Patents by Inventor Edward Franklin Runnion

Edward Franklin Runnion 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: 7995386
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices that facilitate applying a predefined negative gate voltage to wordlines adjacent to a selected wordline associated with a memory cell selected during a read or verify operation to facilitate reducing adjacent wordline disturb are presented. A memory component can comprise an optimized operation component that can apply a predefined negative gate voltage to wordlines adjacent to a selected wordline associated with a memory cell selected for a read or verify operation, based at least in part on predefined operation criteria, to facilitate reducing adjacent wordline disturb in the selected memory cell to facilitate reducing a shift in the voltage threshold and maintain a desired operation window. The optimized operation component optionally can include an evaluator component that can facilitate determining whether a negative gate voltage applied to adjacent wordlines is to be adjusted to facilitate reducing adjacent wordline disturb below a predetermined threshold amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2011
    Assignee: Spansion LLC
    Inventors: Yuji Mizuguchi, Mark W. Randolph, Darlene Gay Hamilton, Yi He, Zhizheng Liu, Yanxia (Emma) Lin, Xianmin Yi, Gulzar Kathawala, Amol Ramesh Joshi, Kuo-Tung Chang, Edward Franklin Runnion, Sung-Chul Lee, Sung-Yong Chung, Yanxiang Liu, Yu Sun
  • Publication number: 20100128521
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and devices that facilitate applying a predefined negative gate voltage to wordlines adjacent to a selected wordline associated with a memory cell selected during a read or verify operation to facilitate reducing adjacent wordline disturb are presented. A memory component can comprise an optimized operation component that can apply a predefined negative gate voltage to wordlines adjacent to a selected wordline associated with a memory cell selected for a read or verify operation, based at least in part on predefined operation criteria, to facilitate reducing adjacent wordline disturb in the selected memory cell to facilitate reducing a shift in the voltage threshold and maintain a desired operation window. The optimized operation component optionally can include an evaluator component that can facilitate determining whether a negative gate voltage applied to adjacent wordlines is to be adjusted to facilitate reducing adjacent wordline disturb below a predetermined threshold amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2008
    Publication date: May 27, 2010
    Applicant: SPANSION LLC
    Inventors: Yuji Mizuguchi, Mark W. Randolph, Darlene Gay Hamilton, Yi He, Zhizheng Liu, Yanxia (Emma) Lin, Xianmin Yi, Gulzar Kathawala, Amol Ramesh Joshi, Kuo-Tung Chang, Edward Franklin Runnion, Sung-Chul Lee, Sung-Yong Chung, Yanxiang Liu, Yu Sun
  • Patent number: 7619932
    Abstract: Methods and systems for accurately programming or erasing one or more memory cells on a selected wordline of a memory device are provided. In one embodiment, the memory device comprises a memory array, a threshold voltage measuring component configured to measure a threshold voltage of each memory cell on the selected wordline of the memory array, and an average threshold voltage determining component configured to determine an average threshold voltage result uniquely associated with the selected wordline, based on the measured threshold voltages. The memory device is configured to program one or more of the memory cells to a predefined program level relative to the determined average threshold voltage, or to erase memory cells of the selected wordline to the determined average threshold voltage. The method is particularly useful for multi-level flash memory cells to reduce charge loss while improving data reliability and Vt distributions of the programmed element states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2009
    Assignee: Spansion LLC
    Inventors: Gwyn Robert Jones, Edward Franklin Runnion, Zhizheng Liu, Mark William Randolph
  • Patent number: 7561471
    Abstract: Methods of erasing flash memory cells are provided that improve erase cycling speed and reliability. One embodiment comprises interactively applying a stepped or ramped drain voltage pattern to a drain of the memory cells and a pulsed gate voltage pattern to a gate of the memory cells for a predetermined number of gate pulses or until all the memory cells are erased. In another embodiment, an erase bias circuit is provided for erasing a sector of flash memory cells, the circuit comprising row and column decoders that selects wordline rows and columns of cells, respectively, a supply bias arrangement that provides source and drain supply voltages for the sector, and a patterned pulse bias arrangement configured to provide a pulsed gate voltage pattern to gates of the cells selected by the row decoder and a drain voltage pattern to the drains of the cells selected by the column decoder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: Spansion LLC
