Patents by Inventor James Edwin O'TOOLE

James Edwin O'TOOLE 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: 10438657
    Abstract: In a memory system, variable resistance circuits, such as transistor circuits, in the word line and bit line decoders are set during bias line set times and/or prior to turn-on times of read operations to increased resistance levels. The variable resistance circuits are kept at the increased resistance levels during an initial turn-on time period during which a selected memory cell may conducts a current spike. The increased resistance levels of the variable resistance circuit may operate to reduce or limit the width of the current spike. In response to the initial turn-on time period ending, the variable resistance circuits are set back to low resistance levels to facilitate subsequent sense results detection events and program operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2019
    Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Ward Parkinson, Thomas Michael Trent, James Edwin O'Toole
  • Publication number: 20190267082
    Abstract: In a memory system, variable resistance circuits, such as transistor circuits, in the word line and bit line decoders are set during bias line set times and/or prior to turn-on times of read operations to increased resistance levels. The variable resistance circuits are kept at the increased resistance levels during an initial turn-on time period during which a selected memory cell may conducts a current spike. The increased resistance levels of the variable resistance circuit may operate to reduce or limit the width of the current spike. In response to the initial turn-on time period ending, the variable resistance circuits are set back to low resistance levels to facilitate subsequent sense results detection events and program operations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Publication date: August 29, 2019
    Applicant: SanDisk Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Ward Parkinson, Thomas Michael Trent, James Edwin O'Toole
  • Patent number: 10311921
    Abstract: A bit line read voltage generator may operate in a high drive strength or current mode to drive a selected bit line voltage to a read selected bit line voltage at a high level, and then may switch to operating in a low drive strength or current mode. Doing so may control, such as by limiting, the amount of cell current if the selected memory cell turns on, reducing the likelihood of false writes. Also, a word line read voltage generator may operate in a high drive strength or current mode to ramp up a selected word line voltage level, and then may switch to operating in a low drive strength or current mode to shorten the time for a global selected word line voltage to decrease to below a trip level and/or to control an amount of the cell current when the selected memory cell turns on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Ward Parkinson, Thomas Michael Trent, James Edwin O'Toole
  • Patent number: 10255953
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to the fabrication of and methods for creating a reversible tri-state memory device which provides both forward and reverse write and read drive to a bi-directional RRAM cell, thus allowing writing in the forward and reverse directions. The memory device, however, utilizes a single transistor “on pitch” which fits between two metal lines traversing the array tile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: James Edwin O'Toole, Ward Parkinson, Daniel Robert Shepard, Thomas Michael Trent
  • Patent number: 10192616
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to non-volatile memory arrays and memory devices in which a leakage current through an OTS is utilized to pre-charge a circuit of a memory chip. By running an additional wire on each side of a tile which is orthogonal to, above, or below the X and Y select wires, a high value resistance material, such as an OTS, may be deposited at the intersection. The OTS allows the word line or bit line to be selected without pulling excessive leakage to the select wire from the bias voltage, such as V/2. A thickness of the OTS is adjusted such that the Vt of the OTS is greater than V/2, with margin, and the OTS does not turn on when the OTS is selected. A resistance is created between the V/2 wire and the word line select wire or the bit line select wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: James Edwin O'Toole, Ward Parkinson, Daniel Robert Shepard, Thomas Michael Trent
  • Publication number: 20180137915
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to the fabrication of and methods for creating a reversible tri-state memory device which provides both forward and reverse write and read drive to a bi-directional RRAM cell, thus allowing writing in the forward and reverse directions. The memory device, however, utilizes a single transistor “on pitch” which fits between two metal lines traversing the array tile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2018
    Publication date: May 17, 2018
    Inventors: James Edwin O'TOOLE, Ward PARKINSON, Daniel Robert SHEPARD, Thomas Michael TRENT
  • Patent number: 9887004
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to the fabrication of and methods for creating a reversible tri-state memory device which provides both forward and reverse write and read drive to a bi-directional RRAM cell, thus allowing writing in the forward and reverse directions. The memory device, however, utilizes a single transistor “on pitch” which fits between two metal lines traversing the array tile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: James Edwin O'Toole, Ward Parkinson, Daniel Robert Shepard, Thomas Michael Trent
  • Publication number: 20170372781
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to the fabrication of and methods for creating a reversible tri-state memory device which provides both forward and reverse write and read drive to a bi-directional RRAM cell, thus allowing writing in the forward and reverse directions. The memory device, however, utilizes a single transistor “on pitch” which fits between two metal lines traversing the array tile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2016
    Publication date: December 28, 2017
    Inventors: James Edwin O'TOOLE, Ward PARKINSON, Daniel Robert SHEPARD, Thomas Michael TRENT
  • Publication number: 20170372779
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to non-volatile memory arrays and memory devices in which a leakage current through an OTS is utilized to pre-charge a circuit of a memory chip. By running an additional wire on each side of a tile which is orthogonal to, above, or below the X and Y select wires, a high value resistance material, such as an OTS, may be deposited at the intersection. The OTS allows the word line or bit line to be selected without pulling excessive leakage to the select wire from the bias voltage, such as V/2. A thickness of the OTS is adjusted such that the Vt of the OTS is greater than V/2, with margin, and the OTS does not turn on when the OTS is selected. A resistance is created between the V/2 wire and the word line select wire or the bit line select wire.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2016
    Publication date: December 28, 2017
    Inventors: James Edwin O'TOOLE, Ward PARKINSON, Daniel Robert SHEPARD, Thomas Michael TRENT