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).

  • Publication number: 20210375385
    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: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2020
    Publication date: December 2, 2021
    Inventors: Katherine H. CHIANG, Chien-Hao HUANG, Cheng-Yi WU, Chung-Te LIN
  • Publication number: 20210374002
    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: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2021
    Publication date: December 2, 2021
    Inventor: Katherine H. CHIANG
  • Publication number: 20210375935
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a device includes: a pair of dielectric layers; a word line between the dielectric layers, sidewalls of the dielectric layers being recessed from a sidewall of the word line; a tunneling strip on a top surface of the word line, the sidewall of the word line, a bottom surface of the word line, and the sidewalls of the dielectric layers; a semiconductor strip on the tunneling strip; a bit line contacting a sidewall of the semiconductor strip; and a source line contacting the sidewall of the semiconductor strip.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2020
    Publication date: December 2, 2021
    Inventors: Chia Yu Ling, Chung-Te Lin, Katherine H. Chiang
  • Publication number: 20210375380
    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: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2021
    Publication date: December 2, 2021
    Inventors: Chien-Hao HUANG, Katherine H. CHIANG, Cheng-Yi WU, Chung-Te LIN
  • Patent number: 11145347
    Abstract: A memory device and a memory circuit is provided. The memory device includes a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ), a read word line, a read selector, a write word line and a write selector. The read word line is connected to the MTJ with the read selector in between. The read word line is electrically connected to the MTJ when the read selector is turned on, and electrically disconnected from the MTJ when the read selector is in an off state. The write word line is connected to the MTJ with the write selector in between. The write word line is electrically connected to the MTJ when the write selector is turned on, and electrically disconnected from the MTJ when the write selector is off. A turn-on voltage of the write selector is greater than a turn-on voltage of the read selector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2021
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Hung-Li Chiang, Tzu-Chiang Chen, Katherine H. Chiang, Ming-Yuan Song
  • Patent number: 11107859
    Abstract: In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to an integrated circuit. The integrated circuit has a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) device disposed within a dielectric structure over a substrate. The MTJ device has a MTJ disposed between a first electrode and a second electrode. A first unipolar selector is disposed within the dielectric structure and is coupled to the first electrode. The first unipolar selector is configured to allow current to flow through the MTJ device along a first direction. A second unipolar selector is disposed within the dielectric structure and is coupled to the first electrode. The second unipolar selector is configured to allow current to flow through the MTJ device along a second direction opposite the first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Katherine H. Chiang, Chung-Te Lin, Mauricio Manfrini
  • Patent number: 11049903
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to magnetic memory device. The magnetic memory device includes a bottom electrode, a selector layer disposed over the bottom electrode, and a MTJ stack disposed over the selector layer and comprising a reference layer and a free layer disposed over the reference layer and separated from the reference layer by a tunneling barrier layer. The magnetic memory device further includes a modulating layer disposed over the MTJ stack and a top electrode disposed over the switching threshold modulating layer. The modulating layer is configured to reinforce stability of the free layer by magnetically coupled to the free layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katherine H. Chiang, Chung-Te Lin, Min Cao, Han-Ting Tsai, Pin-Cheng Hsu, Yen-Chung Ho
  • Publication number: 20210193247
    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: July 27, 2020
    Publication date: June 24, 2021
    Inventor: Katherine H. Chiang
  • Patent number: 11030380
    Abstract: A synergistic design method for an integrated circuit (IC) is provided. The synergistic design method includes forming a standard cell library and a non-standard cell library, implementing an IC design process from a high-level behavior specification through a gate-level netlist to a physical layout, and verifying the physical layout to fabricate the IC. Each standard cell of the standard cell library performs a Boolean logic operation. Each non-standard cell of the non-standard cell library performs a complex function beyond the Boolean logic operation. A conversion process is executed for translating a circuit function into a Boolean network to generate the gate-level netlist based on the standard cells of the standard cell library corresponding to the circuit function. A direct mapping is executed on the non-standard cell by skipping the conversion process during the IC design process to generate the gate-level netlist.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Katherine H. Chiang, Chung-Te Lin
  • Patent number: 11024749
