Patents Examined by VanThu T. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 11011223
    Abstract: An apparatus includes a component coupleable to a memory device. The component can be configured to analyze a plurality of sets of memory cells of the memory device to determine quality attributes associated with the plurality of sets of memory cells and assign grades to one or more sets of the memory cells based, at least in part, on the determined quality attributes. The component can be configured to allocate at least one of the plurality of sets of memory cells for use by the memory device based, at least in part, on the assigned grade associated with the one or more sets of the memory cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Andrew M. Kowles, Kevin R. Brandt
  • Patent number: 11004588
    Abstract: A base element for switching a magnetization state of a nanomagnet includes a heavy-metal nanostrip having a surface. A ferromagnetic nanomagnet is disposed adjacent to the surface. The ferromagnetic nanomagnet includes a shape having a long axis and a short axis. The ferromagnetic nanomagnet has both a perpendicular-to-the-plane anisotropy Hkz and an in-plane anisotropy Hkx and the ferromagnetic nanomagnet has a first magnetization equilibrium state and a second magnetization equilibrium state. The first magnetization equilibrium state or the second magnetization equilibrium state is settable by a flow of electrical charge through the heavy-metal nanostrip. A direction of flow of the electrical charge through the heavy-metal nanostrip includes an angle ? with respect to the short axis of the nanomagnet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: University of Rochester
    Inventors: Mohammad Kazemi, Engin Ipek, Eby G. Friedman
  • Patent number: 10998057
    Abstract: A memory device includes a memory cell array, a read operator, a shift level determiner, and a read operation controller. The read operator applies a read voltage to a selected word line coupled to selected memory cells and reads the selected memory cells in response to an evaluation signal. The shift level determiner calculates a shift value indicating a difference between a number of memory cells read as on-cells and a reference number, and determines a shift level of a threshold voltage distribution for the selected memory cells. The soft read table storage stores soft read set parameters. The read operation controller determines a plurality of soft read voltages based on the shift level and the soft read set parameters and controls the read operator in response to the evaluation signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 4, 2021
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Won Jae Choi, Jea Won Choi
  • Patent number: 10991435
    Abstract: A vertical flash device (e.g., such as a field effect transistor, charge trap gate transistor, or charge trap flash device) is placed in series with a selector device. The selector's threshold voltage may be modulated depending upon the channel resistance of the flash device allowing for the storage of a state via the selector device. In this manner, the selector device may exhibit a voltage-dependent volatile resistance state change that occurs between a first state of said selector device and a second state of said selector device. A first binary value can be represented by the first state of the selector device, and a second binary value can be represented by the second state of the selector device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Abhishek A. Sharma
  • Patent number: 10978127
    Abstract: Semiconductor memory devices and methods of operating the same are provided. The method of operation may include the steps of selecting a ferroelectric memory cell for a read operation, coupling a first pulse signal to interrogate the selected ferroelectric memory cell, the selected ferroelectric memory cell outputting a memory signal to a bit-line in response to the first pulse signal, coupling the memory signal to a first input of a sense amplifier via the bit-line, electrically isolating the sense amplifier from the selected ferroelectric memory cell, and enabling the sense amplifier for sensing after the sense amplifier is electrically isolated from the selected ferroelectric memory cell. Other embodiments are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Alan D. DeVilbiss, Jonathan Lachman
  • Patent number: 10971196
    Abstract: A single-ended sense amplifier includes a virtual-supply voltage-adapted (VVDD-adapted) inverter circuit, a virtual-supply voltage-adapted (VVDD-adapted) voltage-level converter circuit (VLC), and a virtual-supply-voltage-adaptation circuit (VSVA). The single-ended sense amplifier receives a data signal input, a sensing-operation-enabling signal input, and a pre-charging control signal input to generate a final amplified signal output. There are a first virtual-supply node and a second virtual-supply node in the VVDD-adapted inverter circuit. There is a third virtual-supply node in the VVDD-adapted VLC. The VSVA connects both the first and third virtual supply voltage nodes. The output end of the virtual-supply voltage-adapted inverter circuit connects to the input end of the VVDD-adapted VLC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: NATIONAL CHUNG CHENG UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Jinn-Shyan Wang, Chien-Tung Liu
  • Patent number: 10964380
