Patents by Inventor Alan D. Norris

Alan D. Norris has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8008142
    Abstract: A Schottky barrier diode comprises a doped guard ring having a doping of a second conductivity type in a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) substrate. The Schottky barrier diode further comprises a first-conductivity-type-doped semiconductor region having a doping of a first conductivity type, which is the opposite of the second conductivity type, on one side of a dummy gate electrode and a Schottky barrier structure surrounded by the doped guard ring on the other side. A Schottky barrier region may be laterally surrounded by the dummy gate electrode and the doped guard ring. The doped guard ring includes an unmetallized portion of a gate-side second-conductivity-type-doped semiconductor region having a doping of a second conductivity type. A Schottky barrier region may be laterally surrounded by a doped guard ring including a gate-side doped semiconductor region and a STI-side doped semiconductor region. Design structures for the inventive Schottky barrier diode are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Alan B. Botula, Alvin J. Joseph, Alan D. Norris, Robert M. Rassel, Yun Shi
  • Patent number: 7463548
    Abstract: A DDR DRAM having a test mode and an operational mode and a method for testing the DDR DRAM. The method includes in the order recited: (a) placing the DDR DRAM in test mode; (b) issuing a bank activate command to select and bring up a wordline selected for write of the DDR DRAM; (c) writing with auto-precharge, a test pattern to cells of the DDR DRAM; (d) repeating steps (b) and (c) until all wordlines for write have been selected; (e) issuing a bank activate command to select and bring up a wordline selected for read of the DDR DRAM; (f) reading with auto-precharge, the stored test pattern from cells of the DDR DRAM; and (g) repeating steps (e) and (f) until all wordlines for read have been selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 9, 2008
    Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation, Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Alan D. Norris, Samuel Weinstein, Stephan Wuensche
  • Patent number: 7243276
    Abstract: A DDR DRAM having a test mode and an operational mode and a method for testing the DDR DRAM. The method includes in the order recited: (a) placing the DDR DRAM in test mode; (b) issuing a band activate command to select and bring up a wordline selected for write of the DDR DRAM; (c) writing with auto-precharge, a test pattern to cells of the DDR DRAM; (d) repeating steps (b) and (c) until all wordlines for write have been selected; (e) issuing a bank activate command to select and bring up a wordline selected for read of the DDR DRAM; (f) reading with auto-precharge, the stored test pattern from cells of the DDR DRAM; and (g) repeating steps (c) and (f) until all wordlines for read have been selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Alan D. Norris, Samuel Weinstein, Stephan Wuensche
  • Patent number: 7221601
    Abstract: A SDRAM. The SDRAM including: at least one bank of DRAM cells; the SDRAM operable to a first specification defined by a first clock frequency, a first write recovery time and a first time interval for precharge to row address strobe; and means for programming the SDRAM operable to a second specification defined by a second clock frequency, a second write recovery time and a second time interval for precharge to row address strobe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mark D. Jacunski, Alan D. Norris, Samuel K. Weinstein
  • Patent number: 7194670
    Abstract: Disclosed is a flexible command multiplication scheme for the built-in-self test (BIST) of a high-speed embedded memory array that segments BIST functionality into remote lower-speed executable instructions and local higher-speed executable instructions. A stand-alone BIST logic controller operates at a lower frequency and communicates with a command multiplier using a low-speed BIST instruction seed set. The command multiplier uses offset or directive registers to drive a logic unit or ALU to generate ā€œnā€ sets of CAD information which are then time-multiplexed to the embedded memory at a speed ā€œnā€ times faster than the BIST operating speed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corp.
