Patents Examined by Thong Q. Le
  • Patent number: 12185530
    Abstract: An anti-fuse sensing device and an operation method thereof are provided. The anti-fuse sensing device includes an anti-fuse sensing circuit, a voltage generating circuit, and a power-on detection circuit. During a power-on transient period of the voltage generating circuit, the power-on detection circuit provides an initialization voltage to a control terminal of the anti-fuse sensing circuit to prevent a voltage level of the control terminal of the anti-fuse sensing circuit from being in an unknown state. After the power-on transient period ends, the voltage generating circuit provides a control voltage to the control terminal of the anti-fuse sensing circuit. The anti-fuse sensing circuit senses a resistance state of an anti-fuse based on the control voltage. During the period when the voltage generating circuit provides the control voltage, the power-on detection circuit stops providing the initialization voltage to the control terminal of the anti-fuse sensing circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: NANYA TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION
    Inventor: Chih-Hang Chang
  • Patent number: 12183427
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a system and method for duty cycle correction is provided. The method may include receiving a signal at a duty cycle adjuster and performing serializer clock duty cycle correction at the duty cycle adjuster. The method may further include performing true clock duty cycle correction at a transmitter duty cycle adjuster and performing complementary duty cycle distortion correction at the transmitter duty cycle adjuster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Sachin Ramesh Gugwad, Hari Anand Ravi
  • Patent number: 12170119
    Abstract: Provided herein may be a memory device and a method of operating the same. The memory device may include a plurality of memory cells coupled between a common source line and a bit line, a peripheral circuit configured to perform a plurality of program loops, each including a program voltage application operation of applying a program voltage to a selected memory cell and a verify operation of verifying a program state of the selected memory cell, and a control logic configured to control, at the program voltage application operation, the peripheral circuit to apply a precharge voltage to the common source line and change at least one of a magnitude of the precharge voltage and a time during which the precharge voltage is applied, depending on a magnitude of the program voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2024
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Jae Yeop Jung, Dong Hun Kwak, Hyung Jin Choi
  • Patent number: 12170105
    Abstract: A memory device includes a plurality of magnetoresistive random-access memory (MRAM) cells including a first one-time programmable (OTP) MRAM cell. A first OTP select transistor is connected to the first OTP MRAM cell. The first OTP select transistor configured to selectively apply a breakdown current to the first OTP MRAM cell to write the first OTP MRAM cell to a breakdown state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2024
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd
    Inventors: Po-Hao Lee, Chia-Fu Lee, Yi-Chun Shih
  • Patent number: 12165726
    Abstract: A one-time programmable (OTP) memory device includes an OTP cell array, an error correction code (ECC) decoder, a double error fuse address register set and a double error fuse counter. The OTP cell array includes OTP cell rows, each of the OTP cell rows includes OTP fuse sets and each of the OTP fuse sets includes OTP memory cells. The ECC decoder performs an ECC decoding operation on first OTP fuse sets and activates a double error detection flag in response to a double bit error being detected in a second subset. The double error fuse address register set stores fuse address information of the second subset and the double error detection flag. The double error fuse counter stores a double error counting signal by counting the double error detection flag based on the latch clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yeongmuk Cho
  • Patent number: 12165717
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for a novel memory array are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method is provided for reading a dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) array. The method includes activating the bit line select gates to equalize voltage levels on a plurality of bit lines, deactivating the bit line select gates to maintain the equalized voltage levels on the plurality of bit lines using a bit line capacitance associated with each bit line, and activating a selected word line to access selected memory cells connected to the selected word line. The method also includes activating bit line select gates to pass first data from a first bit line and second data from a second bit line to the sense amplifier. The first data is from a selected memory cell and the second data is reference data. The method also includes determining sensed data from the first and second data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: NEO Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Fu-Chang Hsu
  • Patent number: 12154646
    Abstract: In a method of reprogramming data in a nonvolatile memory device including a plurality of pages each of which includes a plurality of memory cells, first page data programmed in a first page is read from among a plurality of page data programmed in the plurality of pages. The plurality of page data have a threshold voltage distribution including a plurality of states. An error correction code (ECC) decoding is performed on the first page data. A reprogram operation is selectively performed on target bits in which an error occurs among a plurality of bits included in the first page data based on a result of performing the ECC decoding on the first page data and a reprogram voltage. The target bits correspond to a first state among the plurality of states. A voltage level of the reprogram voltage is adaptively changed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2024
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Junyeong Seok, Younggul Song, Eunchu Oh
  • Patent number: 12148486
    Abstract: A read voltage adjustment method, a memory storage device, and a memory control circuit unit are disclosed. The method includes: sending a write command sequence instructing to program a plurality of first memory cells in a rewritable non-volatile memory module; sending a first read command sequence instructing to read the programmed first memory cells using a first read voltage level to obtain first count information; obtaining first compensation information corresponding to the first read voltage level, wherein the first compensation information reflects a deviation in evenly programming the first memory cells to a plurality of states; and adjusting the first read voltage level according to the first count information, the first compensation information, and default count information corresponding to the first read voltage level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: PHISON ELECTRONICS CORP.
