Patents by Inventor Katherine H. Chiang

Katherine H. Chiang 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: 11450401
    Abstract: A location of at least one fail bit to be repaired in a memory block of a memory is extracted from at least one memory test on the memory block. An available repair resource in the memory for repairing the memory block is obtained. It is determined whether a Constraint Satisfaction Problem (CSP) containing a plurality of constraints is solvable. The constraints correspond to the location of the at least one fail bit in the memory block, and the available repair resource. In response to determining that the CSP is not solvable, the memory block is marked as unrepairable or the memory is rejected. In response to determining that the CSP is solvable and has a solution satisfying the constraints, the at least one fail bit is repaired using the available repair resource in accordance with the solution of the CSP.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Katherine H. Chiang, Chien-Hao Huang, Cheng-Yi Wu, Chung-Te Lin
  • Patent number: 11450399
    Abstract: A method of testing a non-volatile memory (NVM) array includes heating the NVM array to a target temperature. While the NVM array is heated to the target temperature, a current distribution is obtained by measuring a plurality of currents of a subset of NVM cells of the NVM array, each NVM cell of the NVM array is programmed to one of a logically high state or a logically low state, and first and second pass/fail (P/F) tests on each NVM cell of the NVM array are performed. A bit error rate is calculated based on the current distribution and the first and second P/F tests.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Chien-Hao Huang, Katherine H. Chiang, Cheng-Yi Wu, Chung-Te Lin
  • Publication number: 20220293605
    Abstract: A first thin film transistor and a second thin film transistor include a semiconducting metal oxide plate located over a substrate, and a set of electrode structures located on the semiconducting metal oxide plate and comprising, from one side to another, a first source electrode, a first gate electrode, a drain electrode, a second gate electrode, and a second source electrode. A bit line is electrically connected to the drain electrode, and laterally extends along a horizontal direction. A first capacitor structure includes a first conductive node that is electrically connected to the first source electrode. A second capacitor structure includes a second conductive node that is electrically connected to the second source electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2021
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Inventors: Katherine H. CHIANG, Ken-Ichi GOTO, Chia Yu LING, Neil MURRAY, Chung-Te LIN
  • Publication number: 20220284980
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a method for memory repair using a lookup table (LUT)-free dynamic memory allocation process. An array of memory cells having a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns is provided. Further, each memory cell of the array has multiple data states and a permanent state. One or more abnormal memory cells is/are identified in a row of the array and, in response to identifying an abnormal memory cell, the abnormal memory cell is set to the permanent state. The abnormal memory cells include failed memory cells and, in some embodiments, tail memory cells having marginal performance. During a read or write operation on the row, the one or more abnormal memory cells is/are identified by the permanent state and data is read from or written to a remainder of the memory cells while excluding the abnormal memory cell(s).
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 24, 2022
    Publication date: September 8, 2022
    Inventor: Katherine H. Chiang
  • Publication number: 20220285394
    Abstract: 3D memory array devices and methods of manufacturing are described herein. A method includes etching a first trench and a second trench in a multilayer stack, the multilayer stack including alternating dielectric layers and sacrificial layers. The method further includes forming a word line by replacing a sacrificial layer with a conductive material. Once the word line has been formed, a first transistor is formed in the first trench, the first transistor including a first channel isolation structure. A cut channel plug is formed in the second trench, a centerline of the cut channel plug being aligned with a centerline of the channel isolation structure. The method further includes forming a second transistor in the second trench adjacent the cut channel plug, the word line being electrically coupled to the first transistor and the second transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 10, 2021
    Publication date: September 8, 2022
    Inventors: Chia-Yu Ling, Katherine H. Chiang, Chung-Te Lin
  • Publication number: 20220284950
    Abstract: A ferroelectric computation unit includes a first ferroelectric switching device that includes a first ferroelectric material portion and generates a digital output signal, and a second ferroelectric switching device that includes a second ferroelectric material portion and generates an analog output signal. An output node of one of the first ferroelectric switching device and the second ferroelectric switching device is electrically connected to a gate electrode of another of the first ferroelectric switching device and the second ferroelectric switching device to provide hybrid response characteristics of stochastic digital switching and analog switching.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2021
    Publication date: September 8, 2022
    Inventors: Katherine H. CHIANG, Chung-Te Lin
  • Publication number: 20220263667
    Abstract: The present disclosure describes embodiments of a device with memory and a processor. The memory is configured to store integrated circuit (IC) trim and redundancy information. The processor is configured to extract bits from the IC trim and redundancy information, perform a hashing function on the extracted bits to generate hashed bits, and in response to statistical properties of the hashed bits meeting one or more criteria, output the hashed bits. In some embodiments, the memory that stores the IC trim and redundancy information can be different from other memory used by the device for other operations (e.g., accessing user data and program data that have been written into system memory).