    Inventors: Jonathan R. Fales, Gregory J. Fredeman, Kevin W. Gorman, Mark D. Jacunski, Toshiaki Kirihata, Alan D. Norris, Paul C. Parries, Matthew R. Wordeman
  • Patent number: 7068564
    Abstract: A SDRAM mid a tinier lockout circuit. The SDRAM including: at least one bank of DRAM cells; the SDRAM operable to a first specification defined by a first clock frequency, a first write recovery time and a first time interval for precharge to row address strobe; and a circuit for programming the SDRAM operable to a second specification defined by a second clock frequency, a second write recovery time and a second time interval for precharge to row address strobe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2006
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mark D Jacunski, Alan D Norris, Samuel K Weinstein
  • Publication number: 20040264289
    Abstract: A SDRAM including: at least one bank of DRAM cells; the SDRAM operable to a first specification defined by a first clock frequency, a first write recovery time and a first time interval for precharge to row address strobe; and means for programming the SDRAM operable to a second specification defined by a second clock frequency, a second write recovery time and a second time interval for precharge to row address strobe.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2003
    Publication date: December 30, 2004
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mark D Jacunski, Alan D Norris, Samuel K Weinstein
  • Publication number: 20040133827
    Abstract: A test operation of a memory array permits changing the test vector during the test by controlling the contents of a test vector through at least two external terminals not used during the test to change from a first to a second test vector, both of said first and second test vectors being stored in a controllable register connected to the external terminals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 2, 2003
    Publication date: July 8, 2004
    Applicants: International Business Machines Corporation, Infineon Technologies North America Corp.
    Inventors: Alan D. Norris, Wolfgang Hokenmaier, Klaus Nierle
  • Patent number: 6708298
    Abstract: A method for testing the data strobe window (DQS) and data valid window (tDV) of a memory device (e.g., a DDR-type memory device) using the window strobe of a testing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2004
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: William E. Corbin, Jr., David P. Monty, Erik A. Nelson, Alan D. Norris, Steven W. Tomashot, David E. Chapman, Timothy E. Fiscus
  • Patent number: 6658604
    Abstract: To overcome these problems, the present invention generates two window strobes and uses the two window strobes to determine if skew between two signals meets predetermined criteria. One of the window strobes is used to test one of the signals, and the other window strobe is generated relative to the first window strobe. The second window strobe tests the other signal (or signals, if they are data signals). From the tests of the two window strobes, it can be determined if the skew between the first and second signals meets predetermined criteria. In particular, the two window strobes are placed relative to each other and to the signals being tested in such a way that when both window strobes indicate passing conditions, skew between the two signals is guaranteed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2000
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2003
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: William R. Corbin, David P. Monty, Erik A. Nelson, Alan D. Norris, Steven W. Tomashot, David E. Chapman, Timothy E. Fiscus
  • Publication number: 20020099987
    Abstract: A method for testing the data strobe window (DQS) and data valid window (tDV) of a memory device (e.g., a DDR-type memory device) using the window strobe of a testing system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 23, 2001
    Publication date: July 25, 2002
    Applicant: International Business Machines corporation
    Inventors: William R. Corbin, David P. Monty, Erik A. Nelson, Alan D. Norris, Steven w. Tomashot, David E. Chapman, Timothy E. Fiscus
  • Patent number: 6330697
    Abstract: A Defect Leakage Screen Test apparatus and method is introduced to eliminate or reduce steps in the failure analysis process of memory devices, such as DRAM cells, or to eliminate the necessity for the application of a physical failure analysis on the memory device. Special single bit failures due to leakage current, junction current, or threshold leakage current, are characterized by varying the p-well voltage of the memory device during the read operation of the test. The p-well voltage is varied with a test code Initial Program Load (IPL). Additional logic is provided on the memory IC to decode the IPL logic signals. In order to perform the p-well varying test, the memory device is provided with the following: IPL decoding logic; a reference voltage generator; an IPL voltage reference multiplexor; a p-well voltage feed-back circuit; and a differential amplifier circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 1999
    Date of Patent: December 11, 2001
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Michael P. Clinton, Klaus G. F. Enk, Russell J. Houghton, Alan D. Norris, Josef T. Schnell