Patents by Inventor Michael Sommers

Michael Sommers 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: 20030214858
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for generating a refresh signal for a memory cell of a semiconductor memory device, the device comprising:
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2003
    Publication date: November 20, 2003
    Inventors: Joachim Schnabel, Michael Sommer
  • Publication number: 20030161201
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory having memory cells, each memory cell includes a selection transistor and a trench capacitor. The selection transistor is formed in the form of a vertical transistor. In such a case, two word lines are separated only by a connecting channel that enables an electrically conductive connection between a trench filling of the trench capacitor and a bit line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2003
    Publication date: August 28, 2003
    Inventors: Michael Sommer, Gerhard Enders
  • Publication number: 20030103376
    Abstract: A dynamic semiconductor memory has memory cells disposed in a cell field. The memory cells are connected to master word lines by way of a word line driver for driving the memory cells. As a rule, all the master word lines that are located in the segmented cell field are inactive, with at most one master word line being active. The master word lines are switched to an active low state, and a portion of the master word lines in a region of the cell field are inverted by a control device located at the beginning of the cell field. The deactivated master word lines in the cell field are at a ground potential, which, in view of the large number of existing master word lines, advantageously substantially reduces the leakage current that must be applied by the generators.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2002
    Publication date: June 5, 2003
    Inventors: Helmut Fischer, Michael Sommer
  • Patent number: 6542389
    Abstract: The voltage pump for generating a boosted output voltage has a switch-on control circuit. The switch-on control includes a transistor that is connected between a terminal for feeding in a supply voltage and the terminal for tapping off the boosted output voltage. After the voltage pump has started to operate, the boosted output voltage is decoupled from the supply voltage by the transistor. A changeover switch forwards the respective higher of the output voltage or supply voltage to the substrate terminal and gate terminal of the transistor. The switch-on control enables early provision of a boosted output voltage in conjunction with reliable start-up operation of the voltage pump, while the additional outlay on circuitry is minimized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2003
    Assignee: Infineon Technology AG
    Inventors: Stefan Dietrich, Patrick Heyne, Thilo Marx, Sabine Kieser, Michael Sommer, Thomas Hein, Michael Markert, Torsten Partsch, Peter Schrögmeier, Christian Weis
  • Patent number: 6532188
    Abstract: An integrated memory is described which has a memory cell array with column lines and row lines. A row access controller serves for activating one of the row lines and for controlling a deactivation operation. An input of a control unit is connected to a signal terminal for a signal that, in the event of a read access to one of the memory cells, defines the beginning of data outputting to a point outside the memory cell array. The data output is synchronized with a clock signal. In this case, the signal is adjustable depending on an operating frequency of the memory. An output signal of the control unit serves for triggering the deactivation operation of one of the row lines after a write access. Therefore, in the event of a write access, a comparatively high data throughput is possible even at different operating frequencies of the integrated memory.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2003
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Stefan Dietrich, Thomas Hein, Patrick Heyne, Thilo Marx, Torsten Partsch, Sabine Kieser, Peter Schroegmeier, Michael Sommer, Christian Weis
  • Patent number: 6480024
    Abstract: A circuit configuration includes two signal path sections that are used to program the delay of a signal path, in particular in DRAMs. The two signal path sections have different delays and can be driven in parallel at the input end. The two signal path sections can be connected to an output terminal via a multiplexer. A selection circuit includes two signal path sections which are connected between supply voltage potentials. The selection circuit has two complimentary transistors which are connected in series and has source-end programmable elements. These transistors can be driven by complimentary control signals. This permits the delay to be programmed flexibly with little expenditure on circuitry.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Stefan Dietrich, Thomas Hein, Patrick Heyne, Michael Markert, Thilo Marx, Torsten Partsch, Sabine Schöniger Kieser, Peter Schrögmeier, Michael Sommer, Christian Weis
  • Publication number: 20020141279
    Abstract: An integrated memory is described which has a memory cell array with column lines and row lines. A row access controller serves for activating one of the row lines and for controlling a deactivation operation. An input of a control unit is connected to a signal terminal for a signal that, in the event of a read access to one of the memory cells, defines the beginning of data outputting to a point outside the memory cell array. The data output is synchronized with a clock signal. In this case, the signal is adjustable depending on an operating frequency of the memory. An output signal of the control unit serves for triggering the deactivation operation of one of the row lines after a write access. Therefore, in the event of a write access, a comparatively high data throughput is possible even at different operating frequencies of the integrated memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 29, 2001
    Publication date: October 3, 2002
    Inventors: Stefan Dietrich, Thomas Hein, Patrick Heyne, Thilo Marx, Torsten Partsch, Sabine Kieser, Peter Schroegmeier, Michael Sommer, Christian Weis
  • Publication number: 20020133750
    Abstract: Integrated circuits, in particular memory chips of the DDR SDRAM type, are tested in a parallel manner. In order to prevent the circuits from being driven relative to one another during a test operation, an input terminal that is already connected to a channel of an automatic test machine anyway is connected to a switching device, by which the output drivers can be turned off in a manner dependent on the control signal that can be fed in at the input terminal. The switching device preferably contains a demultiplexer and also a multiplexer. The demultiplexer can be driven by a test control signal that is additionally generated besides the test control signal. The input terminal is connected to a tester channel anyway during test operation, with the result that no additional external outlay arises.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2001
    Publication date: September 19, 2002
    Inventors: Stefan Dietrich, Patrick Heyne, Thilo Marx, Sabine Kieser, Michael Sommer, Thomas Hein, Michael Markert, Torsten Partsch, Peter Schroegmeier, Christian Weis
  • Publication number: 20020079925
    Abstract: A circuit configuration includes two signal path sections that are used to program the delay of a signal path, in particular in DRAMs. The two signal path sections have different delays and can be driven in parallel at the input end. The two signal path sections can be connected to an output terminal via a multiplexer. A selection circuit includes two signal path sections which are connected between supply voltage potentials. The selection circuit has two complimentary transistors which are connected in series and has source-end programmable elements. These transistors can be driven by complimentary control signals. This permits the delay to be programmed flexibly with little expenditure on circuitry.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2001
    Publication date: June 27, 2002
    Inventors: Stefan Dietrich, Thomas Hein, Patrick Heyne, Michael Markert, Thilo Marx, Torsten Partsch, Sabine Kieser, Peter Schrogmeier, Michael Sommer, Christian Weis
  • Publication number: 20020075707
    Abstract: The voltage pump for generating a boosted output voltage has a switch-on control circuit. The switch-on control includes a transistor that is connected between a terminal for feeding in a supply voltage and the terminal for tapping off the boosted output voltage. After the voltage pump has started to operate, the boosted output voltage is decoupled from the supply voltage by the transistor. A changeover switch forwards the respective higher of the output voltage or supply voltage to the substrate terminal and gate terminal of the transistor. The switch-on control enables early provision of a boosted output voltage in conjunction with reliable start-up operation of the voltage pump, while the additional outlay on circuitry is minimized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2001
    Publication date: June 20, 2002
    Inventors: Stefan Dietrich, Patrick Heyne, Thilo Marx, Sabine Kieser, Michael Sommer, Thomas Hein, Michael Markert, Torsten Partsch, Peter Schrogmeier, Christian Weis