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2021
    Publication date: August 18, 2022
    Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katherine H. CHIANG, Shih-Lien Linus LU
  • Publication number: 20220221421
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present application are directed towards an ion-sensitive field-effect transistor for enhanced sensitivity. In some embodiments, a substrate comprises a pair of first source/drain regions and a pair of second source/drain regions. Further, a first gate electrode and a second gate electrode underlie the substrate. The first gate electrode is laterally between the first source/drain regions, and the second gate electrode is laterally between the second source/drain regions. An interconnect structure underlies the substrate and defines conductive paths electrically shorting the second source/drain regions and the second gate electrode together. A passivation layer is over the substrate and defines a first well and a second well. The first and second wells respectively overlie the first and second gate electrodes, and a sensing layer lines the substrate in the first and second wells. In some embodiments, sensing probes are in the first well, but not the second well.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2022
    Publication date: July 14, 2022
    Inventors: Katherine H. Chiang, Jui-Cheng Huang, Ke-Wei Su, Tung-Tsun Chen, Wei Lee, Pei-Wen Liu
  • Publication number: 20220223618
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a semiconductor structure and a method for forming a semiconductor structure. The semiconductor structure includes a substrate, and a dielectric stack over the substrate. The dielectric stack includes a first layer over the substrate and a second layer over the first layer. The semiconductor structure further includes a gate layer including a first portion traversing the second layer and a second portion extending between the first layer and the second layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 3, 2021
    Publication date: July 14, 2022
    Inventors: Feng-Ching Chu, Feng-Cheng Yang, Katherine H. Chiang, Chung-Te Lin, Chieh-Fang Chen
  • Publication number: 20220223218
    Abstract: A semiconductor device is provided, which contains a memory bank including M primary word lines and R replacement word lines, a row/column decoder, and an array of redundancy fuse elements. A sorted primary failed bit count list is generated in a descending order for the bit fail counts per word line. A sorted replacement failed bit count list is generated in an ascending order of the M primary word lines in an ascending order. The primary word lines are replaced with the replacement word lines from top to bottom on the lists until a primary failed bit count equals a replacement failed bit count or until all of the replacement word lines are used up. Optionally, the sorted primary failed bit count list may be re-sorted in an ascending or descending order of the word line address prior to the replacement process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2021
    Publication date: July 14, 2022
    Inventors: Chien-Hao HUANG, Cheng-Yi WU, Katherine H. CHIANG, Chung-Te LIN
  • Publication number: 20220208260
    Abstract: A memory device may include at least one multinary memory cell. Each multinary memory cell includes a parallel connection of N sub-bit units. N is an integer greater than 1. Each of the N sub-bit units includes a series connection of a respective transistor and a respective capacitor. A first sub-bit unit includes a first capacitor having a capacitance of C, and each i-th sub-unit includes an i-th capacitor having a capacitance of about 2i-1×C. A multinary bit having 2N values may be stored. A device network including multiple multinary logic units is also provided. Each of multiple multinary logic unit includes a parallel connection of N sub-bit units. Each sub-bit unit includes a series connection of a respective transistor and a respective capacitor having capacitance ratios of powers of 2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2022
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Inventors: Katherine H. CHIANG, Chung-Te LIN
  • Patent number: 11367500
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a method for memory repair using a lookup table (LUT)-free dynamic memory allocation process. An array of memory cells having a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns is provided. Further, each memory cell of the array has multiple data states and a permanent state. One or more abnormal memory cells is/are identified in a row of the array and, in response to identifying an abnormal memory cell, the abnormal memory cell is set to the permanent state. The abnormal memory cells include failed memory cells and, in some embodiments, tail memory cells having marginal performance. During a read or write operation on the row, the one or more abnormal memory cells is/are identified by the permanent state and data is read from or written to a remainder of the memory cells while excluding the abnormal memory cell(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventor: Katherine H. Chiang
  • Publication number: 20220166445
    Abstract: A method includes generating an ECC encoded output data by executing an ECC-Space operation using an ECC encoded first data from a memory as a first operand and an ECC encoded second data from the memory as a second operand. The ECC-Space operation is translated from a two operands operation of a first processor and the two operands operation is operative to transform the first data and the second data into a third data. The method also includes storing the ECC encoded output data to the memory. The ECC encoded output data is identical to a result of encoding the third data with the ECC algorithm if the third data is encoded with the ECC.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2022
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Inventor: Katherine H. CHIANG
  • Patent number: 11293897
