Patents Examined by Tri Hoang
  • Patent number: 9972367
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods related to shifting data. An example apparatus comprises sensing circuitry including a sense amplifier and a compute component having a first storage location and a second storage location associated therewith. A controller is coupled to the sensing circuitry. The controller is configured to control an amount of power associated with shifting a data value stored in the first storage location to the second storage location by applying a charge sharing operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2018
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel B. Penney, Harish N. Venkata, Guy S. Perry
  • Patent number: 9966116
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods related to storing a data value in a sensing circuitry element. An example method comprises sensing a first data value with a sense amplifier of a sensing circuitry element, moving a second data value from a first storage location of a compute component to a second storage location of the compute component, and storing, in the first storage location, a third data value resulting from a logical operation performed on the first data value and the second data value. The logical operation can be performed by logic circuitry of the sensing circuitry element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel B. Penney, Harish N. Venkata, Guy S. Perry
  • Patent number: 9966137
    Abstract: A neuron circuit for use in a neural network is disclosed. The neural network includes a plurality of field effect transistors having confined channels. The sources and drains of the field effect transistors are connected in series. A plurality of input terminals for receiving a plurality of input voltages may be connected to a drain terminal of a corresponding field effect transistor. The threshold voltages of the field effect transistors can be programmed by increasing or decreasing a number of excess minority carriers in the confined channels, thereby programming the resistance presented by the field effect transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Titash Rakshit, Borna J. Obradovic
  • Patent number: 9966139
    Abstract: A memory architecture includes: a first memory macro comprising a first plurality of memory cells that each comprises a first variable resistance dielectric layer with a first geometry parameter; and a second memory macro comprising a second plurality of memory cells that each comprises a second variable resistance dielectric layer with a second geometry parameter, wherein the first geometry parameter is different from the second geometry parameter thereby causing the first and second memory macros to have first and second endurances. The first and second variable resistance dielectric layers are formed using a single process recipe. The first endurance comprises a maximum number of cycles for which the first plurality of memory cells can transition between first and second logical states, and the second endurance comprises a maximum number of cycles for which the second plurality of memory cells can transition between the first and second logical states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2018
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chung-Cheng Chou, Yu-Der Chih, Wen-Ting Chu
  • Patent number: 9947379
    Abstract: Devices and methods for non-volatile analog data storage are described herein. In an exemplary embodiment, an analog memory device comprises a potential-carrier source layer, a barrier layer deposited on the source layer, and at least two storage layers deposited on the barrier layer. The memory device can be prepared to write and read data via application of a biasing voltage between the source layer and the storage layers, wherein the biasing voltage causes potential-carriers to migrate into the storage layers. After initialization, data can be written to the memory device by application of a voltage pulse between two storage layers that causes potential-carriers to migrate from one storage layer to another. A difference in concentration of potential carriers caused by migration of potential-carriers between the storage layers results in a voltage that can be measured in order to read the written data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: National Technology & Engineering Solutions of Sandia, LLC
    Inventors: Farid El Gabaly Marquez, Albert Alec Talin
  • Patent number: 9947403
    Abstract: A method for operating a resistance switching memory device is provided, wherein the method includes a first program process, and the first program process includes steps as follows: A programming pulse having a first polarity is firstly applied to at least one resistance switching memory cell of the NVM device. A first verifying pulse with a verifying voltage is then applied to the resistance switching memory cell. A first settling pulse is applied to the resistance switching memory cell prior to or after the verifying pulse is applied, wherein the first settling pulse includes a settling voltage having a second polarity opposite to the first polarity and an absolute value substantially less than that of the verifying voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: MACRONIX INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yu-Yu Lin, Feng-Min Lee, Kai-Chieh Hsu
  • Patent number: 9947400
    Abstract: A method for improving the stability of a resistive change cell is disclosed. The stability of a resistive change memory cell—that is, the tendency of the resistive change memory cell to retain its programmed resistive state—may, in certain applications, be compromised if the cell is programmed into an unstable or metastable state. In such applications, a programming method using bursts of sub-pulses within a pulse train is used to drive the resistive change cell material into a stable state during the programming operation, reducing resistance drift over time within the cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Inventor: Darlene Viviani
  • Patent number: 9941008
    Abstract: The present disclosure illustrates a ternary content addressable memory (TCAM) device for software defined networking and method thereof. In the TCAM device, M bits of each forwarding rule is stored as a first part into a NAND-Type TCAM, and N bits of the same forwarding rule is stored as a second part into a NOR-Type TCAM. M bits of searching data is compared with the first part to generate a first matching result, N bits of the searching data is compared with the second part to generate a second matching result when the first matching result indicates match, and comparing process for the second part is disabled when the first matching result indicates mismatch. The mechanism is help to improve flexibility of the TCAM in words length and to reduce power consumption.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: NATIONAL TAIWAN UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: An-Yeu Wu, Ting-Sheng Chen, Ding-Yuan Lee, Tsung-Te Liu
  • Patent number: 9934851
    Abstract: A resistance memory includes a resistance memory cell having a resistance memory element and a two-terminal access device in series. The two-terminal access device affects the current-voltage characteristic of the resistance memory cell. The resistance memory additionally includes a circuit to apply across the resistance memory cell a set pulse having a set polarity to set the resistance memory cell to a low-resistance state that is retained after application of the set pulse, a reset pulse having a reset polarity, opposite to the set polarity, to reset the resistance memory cell to a high-resistance state that is retained after application of the reset pulse, and a read pulse of the reset polarity and smaller in magnitude than the reset pulse to determine the resistance state of the resistance memory cell without changing the resistance state of the resistance memory cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Rambus Inc.
