Patents by Inventor Hsien-Yu Pan

Hsien-Yu Pan 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: 11948627
    Abstract: A write assist circuit can include a control circuit and a voltage generator. The control circuit can be configured to receive memory address information associated with a memory write operation for memory cells. The voltage generator can be configured to provide a reference voltage to one or more bitlines coupled to the memory cells. The voltage generator can include two capacitive elements, where during the memory write operation, (i) one of the capacitive elements can be configured to couple the reference voltage to a first negative voltage, and (ii) based on the memory address information, both capacitive elements can be configured to cumulatively couple the reference voltage to a second negative voltage that is lower than the first negative voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2024
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidehiro Fujiwara, Chih-Yu Lin, Sahil Preet Singh, Hsien-Yu Pan, Yen-Huei Chen, Hung-Jen Liao
  • Publication number: 20230377640
    Abstract: A memory cell includes a write port and a read port. The write port includes two cross-coupled inverters that form a storage unit. The cross-coupled inverters are connected between a first power source signal line and a second power source signal line. The write port also includes a first local interconnect line in an interconnect layer that is connected to the second power source signal line. The read port includes a transistor that is connected to the storage unit in the write port and to the second power source signal line, and a second local interconnect line in the interconnect layer that is connected to the second power source signal line. The second local interconnect line in the read port is separate from the first local interconnect line in the write port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 22, 2023
    Publication date: November 23, 2023
    Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidehiro Fujiwara, Hsien-Yu Pan, Chih-Yu Lin, Yen-Huei Chen, Wei-Chang Zhao
  • Patent number: 11769533
    Abstract: A semiconductor chip is provided. The semiconductor chip includes a SRAM cell, a logic cell, a signal line and a ground line. The SRAM cell includes a storage transmission gate, a read transmission gate and a latch circuit. The latch circuit is serially connected between the storage and read transmission gates, and includes a first inverter, a second inverter and a transmission gate connected to an output of the first inverter, an input of the second inverter and an output of the storage transmission gate. The logic cell disposed aside the SRAM cell is connected with the SRAM cell by first and second active structures. The signal and ground lines extend at opposite sides of the SRAM and logic cells, and are substantially parallel with the first and second active structures. The SRAM and logic cells are disposed between and electrically connected to the signal and ground lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2023
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidehiro Fujiwara, Hsien-Yu Pan, Chih-Yu Lin, Yen-Huei Chen, Wei-Chang Zhao
  • Publication number: 20230301049
    Abstract: A method of forming a memory circuit includes generating a layout design of the memory circuit, and manufacturing the memory circuit based on the layout design. The generating of the layout design includes generating a first active region layout pattern corresponding to fabricating a first active region of a first pull down transistor, generating a second active region layout pattern corresponding to fabricating a second active region of a first pass gate transistor, and generating a first metal contact layout pattern corresponding to fabricating a first metal contact. The first metal contact layout pattern overlaps the cell boundary of the memory circuit and the first active region layout pattern. The first metal contact electrically coupled to a source of the first pull down transistor. The memory circuit being a four transistor (4T) memory cell including a first and second pass gate transistor, and a first and second pull down transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 20, 2023
    Publication date: September 21, 2023
    Inventors: Hidehiro FUJIWARA, Chih-Yu LIN, Hsien-Yu PAN, Yasutoshi OKUNO, Yen-Huei CHEN, Hung-Jen LIAO
  • Patent number: 11657870
    Abstract: A memory cell includes a write port and a read port. The write port includes two cross-coupled inverters that form a storage unit. The cross-coupled inverters are connected between a first power source signal line and a second power source signal line. The write port also includes a first local interconnect line in an interconnect layer that is connected to the second power source signal line. The read port includes a transistor that is connected to the storage unit in the write port and to the second power source signal line, and a second local interconnect line in the interconnect layer that is connected to the second power source signal line. The second local interconnect line in the read port is separate from the first local interconnect line in the write port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidehiro Fujiwara, Hsien-Yu Pan, Chih-Yu Lin, Yen-Huei Chen, Wei-Chang Zhao
  • Patent number: 11637108
    Abstract: A method of forming a memory circuit includes generating a layout design of the memory circuit, and manufacturing the memory circuit based on the layout design. The memory circuit is a four transistor memory cell that includes at least the first pass gate transistor and the first pull up transistor. The generating of the layout design includes generating a first active region layout pattern corresponding to fabricating a first active region of a first pull up transistor, generating a second active region layout pattern corresponding to fabricating a second active region of a first pass gate transistor, and generating a first metal contact layout pattern corresponding to fabricating a first metal contact is electrically coupled to a source of the first pull up transistor. The first metal contact layout pattern extends in a second direction, overlaps a cell boundary of the memory circuit and the first active region layout pattern.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Hidehiro Fujiwara, Chih-Yu Lin, Hsien-Yu Pan, Yasutoshi Okuno, Yen-Huei Chen, Hung-Jen Liao
  • Publication number: 20220383947
