Abstract: An embodiment relates to a method for determining a health state of a non-volatile memory comprising: determining the health state based on at least one indicator for determining a predictable failure of the non-volatile memory.

Abstract: Volatile memory cells including dielectric materials exhibiting a nonlinear capacitance as a function of voltage. The volatile memory cells comprise a source region and a drain region within a substrate and a capacitor coupled to one of the source region and the drain region. The capacitor includes a charge storage material disposed between a pair of electrodes. The charge storage material has a crystal structure comprising an oxide of zirconium, hafnium, and bismuth, and is configured and formulated to transition from a first phase to a second phase exhibiting a higher capacitance than the first phase responsive to application of an electrical field. A digit line is electrically coupled to at least one electrode of the pair of electrodes and one of the source region and the drain region. Semiconductor devices and systems including the volatile memory cells and related methods of operating the volatile memory cells are also described.

Abstract: Stable SRAM cells utilizing Independent Gate FinFET architectures provide improvements over conventional SRAM cells in device parameters such as Read Static Noise Margin (RSNM) and Write Noise Margin (WNM). Exemplary SRAM cells comprise a pair of storage nodes, a pair of bit lines, a pair of pull-up devices, a pair of pull-down devices and a pair of pass-gate devices. A first control signal and a second control signal are configured to adjust drive strengths of the pass-gate devices, and a third control signal is configured to adjust drive strengths of the pull-up devices, wherein the first control signal is routed orthogonal to a bit line direction, and the second and third control signals are routed in a direction same as the bit line direction. RSNM and WNM are improved by adjusting drive strengths of the pull-up and pass-gate devices during read and write operations.

Abstract: Described is an apparatus for improving read and write margins. The apparatus comprises: a sourceline; a first bitline; a column of resistive memory cells, each resistive memory cell of the column coupled at one end to the sourceline and coupled to the first bitline at another end; and a second bitline in parallel to the first bitline, the second bitline to decouple read and write operations on the bitline for the resistive memory cell. Described is also an apparatus which comprises: a sourceline; a bitline; a column of resistive memory cells, each resistive memory cell in the column coupled at one end to the sourceline and coupled to the bitline at another end; and sourceline write drivers coupled to the bitline and the sourceline, wherein the sourceline write drivers are distributed along the column of resistive memory cells.

Abstract: There are provided a semiconductor memory device and an operating method thereof. A semiconductor memory device may include a memory cell array, a peripheral circuit, a control logic, and one or more programs. The memory cell array may include a plurality of memory cells. The peripheral circuit may perform a program operation on the memory cell array. The control logic may control the peripheral circuit to program the memory cell array. The one or more programs are configured to be executed by the control logic. The programs may include an instruction for pre-programming one or more memory cells to be programmed to one or more target program states to have threshold voltage distributions lower than the target program state.

Abstract: An integrated circuit containing a SRAM memory with SRAM bits optimized to have a lower minimum read voltage than the minimum write voltage. A method for reading a SRAM memory bit using a read voltage that is lower than the write voltage.

Abstract: A method includes receiving an in-place refresh command to refresh data at a particular location in a non-volatile memory. The method also includes re-writing the data into the particular location of the non-volatile memory to refresh the data at the particular location in response to the in-place refresh command.

Abstract: In an embodiment, a method of operating a semiconductor memory device may include performing a read operation on a selected memory block, and, during the read operation, enabling local select lines to float so that potential levels of local word lines coupled to unselected memory blocks is increased.

Abstract: Provided is a semiconductor device capable of reducing its area, operating at a high speed, or reducing its power consumption. A circuit 50 is used as a memory circuit with a function of performing an arithmetic operation. One of a circuit 80 and a circuit 90 has a region overlapping with at least part of the other of the circuit 80 and the circuit 90. Accordingly, the circuit 50 can perform the arithmetic operation that is essentially performed in the circuit 60; thus, a burden of the arithmetic operation on the circuit 60 can be reduced. Moreover, the number of times of data transmission and reception between the circuits 50 and 60 can be reduced. Furthermore, the circuit 50 functioning as a memory circuit can have a function of performing an arithmetic operation while the increase in the area of the circuit 50 is suppressed.

Abstract: A semiconductor system includes a first semiconductor device and a second semiconductor device. The first semiconductor device outputs an external command. The second semiconductor device provides a first supply voltage to a bit line sense amplifier. The first supply voltage is generated by using a precharge voltage in response to the external command during a first time period from a point in time when a precharge mode begins. The second semiconductor device also adjusts a voltage level of the first supply voltage during a second time period from a point in time when the first time period terminates to a point in time when an active mode begins.