    Inventors: Hsiao-Yi Lin, Shih-Jia Zeng, Chen Yang Tang, Shi-Chieh Hsu, Wei Lin
  • Patent number: 12147698
    Abstract: An apparatus is described. The apparatus includes a register clock driver (RCD) semiconductor chip having first inputs to receive first command and address (CA) signals from a first sub-channel and first outputs to drive first and second instances of the CA information that are decoded from the first CA signals. The RCD semiconductor chip has second inputs to receive second command and address (CA) signals from a second sub-channel. The RCD semiconductor chip has a multiplexer having a first input channel to receive the first CA signals and a second input channel to receive the second CA signals. The RCD semiconductor chip has second outputs to drive third and fourth instances of the first CA information or first and second instances of the second CA information that are decoded from the second CA signals depending on which of the first and second input channels of the multiplexer is selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Bill Nale, George Vergis
  • Patent number: 12142329
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for memory operations disclosed. In an embodiment, a method is provided for programming multiple-level-cells. The method includes programming data to single-level-cells (SLC) on SLC word lines using SLC programming operations, applying ramp data to the SLC word lines to determine selected ramp data that matches the data stored in (SLC) cells, and programming multiple-level cells to have a voltage threshold level that is associated with the ramp data. In an embodiment, an apparatus includes a first plane having a plurality of first cell strings coupled to a first page buffer. Each first cell string comprises a plurality of multiple-level cells. The apparatus also includes a second plane having a plurality of second cell strings coupled to a second page buffer. Each second cell string comprises a plurality of single-level cells. The apparatus is also configured so that the first page buffer is connected to communicate with the second page buffer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: NEO SEMICONDUCTOR, INC.
    Inventor: Fu-Chang Hsu
  • Patent number: 12142327
    Abstract: A memory device includes a string of cells having one and more top selection cells, one or more dummy memory cells, and memory cells, and a peripheral circuit coupled to the string of cells. The peripheral circuit is configured to verify a threshold voltage of at least one of the one or more top selection cells or the one or more dummy memory cells to determine whether the at least one of the one or more top selection cells or the one or more dummy memory cells has failed. In response to the at least one of the one or more top selection cells or the one or more dummy memory cells being failed, the peripheral circuit is further configured to reset the at least one of the one or more top selection cells or the one or more dummy memory cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: YANGTZE MEMORY TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Qiang Tang, Xiang Fu
  • Patent number: 12141445
    Abstract: Control logic in a memory device causes a first set of pulses corresponding to a first voltage ramp slope level to be applied to a memory cell during a first time interval of an execution of a memory access operation. In response to determining a transition time has been reached, the control logic causes a second set of pulses corresponding to a second voltage ramp slope level to be applied to the memory cell during a second time interval of the execution of the memory access operation, wherein the first voltage ramp slope level and the second voltage ramp slope level are different.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2024
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Sheyang Ning, Lawrence Miranda
  • Patent number: 12136463
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array, an error correction code (ECC) circuit, a fault address register and a control logic circuit. The memory cell array includes a plurality of memory cell rows. The scrubbing control circuit generates scrubbing addresses for performing a scrubbing operation on a first memory cell row based on refresh row addresses for refreshing the memory cell rows. The control logic circuit controls the ECC circuit such that the ECC circuit performs an error detection and correction operation on a plurality of sub-pages in the first memory cell row to count a number of error occurrences during a first interval and determines a sub operation in a second interval in the scrubbing operation based on the number of error occurrences in the first memory cell row.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2024
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kiheung Kim, Sanguhn Cha, Junhyung Kim, Sungchul Park, Hyojin Jung, Kyungsoo Ha
  • Patent number: 12133477
    Abstract: A resistive random access memory (RRAM) and a method for operating the RRAM are disclosed. The RRAM includes at least two successively stacked conductive layers and a resistive switching layer situated between every adjacent two conductive layers, wherein a migration interface with an interface effect is formed at each interface between one conductive layer and the resistive switching layer in contact therewith, wherein the migration interface regulates, by the interface effect, vacancies formed in the resistive switching layer under the effect of an electrical signal. The regulation includes at least one of absorption, migration and diffusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignee: Hefei Reliance Memory Limited
    Inventors: Zezhi Chen, Zhichao Lu, Liang Zhao
  • Patent number: 12131784