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes embodiments of a write assist circuit. The write assist circuit can include a control circuit and a voltage generator. The control circuit can be configured to receive memory address information associated with a memory write operation for memory cells. The voltage generator can be configured to provide a reference voltage to one or more bitlines coupled to the memory cells. The voltage generator can include two capacitive elements, where during the memory write operation, (i) one of the capacitive elements can be configured to couple the reference voltage to a first negative voltage, and (ii) based on the memory address information, both capacitive elements can be configured to cumulatively couple the reference voltage to a second negative voltage that is lower than the first negative voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2022
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidehiro FUJIWARA, Chih-Yu LIN, Sahil Preet Singh, Hsien-Yu PAN, Yen-Huei CHEN, Hung-Jen LIAO
  • Patent number: 11423977
    Abstract: The disclosed write assist circuit can include a control circuit and a voltage generator. The control circuit can be configured to receive memory address information associated with a memory write operation for memory cells. The voltage generator can be configured to provide a reference voltage to one or more bitlines coupled to the memory cells. The voltage generator can include two capacitive elements, where during the memory write operation, (i) one of the capacitive elements can be configured to couple the reference voltage to a first negative voltage, and (ii) based on the memory address information, both capacitive elements can be configured to cumulatively couple the reference voltage to a second negative voltage that is lower than the first negative voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidehiro Fujiwara, Chih-Yu Lin, Sahil Preet Singh, Hsien-Yu Pan, Yen-Huei Chen, Hung-Jen Liao
  • Patent number: 11322198
    Abstract: A memory macro system may be provided. The memory macro system may comprise a first segment, a second segment, a first WL, and a second WL. The first segment may comprise a first plurality of memory cells. The second segment may comprise a second plurality of memory cells. The first segment may be positioned over the second segment. The first WL may correspond to the first segment and the second WL may correspond to the second segment. The first WL and the second WL may be configured to be activated in one cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD
    Inventors: Hidehiro Fujiwara, Hsien-Yu Pan, Chih-Yu Lin, Yen-Huei Chen, Wei-Chang Zhao
  • Patent number: 11176997
    Abstract: A cell structure is disclosed. The cell structure includes a first unit comprising a first group of transistors and a first data latch, a second unit comprising a second group of transistors and a second data latch a read port unit comprising a plurality of p-type transistors, a search line and a complementary search line, the search line and the complementary search line function as input of the cell structure, and a master line, the master line functions as an output of the cell structure, the first unit is coupled to the second unit, both the first and the second units are coupled to the read port unit. According to some embodiments, the first data latch comprises a first and a second p-type transistors, a first and a second n-type transistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidehiro Fujiwara, Hung-Jen Liao, Hsien-Yu Pan, Chih-Yu Lin, Yen-Huei Chen, Chien-Chen Lin
  • Publication number: 20210350849
    Abstract: A memory cell includes a write port and a read port. The write port includes two cross-coupled inverters that form a storage unit. The cross-coupled inverters are connected between a first power source signal line and a second power source signal line. The write port also includes a first local interconnect line in an interconnect layer that is connected to the second power source signal line. The read port includes a transistor that is connected to the storage unit in the write port and to the second power source signal line, and a second local interconnect line in the interconnect layer that is connected to the second power source signal line. The second local interconnect line in the read port is separate from the first local interconnect line in the write port.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 21, 2021
    Publication date: November 11, 2021
    Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidehiro Fujiwara, Hsien-Yu Pan, Chih-Yu Lin, Yen-Huei Chen, Wei-Chang Zhao
  • Publication number: 20210343317
    Abstract: A semiconductor chip is provided. The semiconductor chip includes a SRAM cell, a logic cell, a signal line and a ground line. The SRAM cell includes a storage transmission gate, a read transmission gate and a latch circuit. The latch circuit is serially connected between the storage and read transmission gates, and includes a first inverter, a second inverter and a transmission gate connected to an output of the first inverter, an input of the second inverter and an output of the storage transmission gate. The logic cell disposed aside the SRAM cell is connected with the SRAM cell by first and second active structures. The signal and ground lines extend at opposite sides of the SRAM and logic cells, and are substantially parallel with the first and second active structures. The SRAM and logic cells are disposed between and electrically connected to the signal and ground lines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 12, 2021
    Publication date: November 4, 2021
    Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidehiro Fujiwara, Hsien-Yu Pan, Chih-Yu Lin, Yen-Huei Chen, Wei-Chang Zhao
  • Publication number: 20210272967
    Abstract: A method of forming a memory circuit includes generating a layout design of the memory circuit, and manufacturing the memory circuit based on the layout design. The memory circuit is a four transistor memory cell that includes at least the first pass gate transistor and the first pull up transistor. The generating of the layout design includes generating a first active region layout pattern corresponding to fabricating a first active region of a first pull up transistor, generating a second active region layout pattern corresponding to fabricating a second active region of a first pass gate transistor, and generating a first metal contact layout pattern corresponding to fabricating a first metal contact is electrically coupled to a source of the first pull up transistor. The first metal contact layout pattern extends in a second direction, overlaps a cell boundary of the memory circuit and the first active region layout pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2021