    Inventors: Mark D. Kellam, Gary Bela Bronner
  • Patent number: 9911510
    Abstract: Various implementations described herein are directed to an integrated circuit having a memory cell array with multiple rows of memory cells including at least one redundant row of memory cells. The memory cell array may be partitioned into multiple regions of memory cells including a first region of memory cells corresponding to a first part of the redundant row of memory cells and a second region of memory cells corresponding to a second part of the redundant row of memory cells. The integrated circuit may include wordline driver circuitry coupled to the first and second regions of memory cells and their corresponding first and second parts of the redundant row of memory cells. In some instances, the integrated circuit may include row shift circuitry coupled to the first and second regions of memory cells and their corresponding first and second parts of the redundant row of memory cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: ARM Limited
    Inventors: Jungtae Kwon, Young Suk Kim, Vivek Nautiyal, Pranay Prabhat, Fakhruddin Ali Bohra, Shri Sagar Dwivedi, Satinderjit Singh, Lalit Gupta
  • Patent number: 9905278
    Abstract: Some embodiments include apparatuses and methods having non-volatile memory cells, a data line associated with a group of non-volatile memory cells of the non-volatile memory cells, a first transistor coupled to the data line and a node, a second transistor coupled to the node and an additional node, a pull-up component coupled to the node and a supply node, and an additional pull-up component coupled to the additional node and the supply node.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Jaydeep Kulkarni
  • Patent number: 9905291
    Abstract: A circuit includes a tracking bit line, a first capacitive circuit, a tracking circuit and a detection circuit. The first capacitive circuit is coupled to the tracking bit line. The first capacitive circuit has a capacitive load on the tracking bit line. The tracking circuit is coupled to the tracking bit line. The tracking circuit being configured to charge or discharge a voltage on the tracking bit line based on a first control signal or the capacitive load. The detection circuit is coupled to the tracking bit line, and is configured to generate a SAE signal responsive to the voltage of the tracking bit line and an inverted first control signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Jung-Ping Yang, Chih-Chieh Chiu, Fu-An Wu, Chia-En Huang, I-Han Huang
  • Patent number: 9905308
    Abstract: An e-fuse device includes a transferring circuit, a detecting-and-outputting circuit, and a fusing circuit. The transferring circuit transfers an input signal to a data node. The detecting-and-outputting circuit generates an output signal according to the logic level of the data node. The fusing circuit includes an e-fuse cell, a first transistor, a second transistor, and a switch element. The e-fuse cell is coupled between a high-voltage node supplied with the high voltage or a ground and a first node. The first transistor is coupled between the first node and a second node and is controlled by the output signal. The second transistor is coupled between the second node and the ground and is controlled by a fusing signal. The switch element is coupled between the first node and the data node and is controlled by a switch signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Winbond Electronics Corp.
