Patents by Inventor Marco Sforzin

Marco Sforzin 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: 20210407591
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a memory device comprising a plurality of memory cells, each memory cell being programmable to a logic state corresponding to a threshold voltage exhibited by the memory cell in response to an applied voltage, and a logic circuit portion operatively coupled to the plurality of memory cells, wherein the logic circuit portion is configured to scan memory addresses of the memory device, and to generate seasoning pulses to be applied to the addressed pages of the memory device. A related electronic system and related methods are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Inventors: Paolo Amato, Marco Sforzin
  • Publication number: 20210407592
    Abstract: A memory device can include a plurality of memory cells including a first group of memory cells and a second group of memory cells programmed to a predefined logic state. The plurality of memory cells includes a memory controller configured to apply a reading voltage to at least one selected memory cell of the first group during a reading operation, apply the reading voltage to the memory cells of the second group, and responsive to the logic state of at least one memory cell of the second group being assessed to be different from the predefined logic state perform a refresh operation of the memory cells of the first group by applying a recovery voltage higher than the reading voltage to assess the logic state thereof and reprogramming the memory cells of the first group to the logic state assessed with the recovery voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2019
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Inventors: Marco Sforzin, Paolo Amato, Innocenzo Tortorelli
  • Publication number: 20210406411
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates to apparatuses and methods for memory management. The disclosure further relates to an interface protocol for flash memory devices including at least a memory array and a memory controller coupled to the memory array. A host device is coupled to the memory device through a communication channel and a hardware and/or software full encryption-decryption scheme is adopted in the communication channel for data, addresses and commands exchanged between the host device and the memory array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2019
    Publication date: December 30, 2021
    Inventors: Paolo Amato, Marco Sforzin, Daniele Balluchi, Danilo Caraccio, Niccolo Izzo
  • Patent number: 11183248
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for timing parameter adjustment mechanisms are described. The memory system may receive an access command to access a block of data. Based on receiving the access command, the memory system may determine a parameter (e.g., a timing parameter) associated with accessing the block of data. The timing parameter may indicate a duration between a first time to access a first page of the block of data and a second time to access a second page of the block of data. The memory system may perform an access operation on the block of data based on determining the timing parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Marco Sforzin, Daniele Balluchi
  • Publication number: 20210342090
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices related to balancing data are described. Data may be communicated using an original set of bits that may be partitioned into segments. Each of the original set of bits may have a first value or a second value, where a weight of the original set of bits may be based on a quantity of the set of bits that have the first value. If the weight of the original set of bits is outside of a target weight range, a different, encoded set of bits may be used to represent the data, the encoded set of bits having a weight within the target weight range. The encoded set of bits may be identified based an inversion of the original set of bits in a one-at-a-time and cumulative fashion. The encoded set of bits may be stored in place of the original set of bits.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 1, 2020
    Publication date: November 4, 2021
    Inventors: Christophe Vincent Antoine Laurent, Andrea Martinelli, Marco Sforzin, Paolo Amato
  • Patent number: 11164619
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for distribution-following access operations for a memory device are described. In an example, the described techniques may include identifying an activation of a first memory cell at a first condition of a biasing operation, and identifying an activation of a second memory cell at a second condition of the biasing operation, and determining a parameter of an access operation based at least in part on a difference between the first condition and the second condition. In some examples, the memory cells may be associated with a configurable material element, such as a chalcogenide material, that stores a logic state based on a material property of the material element. In some examples, the described techniques may at least partially compensate for a change in memory material properties due to aging or other degradation or changes over time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Marco Sforzin, Paolo Amato
  • Patent number: 11158363
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods related to refresh in memory. An example apparatus can refresh an array of memory cells in response to a portion of memory cells in an array having threshold voltages that are greater than a reference voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Marco Sforzin, Paolo Amato
  • Patent number: 11157202
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods for buffer reset commands for write buffers. An example apparatus includes a memory and a controller coupled to the memory. The memory can include an array of resistance variable memory cells configured to store data corresponding to a managed unit across multiple partitions each having a respective write buffer corresponding thereto. The controller can be configured to update the managed unit by providing, to the memory, a write buffer reset command followed by a write command. The memory can be configured to execute the write buffer reset command to place the write buffers in a reset state. The memory can be further configured to execute the write command to modify the content of the write buffers based on data corresponding to the write command and write the modified content of the write buffers to an updated location in the array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Marco Sforzin, Paolo Amato
  • Publication number: 20210319829
    Abstract: An apparatus can have a memory comprising an array of resistance variable memory cells and a controller. The controller can be configured to receive to a dedicated command to write all cells in a number of groups of the resistance variable memory cells to a first state without transferring any host data corresponding to the first state to the number of groups. The controller can be configured to, in response to the dedicated command, perform a read operation on each respective group to determine states of the cells in each respective group, determine from the read operation any cells in each respective group programmed to a second state, and write only the cells determined to be in the second state to the first state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2020
    Publication date: October 14, 2021
    Inventors: Daniele Balluchi, Paolo Amato, Graziano Mirichigni, Danilo Caraccio, Marco Sforzin, Marco Dallabora
  • Patent number: 11114159
    Abstract: In an example, a first data structure can be read with a first read voltage dedicated to the first data structure. A second data structure that stores a larger quantity of data than the first data structure can be with a second read voltage that is dedicated to the second data structure. The first data structure can be with a third read voltage in response to a quantity of errors in reading the first data structure being greater than or equal to a first threshold quantity. The second data structure can be read with the third read voltage in response to a quantity of errors in reading the second data structure being greater than or equal to a second threshold quantity. The read voltages can be based on a temperature of an apparatus that includes the first and second data structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Marco Sforzin, Mattia Robustelli, Innocenzo Tortorelli, Mario Allegra, Paolo Amato
  • Publication number: 20210257022