    Publication date: September 2, 2021
    Inventors: Hidehiro FUJIWARA, Chih-Yu LIN, Hsien-Yu PAN, Yasutoshi OKUNO, Yen-Huei CHEN, Hung-Jen LIAO
  • Patent number: 11074966
    Abstract: A memory cell includes a write port and a read port. The write port includes two cross-coupled inverters that form a storage unit. The cross-coupled inverters are connected between a first power source signal line and a second power source signal line. The write port also includes a first local interconnect line in an interconnect layer that is connected to the second power source signal line. The read port includes a transistor that is connected to the storage unit in the write port and to the second power source signal line, and a second local interconnect line in the interconnect layer that is connected to the second power source signal line. The second local interconnect line in the read port is separate from the first local interconnect line in the write port.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2021
    Inventors: Hidehiro Fujiwara, Hsien-Yu Pan, Chih-Yu Lin, Yen-Huei Chen, Wei-Chang Zhao
  • Publication number: 20210217742
    Abstract: A memory array includes a first memory cell configured to store data, a second memory cell configured to store data and a bit line extending along the first direction, and being over the first memory cell and the second memory cell. The first memory cell and the second memory cell are arranged along a first direction in a first column of memory cells. The bit line includes a first conductor extending in the first direction and being in a first conductive layer, and a second conductor extending in the first direction and being in a second conductive layer different from the first conductive layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2021
    Publication date: July 15, 2021
    Inventors: Hidehiro FUJIWARA, Sahil Preet SINGH, Chih-Yu LIN, Hsien-Yu PAN, Yen-Huei CHEN, Hung-Jen LIAO
  • Patent number: 11062739
    Abstract: A semiconductor chip is provided. The semiconductor chip includes a memory cell and a logic cell disposed aside the memory cell, and includes signal and ground lines with the memory and logic cells located therebetween. The memory cell includes first and second active structures extending along a first direction, and includes a storage transmission gate line, first through third gate lines and a read transmission gate line extending along a second direction. The storage transmission gate line includes first and second line segments, which respectively extends across the active structures. The first through third gate lines continuously extend across the first and second active structures. The read transmission gate line includes third and fourth line segments, which respectively extend across the active structures. The first through third gate lines are located between the storage and read transmission gate lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidehiro Fujiwara, Hsien-Yu Pan, Chih-Yu Lin, Yen-Huei Chen, Wei-Chang Zhao
  • Publication number: 20210201999
    Abstract: A cell structure is disclosed. The cell structure includes a first unit comprising a first group of transistors and a first data latch, a second unit comprising a second group of transistors and a second data latch a read port unit comprising a plurality of p-type transistors, a search line and a complementary search line, the search line and the complementary search line function as input of the cell structure, and a master line, the master line functions as an output of the cell structure, the first unit is coupled to the second unit, both the first and the second units are coupled to the read port unit. According to some embodiments, the first data latch comprises a first and a second p-type transistors, a first and a second n-type transistors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2021
    Publication date: July 1, 2021
    Inventors: Hidehiro Fujiwara, Hung-Jen Liao, Hsien-Yu Pan, Chih-Yu Lin, Yen-Huei Chen, Chien-Chen Lin
  • Patent number: 11018142
    Abstract: A memory cell includes a first and second pull up transistor, a first and second pass gate transistor and a metal contact. The first pull up transistor has a first active region extending in a first direction. The first pass gate transistor has a second active region extending in the first direction, and being separated from the first active region in a second direction. The second active region is adjacent to the first active region. The second pass gate transistor is coupled to the second pull up transistor. The metal contact extends in the second direction, and extends from the first active region to the second active region. The metal contact couples drains of the first pull up transistor and the first pass gate transistor. The first and second pass gate transistors and the first and second pull up transistors are part of a four transistor memory cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Hidehiro Fujiwara, Hung-Jen Liao, Hsien-Yu Pan, Chih-Yu Lin, Yen-Huei Chen, Yasutoshi Okuno
  • Patent number: 10971217
    Abstract: Some embodiments relate to an SRAM cell layout including upper and lower cell edges and left and right cell edges. A first power rail extends generally in parallel with and lies along the left cell edge or the right cell edge. The first power rail is coupled to a first power supply. A second power rail extends generally in parallel with the first power rail and is arranged equidistantly between the left and right cell edges. A first bitline extends in parallel with the first power rail and the second power rail and is arranged to a first side of the second power rail. A second bitline, which is complementary to the first bitline, extends in parallel with the first power rail and the second power rail and is arranged to a second side of the second power rail.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Hidehiro Fujiwara, Hung-Jen Liao, Hsien-Yu Pan, Yen-Huei Chen, Mahmut Sinangil
  • Publication number: 20210098054
    Abstract: A memory macro system may be provided. The memory macro system may comprise a first segment, a second segment, a first WL, and a second WL. The first segment may comprise a first plurality of memory cells. The second segment may comprise a second plurality of memory cells. The first segment may be positioned over the second segment. The first WL may correspond to the first segment and the second WL may correspond to the second segment. The first WL and the second WL may be configured to be activated in one cycle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventors: Hidehiro Fujiwara, Hsien-Yu Pan, Chih-Yu Lin, Yen-Huei Chen, Wei-Chang Zhao