Patents by Inventor Cristinel Zonte

Cristinel Zonte 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: 8570809
    Abstract: Flash memory devices and systems are provided. One flash memory device includes an n-channel metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (nMOSFET), a silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide silicon (SONOS) transistor coupled to the nMOSFET, and an isolated p-well coupled to the nMOSFET and the SONOS transistor. A flash memory system includes an array of memory devices divided into a plurality of paired sectors, a global bit line (GBL) configured to provide high voltage to each respective sector during erase and program operations coupled to each of the plurality of sectors, and a plurality of sense amplifiers coupled between a respective pair of sectors. Methods for operating a flash memory are also provided. One method includes providing high voltage, via the GBL, to the paired sectors during erase and program operations and providing low voltage, via a local bit line, to each memory device during read operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2013
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corp.
    Inventors: Ryan T. Hirose, Bogdan Georgescu, Ashish Amonkar, Sean Mulholland, Vijay Raghavan, Cristinel Zonte
  • Patent number: 8542541
    Abstract: In embodiments described herein, a memory architecture has an array of non-volatile memory cells and a pair of independently controlled voltage pumps. The pair of voltage pumps is coupled for supplying both positive and negative voltage biases to the memory array during program and erase operations, such that a sum of the magnitudes of the positive and negative voltage biases is applied across a storage node of an accessed memory cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Ryan T. Hirose, Fredrick Jenne, Vijay Srinivasaraghavan, Igor G. Kouznetsov, Paul Fredrick Ruths, Cristinel Zonte, Bogdan Georgescu, Leonard Vasile Gitlan, James Paul Myers
  • Patent number: 8531235
    Abstract: A current reference circuit configured to generate a reference current with a programmable temperature slope is disclosed. The current reference circuit includes a resistor. The current reference circuit includes a bandgap voltage circuit configured to generate a bandgap voltage and coupled to the resistor. The current reference circuit includes a bias voltage circuit configured to generate a variable-polarity bias voltage and coupled to the bandgap voltage circuit. The bandgap voltage circuit is configured to add the variable-polarity bias voltage to the bandgap voltage to generate the reference current through the resistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventor: Cristinel Zonte
  • Publication number: 20130141978
    Abstract: Flash memory devices and systems are provided. One flash memory device includes an n-channel metal oxide semiconductor field-effect transistor (nMOSFET), a silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide silicon (SONOS) transistor coupled to the nMOSFET, and an isolated p-well coupled to the nMOSFET and the SONOS transistor. A flash memory system includes an array of memory devices divided into a plurality of paired sectors, a global bit line (GBL) configured to provide high voltage to each respective sector during erase and program operations coupled to each of the plurality of sectors, and a plurality of sense amplifiers coupled between a respective pair of sectors. Methods for operating a flash memory are also provided. One method includes providing high voltage, via the GBL, to the paired sectors during erase and program operations and providing low voltage, via a local bit line, to each memory device during read operations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2011
    Publication date: June 6, 2013
    Applicant: CYPRESS SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryan T. HIROSE, Bogdan I. GEORGESCU, Ashish AMONKAR, Sean Brendan MULHOLLAND, Vijay RAGHAVAN, Cristinel ZONTE
  • Publication number: 20120188826
    Abstract: In embodiments described herein, a memory architecture has an array of non-volatile memory cells and a pair of independently controlled voltage pumps. The pair of voltage pumps is coupled for supplying both positive and negative voltage biases to the memory array during program and erase operations, such that a sum of the magnitudes of the positive and negative voltage biases is applied across a storage node of an accessed memory cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2012
    Publication date: July 26, 2012
    Applicant: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Ryan T. Hirose, Fredrick Jenne, Vijay Raghavan, Igor G. Kouznetsov, Paul Fredrick Ruths, Cristinel Zonte, Bogdan I. Georgescu, Leonard Vasile Gitlan, James Paul Myers
  • Patent number: 8217713