    Abstract: A memory circuit that includes a memory bitcell. The memory bitcell includes a six-transistor circuit configuration, a first transistor coupled to the six-transistor circuit configuration, a second transistor coupled to the first transistor, a third transistor coupled to the second transistor, and a capacitor coupled to the second transistor and the third transistor. The memory circuit includes a read word line coupled to the third transistor, a read bit line coupled to the third transistor, and an activation line coupled to the second transistor. The memory bitcell may be configured to operate as a NAND memory bitcell. The memory bitcell may be configured to operate as a NOR memory bitcell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Zhongze Wang, Yandong Gao, Xia Li, Ye Lu, Xiaochun Zhu, Xiaonan Chen
  • Patent number: 10950277
    Abstract: An integrated circuit including a signal line layout is disclosed. A signal line layout may include a number of signal lines configured for conveying a number of signals. The signal line layout may further include a number of shield lines. Each signal line of the number of signal lines may be positioned adjacent a first shield line and a second shield line of the number of the shield lines. Further, first shield line may extend a length of an adjacent signal line and the second shield line may extend less than a length of the adjacent signal line. An electronic system including circuitry having one or more signal line layouts, and methods of forming signal line layout are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Wataru Nobehara, Takamitsu Onda
  • Patent number: 10949117
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods related to direct data transfer in memory. An example apparatus can include a first number of memory devices coupled to a host via a respective first number of ports and a second number of memory devices coupled to the first number of memory device via a respective second number of ports, wherein first number of memory devices and the second number of memory devices are configured to transfer data based on a first portion of a command including instructions to read the data from first number of memory devices and send the data directly to the second number of devices and a second portion of the command that includes instructions to write the data to the second number of memory devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Frank F. Ross
  • Patent number: 10943664
    Abstract: A storage device configured to provide an improved data recovery rate includes a memory device including a plurality of memory cells and a memory controller. The memory controller includes a read operation controller for controlling the memory device to perform a read operation by applying a default read voltage or optimal read voltage to a selected word line coupled to selected memory cells among the plurality of memory cells; and an optimal read voltage operating component for determining the optimal read voltage when the read operation using the default read voltage fails, based on an average threshold voltage and cell number information which are information on a memory cell number for each of first and second distributions which are adjacent threshold voltage distributions among threshold voltage distributions that the threshold voltages of the selected memory cells form.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Woo Suk Kwak
  • Patent number: 10943668
    Abstract: A storage device according to the present disclosure includes: a plurality of first wiring lines extending in a first direction and including a plurality of first selection lines and a plurality of second selection lines; a plurality of second wiring lines extending in a second direction and including a plurality of third selection lines and a plurality of fourth selection lines, the second direction intersecting the first direction; a plurality of first memory cells; a first driver including a first selection line driver that drives the plurality of first selection lines on a basis of a first selection control signal and a second selection line driver that drives the plurality of second selection lines on a basis of the first selection control signal, the first and second selection line drivers being arranged side-by-side in the first direction; and a second driver including a third selection line driver that drives the plurality of third selection lines on a basis of a second selection control signal and a
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2021
    Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Haruhiko Terada, Makoto Kitagawa, Yoshiyuki Shibahara, Yotaro Mori
  • Patent number: 10937475
    Abstract: A TCAM (Ternary Content Addressable Memory) according to the embodiment includes repeaters in a delay path for controlling the timing in the replica circuit that defines the timing of matching. According to the above configuration, the TCAM which consumes low power and operates at high speed can be realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: RENESAS ELELCTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Makoto Yabuuchi
  • Patent number: 10930337
    Abstract: Techniques are provided for writing a high-level state to a memory cell capable of storing three or more logic states. After a sense operation performed by a first sense component and a second sense component, a digit line may be isolated from the first sense component and the second sense component. The high-level state may be stored in the memory cell, then a second state may be stored in the memory cell, in which the second state may be a mid-level state or a low-level state. The second state may be stored based on a write-back component identifying that the second state was stored in the memory cell before the write back procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: John F. Schreck, George B. Raad
  • Patent number: 10931283