    Inventors: Sheung-Hee Park, Xuguang Wang, Wing Leung, Ming-Sang Kwan, Yi He, Edward Franklin Runnion
  • Publication number: 20090154251
    Abstract: Methods and systems for accurately programming or erasing one or more memory cells on a selected wordline of a memory device are provided. In one embodiment, the memory device comprises a memory array, a threshold voltage measuring component configured to measure a threshold voltage of each memory cell on the selected wordline of the memory array, and an average threshold voltage determining component configured to determine an average threshold voltage result uniquely associated with the selected wordline, based on the measured threshold voltages. The memory device is configured to program one or more of the memory cells to a predefined program level relative to the determined average threshold voltage, or to erase memory cells of the selected wordline to the determined average threshold voltage. The method is particularly useful for multi-level flash memory cells to reduce charge loss while improving data reliability and Vt distributions of the programmed element states.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2007
    Publication date: June 18, 2009
    Applicant: SPANSION LLC
    Inventors: Gwyn Robert Jones, Edward Franklin Runnion, Zhizheng Liu, Mark William Randolph
  • Publication number: 20080151644
    Abstract: Methods of erasing flash memory cells are provided that improve erase cycling speed and reliability. One embodiment comprises interactively applying a stepped or ramped drain voltage pattern to a drain of the memory cells and a pulsed gate voltage pattern to a gate of the memory cells for a predetermined number of gate pulses or until all the memory cells are erased. In another embodiment, an erase bias circuit is provided for erasing a sector of flash memory cells, the circuit comprising row and column decoders that selects wordline rows and columns of cells, respectively, a supply bias arrangement that provides source and drain supply voltages for the sector, and a patterned pulse bias arrangement configured to provide a pulsed gate voltage pattern to gates of the cells selected by the row decoder and a drain voltage pattern to the drains of the cells selected by the column decoder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2007
    Publication date: June 26, 2008
    Inventors: Sheung-Hee Park, Xuguang Wang, Wing Leung, Ming-Sang Kwan, Yi He, Edward Franklin Runnion
  • Publication number: 20080037330
    Abstract: A method of erasing a block of flash memory cells by applying a ramped gate erase voltage to the block of memory cells. When an erase verify of the block of memory cells indicates that erasure has not been successfully completed another erase voltage with a greater absolute value than the initial erase voltage can be applied to the block of memory cells until erasure is complete.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2006
    Publication date: February 14, 2008
    Inventors: Sheung-Hee Park, Gwyn Jones, Wing Leung, Edward Franklin Runnion, Ming-Sang Kwan, Xuguang Wang, Yi He
  • Patent number: 7319615
    Abstract: A method of erasing a block of flash memory cells by applying a ramped gate erase voltage to the block of memory cells. When an erase verify of the block of memory cells indicates that erasure has not been successfully completed another erase voltage with a greater absolute value than the initial erase voltage can be applied to the block of memory cells until erasure is complete.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2008
    Assignee: Spansion LLC
    Inventors: Sheung-Hee Park, Gwyn Jones, Wing Leung, Edward Franklin Runnion, Ming-Sang Kwan, Xuguang Wang, Yi He
  • Patent number: 6834012
    Abstract: Methods of operating dual bit flash memory devices and correcting over-erased dual bit flash memory devices are provided. The present invention includes a corrective action that employs a negative gate to correct over-erased memory cells without substantially altering threshold voltage values or charge states for properly erased memory cells. The negative gate stress is performed as a block operation by applying a negative gate voltage to gates and connecting active regions and a substrate to ground.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2004
    Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
    Inventors: Yi He, Edward Franklin Runnion, Zhizheng Liu, Zengtao Liu, Mark William Randolph