Abstract: A magnetic memory according to an embodiment includes: at least one memory cell, the memory cell comprising: a conductive layer including a first terminal, a second terminal, and a portion located between the first terminal and the second terminal; a magnetoresistive element including: a first magnetic layer; a second magnetic layer between the portion and the first magnetic layer; and a nonmagnetic layer between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer; a diode including an anode and a cathode, one of the anode and the cathode being electrically connected to the first magnetic layer; and a transistor including third and fourth terminals and a control terminal, the third terminal being electrically connected to the first terminal.

Abstract: The invention pertains to data disturb vulnerabilities in Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) integrated circuits. In particular, it pertains to mitigating attacks on a computational system by deliberate inducement of disturbs on a targeted row (also known as “row hammering”) in the system's DRAM memory. The stream of row addresses accompanying ACTIVE commands is monitored and filtered to only track addresses that occur at a dangerous rate and reject addresses that occur at less than a dangerous rate. When a tracked address poses a danger of causing a memory disturb, each row adjacent to the tracked address row is refreshed thus mitigating the danger.

Abstract: An electronic comparison system includes input stages that successively provide bits of code words. One-shots connected to respective stages successively provide a first bit value until receiving a bit having a non-preferred value concurrently with an enable signal, and then provide a second, different bit value. An enable circuit provides the enable signal if at least one of the one-shots is providing the first bit value. A neural network system includes a crossbar with row and column electrodes and resistive memory elements at their intersections. A writing circuit stores weights in the elements. A signal source applies signals to the row electrodes. Comparators compare signals on the column electrodes to corresponding references using domain-wall neurons and store bit values in CMOS latches by comparison with a threshold.

Abstract: A method of screening complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor CMOS integrated circuits, such as integrated circuits including CMOS static random access memory (SRAM) cells, for transistors susceptible to transistor characteristic shifts over operating time. For the example of SRAM cells formed of cross-coupled CMOS inverters, separate ground voltage levels can be applied to the source nodes of the driver transistors, or separate power supply voltage levels can be applied to the source nodes of the load transistors (or both). Asymmetric bias voltages applied to the transistors in this manner will reduce the transistor drive current, and can thus mimic the effects of bias temperature instability (BTI). Cells that are vulnerable to threshold voltage shift over time can thus be identified.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory device includes a word line and a driver. The word line coupled to a memory cell. The driver is configured to apply a voltage to the word line. When a voltage applied to the word line is changed from a first voltage to a second voltage, the driver applies a third voltage according to a voltage difference between the first voltage and the second voltage to the word line.

Abstract: An integrated circuit comprising at least one logic tile including a plurality of multiplexers interconnected into a network configuration, wherein each multiplexer includes a plurality of inputs, an output and a plurality of selection inputs to receive selection signals to determine whether an input of the plurality of inputs is connected to the output. The logic tile further includes (i) at least one inactive multiplexer having an output that is inactive in the network configuration and/or (ii) at least one static multiplexer receiving static selection signals, wherein during operation of the integrated circuit, the selection inputs of the inactive and/or the static multiplexer receive selection signals responsively connect (whether directly or indirectly) two or more inputs of the inactive and/or the static multiplexer to the output of the inactive multiplexer.

Abstract: Provided is an erase method for a non-volatile semiconductor memory device to compensate for the change in property of a memory cell, in proportion to the number of data rewrites to the memory cell. The erase method has an erase step to erase charges of a charge accumulation layer by applying an erase voltage to a channel region of a selected memory cell, and a soft-programming step to perform soft-programming to the charges in the accumulation layer by virtue of applying a soft-programming voltage which is smaller than a programming voltage to program the memory cell. The erase voltage is increased step by step when it is applied repeatedly. The soft-programming voltage is decreased step by step when it is applied repeatedly.

Abstract: The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods related to performing logical operations using sensing circuitry. An example apparatus comprises an array of memory cells and sensing circuitry coupled to the array. The sensing circuitry can include a sense amplifier coupled to a pair of complementary sense lines and a compute component coupled to the sense amplifier via pass gates coupled to logical operation selection logic. The logical operation selection logic can be configured to control pass gates based on a selected logical operation.

Abstract: A command generation circuit, test control circuit, semiconductor device, semiconductor system, and or a test method may be provided. The semiconductor device may be configured to enter test modes and to generate internal commands during a clock cycle.

Abstract: Voltage controlled magnetic components are described. The magnetic components include a thin layer of ferromagnet adjacent to an oxide layer. The magnetic properties of the ferromagnet may be controlled in a reversible manner via application of an external electric field and voltage-induced reversible oxidation of the ferromagnet.