    Abstract: A device for providing a high precision current reference comprising a PTAT generator circuit for supplying a voltage, a high precision current reference offset generator circuit for generating a high precision current offset to compensate for variation in a resistance component due to variation in temperature, and a current adding circuit for aggregating the current from the PTAT generator circuit and the current from the high precision current reference offset generator circuit. In one embodiment, a high precision current reference generated is substantially independent of temperature. On-chip resistors may be used to design a high precision current reference. Accordingly, high precision current reference generated maintains high precision with zero temperature co-efficient using on-chip resistors that are substantially cheaper than off-chip resistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2012
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Vijay Kumar Srinivasa Raghavan, Cristinel Zonte
  • Patent number: 8125835
    Abstract: In embodiments described herein, a memory architecture has an array of non-volatile memory cells and a pair of independently controlled voltage pumps. The pair of voltage pumps is coupled for supplying both positive and negative voltage biases to the memory array during program and erase operations, such that a sum of the magnitudes of the positive and negative voltage biases is applied across a storage node of an accessed memory cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Ryan T. Hirose, Fredrick Jenne, Vijay Raghavan, Igor G. Kouznetsov, Paul Fredrick Ruths, Cristinel Zonte, Bogdan I. Georgescu, Leonard Vasile Gitlan, James Paul Myers
  • Patent number: 7969804
    Abstract: A memory architecture is provided with an array of non-volatile memory cells arranged in rows and columns, and a sense amplifier coupled to at least one column within the array for sensing a data bit stored within one of the non-volatile memory cells. In order to provide accurate sensing, a reference current generator is provided and coupled to the sense amplifier. The reference current generator provides a first reference current having adjustable magnitude and adjustable slope, and a second reference current having adjustable magnitude, but constant slope. The first reference current is supplied to the sense amplifier for sensing the data bit. The second reference current is supplied to a control block for generating clock signals used to control sense amplifier timing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Ryan T. Hirose, Fredrick Jenne, Vijay Srinivasaraghavan, Igor G. Kouznetsov, Paul Fredrick Ruths, Cristinel Zonte, Bogdan Georgescu, Leonard Vasile Gitlan, James Paul Myers
  • Patent number: 7852144
    Abstract: A relatively precise and accurate current reference system and method are described. The present current reference system and method facilitate realization of relatively high accuracy and precision in current references independent of process, voltage and temperature (PVT) variations. In one embodiment, a current reference system includes an opamp (operational amplifier), a first transistor and second transistor, a first resistor and a second resistor of different temperature coefficients, and a third transistor and fourth transistor. The opamp indicates and corrects the potential difference between a first branch and a second branch. The first transistor and second transistor mirror currents in the first branch and the second branch. The first resistor and a second resistor of different temperature coefficients cause voltage drops across them in a manner that compensates for PTAT variations. The third transistor and fourth transistor provide voltages between respective bases and emitters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2010
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Cristinel Zonte, Vijay Kumar Srinivasa Raghavan
  • Patent number: 7808842
    Abstract: System and methods to adjust a reference current are disclosed. A current reference circuit generates an adjustable reference current. A microprocessor-based feedback circuit adjusts the reference current, wherein the adjustment is based on read and write parameters attributed to a memory cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2010
    Assignee: Cypress Semiconductor Corporation
    Inventors: Vijay Kumar Srinivasa Raghavan, Cristinel Zonte
  • Publication number: 20100074028
    Abstract: In embodiments described herein, a memory architecture has an array of non-volatile memory cells and a pair of independently controlled voltage pumps. The pair of voltage pumps is coupled for supplying both positive and negative voltage biases to the memory array during program and erase operations, such that a sum of the magnitudes of the positive and negative voltage biases is applied across a storage node of an accessed memory cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2008
    Publication date: March 25, 2010
    Applicant: CYPRESS SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryan T. Hirose, Fredrick Jenne, Vijay Raghavan, Igor G. Kouznetsov, Paul Fredrick Ruths, Cristinel Zonte, Bogdan I. Georgescu, Leonard Vasile Gitlan, James Paul Myers