Patents by Inventor Nicky C. C. Lu

Nicky C. C. Lu 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: 5107459
    Abstract: A stacked bit-line architecture utilizing high density cross-point memory arrays forms a DRAM semiconductor memory device. The true and complementary bit-line pairs connected to the respective memory cell arrays are formed in two metal layers, one above the other. A bit-line interconnector region is provided that uses a third interconnection layer together with the first and second layers to transpose the vertical stacking of each pair and to transpose the planar alignment of adjacent bit-line pairs. The DRAM memory cell array has a high density cross-point memory cell architecture that behaves electrically as a folded bit-line array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 21, 1992
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Christopher M. Chu, Sang H. Dhong, Wei Hwang, Nicky C-C. Lu
  • Patent number: 4816706
    Abstract: A novel sense amplifier and decoupling device structure for integrated circuit memories wherein an embodiment of a cross-coupled sense amplifier includes two PMOS devices, the gates of which devices are grounded and clamp the downward voltage swing of the memory bitlines to the absolute value of the threshold voltage (VTP) of the grounded-gate PMOS devices in the sense amplifier. This limited voltage swing does not affect charge storage of storage capacitors because the absolute value of the threshold voltage (VT) of the cell transfer gate device is larger. Precharging the bitlines is achieved by equalizing the two bitlines, each charged to VDD and .vertline.VTP.vertline., respectively. One node of the sense amplifier retains a full VDD swing and is conveniently connected to the DATA bus. The sense amplifier bitline swing is limited to a swing of VDD-.vertline.VTP.vertline.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1989
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Sang H. Dhong, Nicky C. C. Lu