    Inventor: Ying-Te Tu
  • Patent number: 9899077
    Abstract: Techniques are presented to determine whether a multi-state memory device suffers has a write operation aborted prior to its completion. In an example where all the word lines of a memory block is first programmed to an intermediate level (such as 2 bits per cells) before then being fully written (such as 4 bits per cell), after determining that intermediate programming pass completed, the block is searched using the read level for the highest multi-state to find the last fully programmed word line, after which the next word line is checked with the lowest state's read level to determine whether the full programming had begun on this word line. In an example where each word line is fully written before beginning the next word line of the block, after determining the first erased word line, the preceding word line is checked as the highest state to see if programming completed and, if not, checked at the lowest read level to see if programming began.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
    Inventors: Cynthia Hua-Ling Hsu, Aaron Lee, Abhijeet Manohar, Deepanshu Dutta
  • Patent number: 9892793
    Abstract: Receiving one or more first write commands to write a first set of data to a storage device. The first set of data is programmed in a plurality of memory cells in the storage device using a first plurality of program levels available in the plurality of memory cells. One or more second write commands to write a second set of data to the storage device is received. The second set of data is programmed in the plurality of memory cells with which the first set of data is programmed. The second set of data is programmed using a second plurality of program levels available in the plurality of memory cells different from the first plurality of program levels. Each program level of the first and second pluralities of program levels is mapped to a respective bit pattern comprising three bits.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2018
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Zvonimir Bandic, Minghai Qin, Seung-Hwan Song, Chao Sun
  • Patent number: 9881687
    Abstract: A programmable memory including a self-latching read data path. A sense amplifier senses the voltage level at a bit line, the bit line communicating the data state of a selected memory cell in its associated column. A data latch coupled to the output of the sense amplifier passes the sensed data state. Set-reset logic is provided that receives the output of the data latch in the read data path and, in response to a transition of the data state in a read cycle, latches the data latch and isolates it from the sense amplifier. The set-reset logic resets the data latch at the start of the next read cycle. In some embodiments, a timer is provided so that the latch is reset after a time-out period in a long read cycle in which no data transition occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: TEXAS INSTRUMENTS INCORPORATED
    Inventors: Yunchen Qiu, David J. Toops, Harold L. Davis
  • Patent number: 9881973
    Abstract: Some embodiments include a construction having a first memory array deck and a second memory array deck over the first memory array deck. The second memory array deck differs from the first memory array deck in one or more operating characteristics, in pitch, and/or in one or more structural parameters; with the structural parameters including different materials and/or different thicknesses of materials. Some embodiments include a construction having a first series and a third series of access/sense lines extending along a first direction, and a second series of access/sense lines between the first and third series and extending along a second direction which crosses the first direction. First memory cells are between the first and second series of access/sense lines and arranged in a first memory array deck. Second memory cells are between the second and third series of access/sense lines and arranged in a second memory array deck.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Andrea Redaelli
  • Patent number: 9865348
    Abstract: A memory driving device and a method thereof applied for a RRAM array are provided. The memory driving device includes a voltage generator, a current detector, and a controller. The voltage generator generates a write voltage. An RRAM cell of the RRAM array is selected according to a selection signal for receiving the program voltage to generate a program current. The current detector detects the program current. The controller executes a driving procedure which includes: obtaining a voltage distribution for the program voltage; determining the initial voltage and the maximum voltage of the program voltage according to the voltage distribution; gradually increasing the program voltage from the initial voltage to the maximum voltage; determining whether the program current exceeds the reference current; and selecting another RRAM cell when the write current exceeds the reference current.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 9, 2018
    Assignee: Winbond Electronics Corp.
    Inventor: Chien-Min Wu
  • Patent number: 9858983
    Abstract: A memory device may include a latency control circuit configured to control a write latency and a read latency. The memory device compensates a write latency corresponding to a write command in response to a clock signal for a delay time on a data input path, and generates a write latency control signal. Write data input to a data bus in response to the write latency control signal is immediately aligned with the clock signal and latched and provided to a memory cell array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Han-gi Jung, Young-kwon Jo
  • Patent number: 9852787
    Abstract: Provided is a semiconductor device having a memory cell array, which is capable of existing in three power-gating states depending on a non-access period to the memory cell array. The memory cell array includes a plurality of memory cells which each have an SRAM and a nonvolatile memory portion having a transistor with an oxide semiconductor in a channel region. The three power-gating states includes: a first state in which a power-gating to the memory cell array is performed; a second state in which the power-gating is performed on the memory cell array and peripheral circuits which control the memory cell array; and a third state in which, in addition to the memory cell array and the peripheral circuits, a power supply voltage supplying circuit is subjected to the power gating.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takahiko Ishizu, Kiyoshi Kato, Tatsuya Onuki, Wataru Uesugi