the delta verification. The delta verification includes generating delta counting values respectively corresponding to wordline groups by using the first erase verification voltage, generating a delta value based on the delta counting values, and comparing the delta value and a first reference value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Doo-Yeun Jung, Young-Jin Cho, Bu-Il Nam, Nari Lee, Yeji Nam, Sangyong Yoon
  • Patent number: 11521695
    Abstract: In some examples, a circuit comprises a first polyfuse and a first diode having a first diode anode and a first diode cathode, where the first diode anode is coupled to the first polyfuse. The circuit comprises a second polyfuse coupled to the first polyfuse and a second diode having a second diode anode and a second diode cathode, where the second diode cathode is coupled to the second polyfuse. The circuit comprises a probe pad coupled to the first diode cathode and the second diode anode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2022
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Robert Allan Neidorff
  • Patent number: 11508418
    Abstract: A system to perform a reference voltage training operation may include: a controller configured to output a dock signal, a chip selection signal, a command address and data; and a semiconductor device configured to enter a training mode to control the level of a reference voltage when the chip selection signal and the command address are a first logic level combination in synchronization with the clock signal, configured to enter an ID setting mode to set a storage ID when the chip selection signal and the command address are a second logic level combination, and configured to enter an ID selection mode to update a voltage code that is generated in the training mode when the chip selection signal and the command address are a third logic level combination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Woongrae Kim
  • Patent number: 11508449
    Abstract: Processing logic in a memory device initiates a program operation on a memory array, the program operation comprising a program phase and a program verify phase. The processing logic further causes a negative voltage signal to be applied to a first selected word line of a block of the memory array during the program verify phase of the program operation, wherein the first selected word line is coupled to a corresponding first memory cell of a first plurality of memory cells in a string of memory cells in the block, wherein the first selected word line is associated with the program operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Ching-Huang Lu, Vinh Q. Diep, Zhengyi Zhang, Yingda Dong
  • Patent number: 11495290
    Abstract: A power supply circuit supplies a first voltage to a third terminal using a voltage of a first terminal, generates a second voltage using the first voltage, supplies the second voltage to a non-volatile memory, generates a third voltage using the first voltage, charges energy in a capacitor, upon the voltage of the first terminal being lower than a first threshold voltage and a voltage of the second terminal being higher than a second threshold voltage, supplies a fourth voltage using charged energy to the third terminal, and upon the voltage of the second terminal being lower than the second threshold voltage, stops charging and supplies a fifth voltage using the charged energy to the third terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Kioxia Corporation
    Inventors: Daiki Kamada, Kengo Kumagai
  • Patent number: 11495298
    Abstract: A three dimension memory device and a ternary content addressable memory cell are provided. The ternary content addressable memory cell includes a first memory cell, a second memory cell, a first search switch, and a second search switch. The first memory cell is disposed in a first AND type flash memory line. The second memory cell is disposed in a second AND type flash memory line. The first search switch is coupled between a first bit line corresponding to the first AND type flash memory line and a match line, and is controlled by a first search signal to be turned on or cut off. The second search switch is coupled between a second bit line corresponding to the second AND type flash memory line and the match line, and is controlled by a second search signal to be turned on or cut off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: MACRONIX INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Po-Kai Hsu, Teng-Hao Yeh, Hang-Ting Lue
  • Patent number: 11487655
    Abstract: The present invention provides a flash memory controller, wherein the flash memory controller is arranged to access a flash memory module, and the flash memory controller includes a ROM, a microprocessor and a timer. The ROM stores a program code, the microprocessor is configured to execute the program code to control the access of the flash memory module, and the timer is used to generate time information. In the operations of the flash memory controller, the microprocessor refers to the time information to perform dummy read operations upon at least a portion of the blocks, wherein the dummy read operations are not triggered by read commands from a host device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: Silicon Motion, Inc.
    Inventors: Jian-Dong Du, Chia-Jung Hsiao, Tsung-Chieh Yang
  • Patent number: 11488652
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device can appropriately control operation timing, based on changes in the environment (for example, power supply voltage and temperature, etc.) when in use. The semiconductor memory device includes a temperature sensor 18 that detects the temperature of the semiconductor memory device, a voltage detection portion (composed of a ring oscillator 14 and a counter 15) that detects the power supply voltage of the semiconductor memory device, and a control portion 10 that controls the operation timing in the semiconductor memory device to meet specific conditions, according to the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 18 after the power is applied and the voltage detected by the voltage detection portion after the power is applied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: WINDBOND ELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventor: Kaoru Mori