Patents by Inventor Hyung-jin Choi

Hyung-jin Choi 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).

  • Publication number: 20240233830
    Abstract: Provided herein may be a memory device for performing a program operation including program loops and a method of operating the same. The method of operating a memory device may include performing a first program loop of increasing threshold voltages of first memory cells selected by a first drain select line among a plurality of memory cells coupled to a word line, performing a second program loop of increasing threshold voltages of second memory cells selected by a second drain select line among the plurality of memory cells, and alternately repeating the first program loop and the second program loop such that respective threshold voltages of the first memory cells and the second memory cells are increased to respective threshold voltages corresponding to respective target program states.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 4, 2023
    Publication date: July 11, 2024
    Inventors: Hyung Jin CHOI, Gwi Han KO, Chan Sik PARK
  • Publication number: 20240185919
    Abstract: A semiconductor device may include a memory cell array including a memory block including a plurality of memory strings connected between a plurality of bit lines and a common source line, a control circuit that generates a page buffer control signal, a voltage control signal, and a drive address signal, a page buffer group including a plurality of page buffers and configured to form each of the plurality of bit lines to a preset voltage level, and generate a threshold voltage variation result on the basis of a change in the voltage level of each of the plurality of bit lines, a voltage generation circuit that generates a threshold verification voltage and a pass voltage, and a line drive circuit that drives a plurality of select lines to a level of the threshold verification voltage, and drives a plurality of word lines to a level of the pass voltage, during the threshold voltage variation verification.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2023
    Publication date: June 6, 2024
    Inventors: Hyung Jin CHOI, In Gon YANG, Young Seung YOO
  • Publication number: 20240177784
    Abstract: A method of operating a semiconductor device includes: starting a program operation on selected memory cells among a plurality of memory cells in response to a program command; suspending the program operation in response to a program suspend command; and performing a pre-verify operation by using a modified verify voltage in response to a program resume command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2023
    Publication date: May 30, 2024
    Applicant: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Hyung Jin CHOI, Se Chun PARK
  • Publication number: 20240176503
    Abstract: A memory device includes: a plurality of memory cells; a peripheral circuit configured to perform a plurality of program loops each including a program voltage apply operation of applying a program voltage to selected memory cells, and a verify operation of verifying a program state of the selected memory cells; and a control logic configured to control the peripheral circuit to apply program voltages increasing in a step-wise manner by a first step voltage in program loops in a first state, and increasing by a second step voltage that is lower than the first step voltage in program loops in a second state that occur after the program loops in the first state. The first state and the second state of the program loops are determined based on when a verify operation on a program state having a highest threshold voltage is performed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2023
    Publication date: May 30, 2024
    Applicant: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Hyung Jin CHOI, Gwi Han KO, Chan Hui JEONG, Se Chun PARK
  • Publication number: 20240177779
    Abstract: A memory device includes: a memory cell array including a plurality of memory cells; a peripheral circuit including a plurality of page buffers respectively connected to the plurality of memory cells; a sensing circuit connected to the plurality of page buffers respectively, the sensing circuit: performing a sensing operation on the page buffers in units of a plurality of chunks, each chunk including two or more page buffers, among the plurality of page buffers, and outputting a sensing result of each of the plurality of chunks; a verification result output circuit for outputting a final verification result of a target program state, among a plurality of program states to which the memory cells are to be programmed, based on the sensing results of the plurality of chunks; and a control logic for controlling the sensing circuit and the peripheral circuit, based on the final verification result.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2023
    Publication date: May 30, 2024
    Applicant: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Hyung Jin CHOI, Chan Sik PARK
  • Publication number: 20240177773
    Abstract: A memory device comprising: a memory cell array comprising multiple memory cells, and a controller configured to repeatedly perform a program loop comprising a voltage application interval and a verification interval until a program operation for cells that have been connected to a word line that have been selected as a program target reach a threshold voltage level and configured to adjust an increase in a level of a program voltage that is applied to the selected word line in the voltage application interval of a second program loop following a first program loop, based on a result of a comparison between a threshold voltage level of each of cells that have been selected as a verification target, among the cells that have been connected to the selected word line, and a pre-target level in the verification interval of the first program loop, among the program loops that are repeated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2023
    Publication date: May 30, 2024