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present application are directed towards an ion-sensitive field-effect transistor for enhanced sensitivity. In some embodiments, a substrate comprises a pair of first source/drain regions and a pair of second source/drain regions. Further, a first gate electrode and a second gate electrode underlie the substrate. The first gate electrode is laterally between the first source/drain regions, and the second gate electrode is laterally between the second source/drain regions. An interconnect structure underlies the substrate and defines conductive paths electrically shorting the second source/drain regions and the second gate electrode together. A passivation layer is over the substrate and defines a first well and a second well. The first and second wells respectively overlie the first and second gate electrodes, and a sensing layer lines the substrate in the first and second wells. In some embodiments, sensing probes are in the first well, but not the second well.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Katherine H. Chiang, Jui-Cheng Huang, Ke-Wei Su, Tung-Tsun Chen, Wei Lee, Pei-Wen Liu
  • Patent number: 11282572
    Abstract: A memory device may include at least one multinary memory cell. Each multinary memory cell includes a parallel connection of N sub-bit units. N is an integer greater than 1. Each of the N sub-bit units includes a series connection of a respective transistor and a respective capacitor. A first sub-bit unit includes a first capacitor having a capacitance of C, and each i-th sub-unit includes an i-th capacitor having a capacitance of about 2i-1×C. A multinary bit having 2N values may be stored. A device network including multiple multinary logic units is also provided. Each of multiple multinary logic unit includes a parallel connection of N sub-bit units. Each sub-bit unit includes a series connection of a respective transistor and a respective capacitor having capacitance ratios of powers of 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
    Inventors: Katherine H. Chiang, Chung-Te Lin
  • Patent number: 11237907
    Abstract: A method includes transmitting an ECC encoded first data and an ECC encoded second data from a memory to a logic circuit, and generating an ECC encoded output data by executing an ECC-Space operation using the ECC encoded first data as a first operand and the ECC encoded second data as a second operand. The ECC encoded first data and the ECC encoded second data are the corresponding results of encoding a first data and a second data with an ECC algorithm. The ECC-Space operation is translated from a two operands operation that is operative to transform the first data and the second data into a third data. The ECC encoded output data is identical to a result of encoding the third data with the ECC algorithm if the third data is encoded with the ECC algorithm.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventor: Katherine H Chiang
  • Publication number: 20210408252
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a metal oxide semiconductor channel layer, a first gate dielectric layer contacting a first portion of a major surface of the metal oxide semiconductor channel layer, a first gate electrode overlying the first gate dielectric layer and contacting a second portion of the major surface the metal oxide semiconductor channel layer, a drain region and a backside gate dielectric layer contacting another major surface of the metal oxide semiconductor channel layer, a backside gate electrode contacting the backside gate dielectric layer, a second gate dielectric layer contacting an end surface of the metal oxide semiconductor channel layer, a second gate electrode contacting a surface of the second gate dielectric layer, and a source region contacting another end surface of the metal oxide semiconductor channel layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2021
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Inventors: Katherine H. CHIANG, Chung-Te LIN
  • Publication number: 20210391003
    Abstract: A memory device may include at least one multinary memory cell. Each multinary memory cell includes a parallel connection of N sub-bit units. N is an integer greater than 1. Each of the N sub-bit units includes a series connection of a respective transistor and a respective capacitor. A first sub-bit unit includes a first capacitor having a capacitance of C, and each i-th sub-unit includes an i-th capacitor having a capacitance of about 2i-1×C. A multinary bit having 2N values may be stored. A device network including multiple multinary logic units is also provided. Each of multiple multinary logic unit includes a parallel connection of N sub-bit units. Each sub-bit unit includes a series connection of a respective transistor and a respective capacitor having capacitance ratios of powers of 2.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2020
    Publication date: December 16, 2021
    Inventors: Katherine H. CHIANG, Chung-Te LIN
  • Publication number: 20210384255
    Abstract: In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to an integrated chip. The integrated chip has a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) disposed on a first electrode that is within a dielectric structure over a substrate. A first unipolar selector is disposed within the dielectric structure and is coupled to the first electrode. A second unipolar selector is disposed within the dielectric structure and is coupled to the first electrode. The first unipolar selector and the second unipolar selector have different widths.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 25, 2021
    Publication date: December 9, 2021
    Inventors: Katherine H. Chiang, Chung-Te Lin, Mauricio Manfrini
  • Publication number: 20210375867
    Abstract: A memory device includes a plurality of memory cells. A first memory cell of the plurality of memory cells includes a first write transistor includes a first write gate, a first write source, and a first write drain. A first read transistor includes first read gate, a first read source, a first read drain, and a first body region separating the first read source from the first read drain. The first read source is coupled to the first write source. A first capacitor has a first upper capacitor plate coupled to the first write drain and a first lower capacitor plate coupled to the first body region of the first read transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 9, 2020
    Publication date: December 2, 2021
    Inventors: Katherine H Chiang, Chung-Te Lin