    Abstract: An integrated circuit may include integrated memory that is formed from a chain of memory blocks. Each memory block may have configurable input and output circuits. The configurable input and output circuits may be interposed between memory circuitry such as a memory array from circuitry external to the memory circuitry. The configurable input and output circuits may have upstream and downstream memory block connection ports. In such a way, configurable input and output circuits in a first memory block may pass control and address signals and data to configurable input and output circuits in a second memory block. By using the configurable input and output circuits, the integrated memory in the integrated circuit may operate to accommodate large bandwidth flows without using the general routing fabric of the integrated circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Chang Kian Tan, Chee Hak Teh
  • Patent number: 10923187
    Abstract: Provided is a storage device that includes a plurality of first wiring lines including a plurality of first and second selection lines, a plurality of second wiring lines including a plurality of third and fourth selection lines, a first selection line driver that applies a first voltage and a second voltage to one or more selection lines of the plurality of first and second selection lines respectively, the first voltage and the second voltage being one of a first and a second selection voltage, and the first and the second voltage are different, and a second selection line driver that applies a third voltage and a fourth voltage to one or more selection lines of the plurality of third and fourth selection lines respectively, the third voltage and the fourth voltage being one of the first and the second selection voltage, and the third and the fourth voltage being different.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: SONY SEMICONDUCTOR SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Haruhiko Terada
  • Patent number: 10910055
    Abstract: The present invention provides a semiconductor device that can reduce the power consumption, including: a plurality of search memory cells arranged in a matrix; a plurality of match lines provided corresponding to each memory cell row to determine match/mismatch between data stored in the search memory cell and search data; a plurality of match line retention circuits provided corresponding to each of the match lines; a storage unit for storing information relating to the state of each of the match lines; and a selection circuit for selectively activating the match line retention circuits based on the information stored in the storage unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Futoshi Igaue
  • Patent number: 10910057
    Abstract: A memory array includes strings that are configured to store keywords and inverse keywords corresponding to keys according to content addressable memory (CAM) storages schemes. A read circuit performs a CAM read operation over a plurality of iterations to determine which of the keywords are matching keywords that match a target keyword. During the iterations, a read controller biases word lines according to a plurality of modified word line bias setting that are each modified from an initial word line bias setting corresponding to the target keyword. At the end of the CAM read operation, the read controller detects which of the keywords are matching keywords, even if the strings are storing the keywords or inverse keywords with up a certain number of bit errors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Idan Alrod, Eran Sharon, Alon Marcu, Yan Li
  • Patent number: 10902902
    Abstract: A memory system may include a memory system may include a memory device including a table suitable for managing rows for an additional refresh operation; and a memory controller comprising: a replica table corresponding to the table of the memory; an error history storage circuit suitable for storing an error history of the memory device; and a determination circuit suitable for determining whether to perform an active operation of a target row to be evicted from the replica table without the additional refresh operation, using the error history, when the target row is present.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Mun-Gyu Son
  • Patent number: 10904052
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for multiplexing distinct signals on a single pin of a memory device are described. Techniques are described herein to multiplex data using a modulation scheme having at least three levels. The modulated data may be communicated to multiple memory dies over a shared bus. Each of the dies may include a same or different type of memory cell and, in some examples, a multi-level signaling scheme may be pulse amplitude modulation (PAM). Each unique symbol of the modulated signal may be configured to represent a plurality of bits of data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert Nasry Hasbun, Timothy M. Hollis, Jeffrey P. Wright, Dean D. Gans
  • Patent number: 10903191
    Abstract: A semiconductor chip includes a first semiconductor device and a second semiconductor device stacked and coupled through a unidirectional through electrode and a plurality of bidirectional through electrodes, wherein a through electrode in which a failure has occurred among the unidirectional through electrode and the plurality of bidirectional through electrodes is replaced based on a plurality of transfer control signals. The plurality of transfer control signals including failure information on the unidirectional through electrode and the plurality of bidirectional through electrodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2021
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Sun Myung Choi