    Applicant: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Hyung Jin CHOI, Gwi Han KO
  • Publication number: 20240177783
    Abstract: In a semiconductor memory device, a program voltage is applied to select lines, which are coupled to corresponding select transistors included in a plurality of string groups. A verify operation on the select transistors is then performed, which simultaneously checks the operation of first select transistors included in a first string group and second select transistors included in a second string group.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2023
    Publication date: May 30, 2024
    Applicant: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Hyung Jin CHOI
  • Patent number: 11996154
    Abstract: A page buffer circuit includes an intermediate circuit, a data storage circuit and an enhancive circuit. The intermediate circuit is coupled to a bit line coupled to a memory region and configured to apply a voltage having a voltage level, corresponding to a status of the memory region, to a sensing node. The data storage circuit is configured to store, therein, a value that corresponds to the status of the memory region in response to the voltage level. The enhancive circuit is coupled to the sensing node and configured to increase a capacitance of the sensing node in an enhancive interval during a selected operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2024
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Hyung Jin Choi
  • Publication number: 20240170080
    Abstract: A method of operating a semiconductor device includes performing a pre-sensing operation on selected memory cells; and performing a main sensing operation on the selected memory cells. The performing of the main sensing operation includes selectively precharging first sensing nodes of a plurality of page buffers respectively corresponding to the selected memory cells, based on a result of the pre-sensing operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2023
    Publication date: May 23, 2024
    Applicant: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Hyung Jin CHOI, Jung Hoon HAM
  • Publication number: 20240170077
    Abstract: A memory device comprises: a memory cell array including multiple cells have program states divided on a basis of N threshold voltage levels, and a controller configured to: divide, into N groups corresponding to the N threshold voltage levels, cells selected as a verification target, and perform, if a selected group of the N groups corresponds to remaining threshold voltage levels except a highest threshold voltage level among the N threshold voltage levels, a pass masking operation of determining the selected group to have a program pass state when a number of cells checked to have a program fail state in the selected group is less than a reference number in a verification interval included in a program operation, wherein the controller is configured not to perform, if the selected group corresponds to the highest threshold voltage level, the pass masking operation on the selected group in the verification interval.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 5, 2023
    Publication date: May 23, 2024
    Inventor: Hyung Jin CHOI
  • Publication number: 20240170079
    Abstract: Provided herein is a semiconductor device and a method of operating the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a memory block, a peripheral circuit, and control logic. The memory block includes a plurality of memory cells. The peripheral circuit is configured to perform a program operation on a memory cell selected from among the plurality of memory cells. The control logic is configured to control the peripheral circuit to allow a common source line coupled to the memory block to float in a sensing phase included in a verify phase of the program operation, and thereafter apply a first voltage, higher than a ground voltage, to the floating common source line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 2, 2023
    Publication date: May 23, 2024
    Applicant: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Hyung Jin CHOI
  • Patent number: 11990191
    Abstract: A memory device includes a cell group and a control circuit. The cell group includes plural non-volatile memory cells, each capable of storing multi-bit data corresponding to plural program states and an erased state. The control circuit performs at least two partial program operations for programming the multi-bit data in at least two non-volatile memory cells. The at least two partial program operations include an ISPP operation to increase a threshold voltage of the at least two non-volatile memory cells from the erased state to a first program state among the plural program states and a single pulse program operation to increase a threshold voltage of at least one non-volatile memory cell among the at least two non-volatile memory cells from the first program state to another program state which is higher than the first program state among the plural program states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2024
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Hyung Jin Choi
  • Publication number: 20240161832
    Abstract: Provided herein is a semiconductor device and a method of operating the same. The semiconductor device includes first to n-th memory cell string groups, each including a plurality of memory cell strings, a peripheral circuit configured to sequentially perform program operations, each including a plurality of program loops, on the first to n-th memory cell string groups, and a program operation controller configured to control the peripheral circuit to apply a precharge voltage to a common source line and apply a turn-on voltage to one or more of a plurality of source select lines coupled to the first to n-th memory cell string groups in any one of the plurality of program loops, wherein a number of one or more source select lines to which the turn-on voltage is to be applied is determined based on a program loop count corresponding to of the one program loop.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2023