    Abstract: A non-volatile memory device includes a plurality of word lines stacked above a substrate in a vertical direction; erase control lines that are spaced apart from each other in a first direction and extend in a second direction; a pass transistor circuit including a first pass transistor connected to a first group of erase control lines and a second pass transistor connected to a second group of erase control lines; and a memory cell array including a plurality of blocks. The first group of erase control lines are relatively close to a word line cut region and the second group of erase control lines are relatively far from the word line cut region. Each of the plurality of blocks includes a plurality of channel structures connected to the word lines and the erase control lines and each channel structure extends in the vertical direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 12, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Sangwon Park, Bongsoon Lim, Byungsoo Kim
  • Patent number: 12127486
    Abstract: A method for fabricating a plurality of resistive random access memory (RRAM) cells includes providing a substrate including a memory medium arranged on an underlying layer; creating channel holes in the memory medium having a first critical dimension in a range from 1 nm to 20 nm; depositing switching material defining a filament of the RRAM cells in the channel holes; depositing a top electrode of the RRAM cells on the memory medium and the switching material; and separating adjacent ones of the RRAM cells by etching the top electrode and the memory medium between adjacent ones of the channel holes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignee: LAM RESEARCH CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hyungsuk Yoon, Thorsten Lill, Yang Pan
  • Patent number: 12119069
    Abstract: In an anti-fuse memory reading circuit with controllable reading time, a reading time control circuit generates a control signal corresponding to reading time. Based on a clock signal, a programmable reading pulse generation circuit generates a reading pulse with a pulse width corresponding to the control signal. Based on the reading pulse and the control signal, the reading amplification circuit selects a pull-up current source corresponding to the reading time, pulls up a voltage on a bit line (BL) of an anti-fuse memory cell, reads data stored in the anti-fuse memory cell starting from a rising edge of the reading pulse, and latches the read data at a falling edge of the reading pulse. The anti-fuse memory reading circuit can generate a reading pulse with a corresponding pulse width and a pull-up current source with a corresponding size based on the required reading time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2024
    Assignee: WUXI ESIONTECH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Zhengzhou Cao, Jie Zhu, Yanfei Zhang, Jing Sun, Zhenkai Ji, Zhengnan Ding
  • Patent number: 12100460
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for NAND flash memory are disclosed. In an embodiment, a method is provided for programming a NAND flash memory. The method includes precharging selected bit lines of selected memory cells with a bias voltage level while unselected bit lines maintain the inhibit voltage, applying a verify voltage to a selected word line that is coupled to the selected memory cells, and discharging the selected bit lines that are coupled to on-cells over a first time interval. The method also includes sensing a sensed voltage level on a selected bit line, loading the selected bit line with the inhibit voltage level when the sensed voltage level is above a threshold level and a program voltage when the sensed voltage level is equal to or below the threshold level, and repeating the operations of sensing and loading for each of the selected bit lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2024
    Assignee: NEO Semiconductor, Inc.
    Inventor: Fu-Chang Hsu
  • Patent number: 12094511
    Abstract: A disturb mitigation scheme is described for a 1TnC or multi-element ferroelectric gain bit-cell where after writing to a selected capacitor of the bit-cell, a cure phase is initiated. Between the cure phase and the write phase, there may be zero or more cycles where the selected word-line, bit-line, and plate-lines are pulled-down to ground. The cure phase may occur immediately before the write phase. In the cure phase, the word-line is asserted again just like in the write phase. In the cure phase, the voltage on bit-line is inverted compared to the voltage on the bit-line in the write phase. By programming a value in a selected capacitor to be opposite of the value written in the write phase of that selected capacitor, time accumulation of disturb is negated. This allows to substantially zero out disturb field on the unselected capacitors of the same bit-cell and/or other unselected bit-cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2024
    Assignee: Kepler Computing Inc.
    Inventors: Rajeev Kumar Dokania, Mustansir Yunus Mukadam, Tanay Gosavi, James David Clarkson, Neal Reynolds, Amrita Mathuriya, Sasikanth Manipatruni
  • Patent number: 12087397
    Abstract: An integrated circuit device can be configured to characterize portions of a resistive switching device array according to one or more operational characterizations. The memory device can store trim instructions defining signal processes for implementing the operational characterizations. Examples of resistive switching device characterizations can include: a physical unclonable feature (PUF) memory characterization, a one-time programmable (OTP) memory characterization, a many-time programmable (MTP) memory characterization, and a random number generation (RNG) memory characterization, among others. The integrated circuit device can characterize portions of the resistive switching device array in response to an instruction from an external host device, exposing control over the selective characterization of the portions of the resistive switching device array to the external host device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2024
    Assignee: Crossbar, Inc.
    Inventor: Mehdi Asnaashari