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a source region and a drain region laterally spaced from each other and overlying a substrate, a metal oxide semiconductor channel layer overlying, and contacting, the source region and the drain region, a first gate dielectric layer overlying a portion of the metal oxide semiconductor channel layer, a first gate electrode overlying the first gate dielectric layer and contacting a portion of the metal oxide semiconductor channel layer, a second gate dielectric layer contacting a sidewall of the metal oxide semiconductor channel layer, and a second gate electrode contacting a sidewall of the second gate dielectric layer and spaced from the metal oxide semiconductor channel layer by the second gate dielectric layer. The first gate electrode may be a floating gate that stores electrical charges, and turns on or off a first transistor including the source region and the drain region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2021
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventors: Katherine H. Chiang, Chung-Te Lin
  • Publication number: 20210056175
    Abstract: A synergistic design method for an integrated circuit (IC) is provided. The synergistic design method includes forming a standard cell library and a non-standard cell library, implementing an IC design process from a high-level behavior specification through a gate-level netlist to a physical layout, and verifying the physical layout to fabricate the IC. Each standard cell of the standard cell library performs a Boolean logic operation. Each non-standard cell of the non-standard cell library performs a complex function beyond the Boolean logic operation. A conversion process is executed for translating a circuit function into a Boolean network to generate the gate-level netlist based on the standard cells of the standard cell library corresponding to the circuit function. A direct mapping is executed on the non-standard cell by skipping the conversion process during the IC design process to generate the gate-level netlist.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2019
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Inventors: Katherine H. CHIANG, Chung-Te LIN
  • Publication number: 20210043683
    Abstract: In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to an integrated circuit. The integrated circuit has a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) device disposed within a dielectric structure over a substrate. The MTJ device has a MTJ disposed between a first electrode and a second electrode. A first unipolar selector is disposed within the dielectric structure and is coupled to the first electrode. The first unipolar selector is configured to allow current to flow through the MTJ device along a first direction. A second unipolar selector is disposed within the dielectric structure and is coupled to the first electrode. The second unipolar selector is configured to allow current to flow through the MTJ device along a second direction opposite the first direction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2019
    Publication date: February 11, 2021
    Inventors: Katherine H. Chiang, Chung-Te Lin, Mauricio Manfrini
  • Publication number: 20200303456
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to magnetic memory device. The magnetic memory device includes a bottom electrode, a selector layer disposed over the bottom electrode, and a MTJ stack disposed over the selector layer and comprising a reference layer and a free layer disposed over the reference layer and separated from the reference layer by a tunneling barrier layer. The magnetic memory device further includes a modulating layer disposed over the MTJ stack and a top electrode disposed over the switching threshold modulating layer. The modulating layer is configured to reinforce stability of the free layer by magnetically coupled to the free layer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 9, 2020
    Publication date: September 24, 2020
    Inventors: Katherine H. Chiang, Chung-Te Lin, Min Cao, Han-Ting Tsai, Pin-Cheng Hsu, Yen-Chung Ho
  • Patent number: 10700125
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to magnetic memory device. The magnetic memory device includes a bottom electrode, a selector layer disposed over the bottom electrode, and a MTJ stack disposed over the selector layer and comprising a reference layer and a free layer disposed over the reference layer and separated from the reference layer by a tunneling barrier layer. The magnetic memory device further includes a modulating layer disposed over the MTJ stack and a top electrode disposed over the switching threshold modulating layer. The selector layer is configured to switch current on and off based on applied bias.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Katherine H. Chiang, Chung-Te Lin, Min Cao, Han-Ting Tsai, Pin-Cheng Hsu, Yen-Chung Ho
  • Publication number: 20200173958
    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: May 16, 2019
    Publication date: June 4, 2020
    Inventors: Katherine H. Chiang, Jui-Cheng Huang, Ke-Wei Su, Tung-Tsun Chen, Wei Lee, Pei-Wen Liu
  • Publication number: 20200105830
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to magnetic memory device. The magnetic memory device includes a bottom electrode, a selector layer disposed over the bottom electrode, and a MTJ stack disposed over the selector layer and comprising a reference layer and a free layer disposed over the reference layer and separated from the reference layer by a tunneling barrier layer. The magnetic memory device further includes a modulating layer disposed over the MTJ stack and a top electrode disposed over the switching threshold modulating layer. The selector layer is configured to switch current on and off based on applied bias.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2019
    Publication date: April 2, 2020
    Inventors: Katherine H. Chiang, Chung-Te Lin, Min Cao, Han-Ting Tsai, Pin-Cheng Hsu, Yen-Chung Ho