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices related to auto-referenced memory cell read techniques are described. The auto-referenced read may encode user data to include a certain number bits having a first logic state prior to storing the user data in memory cells. Subsequently, reading the encoded user data may be carried out by applying a read voltage to the memory cells while monitoring a series of switching events by activating a subset of the memory cells having the first logic state. The auto-referenced read may identify a particular switching event that correlates to a median threshold voltage value of the subset of the memory cells. Then, the auto-referenced read may determine a reference voltage that takes into account a statistical property of threshold voltage distribution of the subset of the memory cells. The auto-referenced read may identify a time duration to maintain the read voltage based on determining the reference voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2021
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Inventors: Graziano Mirichigni, Marco Sforzin, Alessandro Orlando
  • Patent number: 11068343
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for data storage error protection are described. One example apparatus for data storage error protection includes an array of memory cells arranged in a first dimension and a second dimension. A controller is configured to determine a set of symbols corresponding to data stored in the memory cells. The controller is configured to add subsets of the set of symbols obliquely oriented to the first dimension and the second dimension to determine a number of parity check symbols. The controller is configured to use a same number of parity check symbols for protection of a first subset of memory cells oriented parallel to the first dimension as used for protection of a second subset of memory cells oriented parallel to the second dimension.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Paolo Amato, Marco Sforzin
  • Publication number: 20210202005
    Abstract: A counter can have a number of sensing components. Each respective sensing component can be configured to sense a respective event and can include a respective first capacitor configured to be selectively coupled to a second capacitor in response to the respective sensing component sensing the respective event. The second capacitor can be configured to be charged to a voltage by each respective first capacitor that is selectively coupled to the second capacitor. The counter can have a comparator with a first input coupled to the second capacitor and a second input coupled to a reference voltage corresponding to a threshold quantity of events. The comparator can be configured to output a signal indicative of the threshold quantity of events being sensed in response to the voltage of the second capacitor being greater than or equal to the reference voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2021
    Publication date: July 1, 2021
    Inventors: Marco Sforzin, Umberto Di Vincenzo
  • Publication number: 20210165577
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods related to sensing operations in memory. An example apparatus can perform sensing operations on an array of memory cells by applying a first signal to a first portion of the array of memory cells and a second signal to a second portion of the array of memory cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2021
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Inventors: Marco Sforzin, Paolo Amato, Innocenzo Tortorelli
  • Patent number: 10976936
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods related to sensing operations in memory. An example apparatus can perform sensing operations on an array of memory cells by applying a first signal to a first portion of the array of memory cells and a second signal to a second portion of the array of memory cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Marco Sforzin, Paolo Amato, Innocenzo Tortorelli
  • Publication number: 20210090648
    Abstract: Sensing memory cells can include: applying a voltage ramp to a group of memory cells to sense their respective states; sensing when a first switching event occurs to one of the memory cells responsive to the applied voltage ramp; stopping application of the voltage ramp after a particular amount of time subsequent to when the first switching event occurs; and determining which additional memory cells of the group experience the switching event during the particular amount of time. Those cells determined to have experienced the switching event responsive to the applied voltage ramp are sensed as storing a first data value and those cells determined to not have experienced the switching event responsive to the applied voltage ramp are sensed as storing a second data value. The group stores data according to an encoding function constrained such that each code pattern includes at least one data unit having the first data value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2020
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Inventors: Marco Sforzin, Paolo Amato
  • Patent number: 10950308
    Abstract: A counter can have a number of sensing components. Each respective sensing component can be configured to sense a respective event and can include a respective first capacitor configured to be selectively coupled to a second capacitor in response to the respective sensing component sensing the respective event. The second capacitor can be configured to be charged to a voltage by each respective first capacitor that is selectively coupled to the second capacitor. The counter can have a comparator with a first input coupled to the second capacitor and a second input coupled to a reference voltage corresponding to a threshold quantity of events. The comparator can be configured to output a signal indicative of the threshold quantity of events being sensed in response to the voltage of the second capacitor being greater than or equal to the reference voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Marco Sforzin, Umberto Di Vincenzo
  • Patent number: 10937491
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices related to auto-referenced memory cell read techniques are described. The auto-referenced read may encode user data to include a certain number bits having a first logic state prior to storing the user data in memory cells. Subsequently, reading the encoded user data may be carried out by applying a read voltage to the memory cells while monitoring a series of switching events by activating a subset of the memory cells having the first logic state. The auto-referenced read may identify a particular switching event that correlates to a median threshold voltage value of the subset of the memory cells. Then, the auto-referenced read may determine a reference voltage that takes into account a statistical property of threshold voltage distribution of the subset of the memory cells. The auto-referenced read may identify a time duration to maintain the read voltage based on determining the reference voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Graziano Mirichigni, Marco Sforzin, Alessandro Orlando
  • Publication number: 20210057015
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for distribution-following access operations for a memory device are described. In an example, the described techniques may include identifying an activation of a first memory cell at a first condition of a biasing operation, and identifying an activation of a second memory cell at a second condition of the biasing operation, and determining a parameter of an access operation based at least in part on a difference between the first condition and the second condition. In some examples, the memory cells may be associated with a configurable material element, such as a chalcogenide material, that stores a logic state based on a material property of the material element. In some examples, the described techniques may at least partially compensate for a change in memory material properties due to aging or other degradation or changes over time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Publication date: February 25, 2021
    Inventors: Marco Sforzin, Paolo Amato
  • Patent number: 10921989
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods related to sensing operations in memory. An example apparatus can perform sensing operations on an array of memory cells by applying a first signal to a first portion of the array of memory cells and a second signal to a second portion of the array of memory cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Marco Sforzin, Paolo Amato, Innocenzo Tortorelli