    Publication date: May 16, 2024
    Applicant: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Hyung Jin CHOI, Chan Hui JEONG
  • Publication number: 20240161839
    Abstract: A memory device, and a method of operating the same, includes a plurality of memory cells configured to be programmed to any one of a plurality of program states, a peripheral circuit configured to perform a plurality of program loops on the plurality of memory cells, and a program operation controller. The program operation controller is configured to control the peripheral circuit such that a verify operation for a second program state is performed from a second program loop after a verify operation for a first program state performed from a first program loop passes, wherein the first program loop is performed before the second program loop.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2023
    Publication date: May 16, 2024
    Applicant: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Hyung Jin CHOI, Gwi Han KO
  • Publication number: 20240161829
    Abstract: Provided herein is a memory device for performing a program operation, a method of operating the memory device, and a storage device having the memory device. The method of operating a memory device includes receiving a first data bit among a plurality of data bits to be stored in each of a plurality of memory cells from a memory controller, performing a program voltage apply operation on the plurality of memory cells based on the first data bit, and receiving a second data bit among the plurality of data bits from the memory controller while performing the program voltage apply operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 31, 2023
    Publication date: May 16, 2024
    Applicant: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Hyung Jin CHOI, Gwi Han KO, Chan Sik PARK
  • Publication number: 20240153568
    Abstract: Provided herein is a memory device and a method of operating the memory device. The memory device includes memory cells coupled to a word line, a peripheral circuit configured to perform a program operation of increasing threshold voltages of the memory cells to threshold voltages corresponding to a target program state among a plurality of program states, and a program operation controller configured to determine whether to perform an erase state verify operation of identifying threshold voltages of erase cells having an erase state as the target program state among the memory cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2023
    Publication date: May 9, 2024
    Applicant: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Hyung Jin CHOI, Chan Sik PARK
  • Publication number: 20240144995
    Abstract: A memory device includes a memory cell array including memory cells; a row control circuit coupled to the memory cells through word lines and configured to apply, to a selected word line during read operations, respective read voltages having different levels; a page buffer circuit coupled to the memory cells through bit lines and configured to adjust, according to a sensing control signal during each of the read operations, an amount of current flowing through the bit lines to sense the adjusted amount; and a read control circuit configured to adjust, during a second read operation subsequent to a first read operation among the read operations, a voltage level of the sensing control signal when a voltage level of a second read voltage corresponding to the second read operation is different from a level of a first read voltage corresponding to the first read operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2023
    Publication date: May 2, 2024
    Inventor: Hyung Jin CHOI
  • Patent number: 11972816
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory apparatus includes: a page buffer circuit, a pass/fail determination circuit, and an operation control circuit. The page buffer circuit may include a sensing latch circuit and a data latch circuit. The pass/fail determination circuit determines a pass/fail for a memory cell. The operation control circuit controls a program operation and a program verify operation to be performed on the memory cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Hyung Jin Choi
  • Publication number: 20240120008
    Abstract: An operating method of a non-volatile memory device includes simultaneously performing a program operation on a plurality of selection transistors included in a plurality of cell strings each including a corresponding selection transistor of the selection transistors and a plurality of memory cells, each of the cell strings being coupled between a common source line and a corresponding bit line of a plurality of bit lines; sequentially performing verification operations on respective groups of the selection transistors, the groups being coupled to respective selection lines; and sequentially storing results of the verification operations into respective data latch circuits within each of a plurality of page buffers coupled to the bit lines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2023
    Publication date: April 11, 2024
    Inventors: Hyung Jin CHOI, Chan Hui JEONG
  • Patent number: 11915762
    Abstract: A memory device includes a controller that performs a program verification after a first program pulse is applied to the at least one non-volatile memory cell. The first program pulse is applied during a data program operation and the data program operation includes applying program pulses to program multi-bit data to the at least one non-volatile memory cell. The controller also determines a program mode for the at least one non-volatile memory cell based on a result of the program verification, and changes at least one of a level of a first control voltage based on the program mode. The first control voltage is applied to a drain select line coupled to the at least one non-volatile memory cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Tae Hun Park, Dong Hun Kwak, Hyung Jin Choi