Patents by Inventor Oskar Kowarik

Oskar Kowarik 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: 6806550
    Abstract: An evaluation configuration has a first MOS evaluation stage, an isolation stage, and a bipolar evaluation stage. The isolation stage is connected between the first MOS evaluation stage and the bipolar evaluation stage. The isolation stage isolates the first MOS evaluation stage from the bipolar evaluation stage. The evaluation configuration can reliably detect very small read signals and allows a high integration density.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2002
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2004
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Kurt Hoffmann, Oskar Kowarik
  • Patent number: 6768667
    Abstract: A DRAM memory cell having an isolation transistor formed from a bipolar transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2004
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Kurt Hoffmann, Oskar Kowarik
  • Patent number: 6747891
    Abstract: A circuit is provided for the non-destructive, self-normalizing reading-out of MRAM memory cells. Accordingly, read currents of a memory cell are normalized by currents that are maintained at a voltage at which the size of these currents is independent of the cell content. The circuit has a simple construction and without great expenditure, permits the normalization of a read signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2004
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Kurt Hoffmann, Oskar Kowarik
  • Publication number: 20040017712
    Abstract: A circuit is provided for the non-destructive, self-normalizing reading-out of MRAM memory cells. Accordingly, read currents of a memory cell are normalized by currents that are maintained at a voltage at which the size of these currents is independent of the cell content. The circuit has a simple construction and without great expenditure, permits the normalization of a read signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2003
    Publication date: January 29, 2004
    Inventors: Kurt Hoffmann, Oskar Kowarik
  • Patent number: 6627935
    Abstract: A resistive ferroelectric memory cell includes a selection transistor having first and second zones of a first conduction type. A storage capacitor has one electrode at a fixed cell-plate voltage and another electrode connected to the first zone of the selection transistor. A semiconductor substrate has a second conduction type opposite the first conduction type. The storage capacitor and the selection transistor are disposed in the semiconductor substrate. A resistor is disposed between the other electrode of the storage capacitor and the fixed cell-plate voltage. The resistor has a resistance R2 such that R3<<R2<<R1, in which R1 is a reverse resistance of a pn junction between the first zone of the selection transistor and the semiconductor substrate and R3 is a resistance between the first zone and the second zone of the selection transistor, in a turned-on state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 30, 2003
    Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    Inventors: Oskar Kowarik, Kurt Hoffman
  • Publication number: 20030058710
    Abstract: A DRAM memory cell having an isolation transistor formed from a bipolar transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2002
    Publication date: March 27, 2003
    Inventors: Kurt Hoffmann, Oskar Kowarik
  • Publication number: 20030052344
    Abstract: An evaluation configuration has a first MOS evaluation stage, an isolation stage, and a bipolar evaluation stage. The isolation stage is connected between the first MOS evaluation stage and the bipolar evaluation stage. The isolation stage isolates the first MOS evaluation stage from the bipolar evaluation stage. The evaluation configuration can reliably detect very small read signals and allows a high integration density.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2002
    Publication date: March 20, 2003
    Inventors: Kurt Hoffmann, Oskar Kowarik
  • Patent number: 6480044
    Abstract: A semiconductor circuit is disclosed which contains a driving circuit which is integrated into a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type and includes positive voltage switching transistors for switching positive and/or zero voltage levels and negative switching transistors for switching negative and/or zero voltage levels. In addition, the driving circuit contains a control circuit which is positioned upstream from the driving circuit and is also embodied in the semiconductor substrate, which is connected to a substrate voltage. A negative voltage switching transistor of the driving circuit is configured inside an outer well which is embedded in the semiconductor substrate and is of a second conductivity type which is opposite to the first, and the outer well is connected to a supply voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2002
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Georg Braun, Heinz Hönigschmid, Kurt Hoffmann, Oskar Kowarik
  • Patent number: 6452830
    Abstract: A memory configuration includes a plurality of resistive ferroelectric memory cells. Each of the memory cells includes a selection transistor and a storage capacitor. The selection transistor has a given zone of a first conductivity type. The storage capacitor has a first and a second electrode. The first electrode is supplied with a fixed cell plate voltage, the second electrode is connected to the given zone of the first conductivity type. A source and a drain of a MOS transistor are supplied with the fixed cell plate voltage. The channel of the MOS transistor has a channel length extending over at least two of the memory cells. The given zone of the first conductivity type is connected, via a resistor, to the channel of the MOS transistor such that the given zone is electrically connected to the first electrode of the storage capacitor via the resistor and the MOS transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2002
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Oskar Kowarik, Kurt Hoffmann
  • Patent number: 6407945
    Abstract: A method for reading non-volatile semiconductor memory configurations includes determining a high threshold voltage and a low threshold voltage based on a charge state of a floating gate for a transistor, and applying a reverse bias between a bulk and a source of the transistor during reading.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2002
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Andreas Graf von Schwerin, Oskar Kowarik, Franz Schuler
  • Patent number: 6404668
    Abstract: A memory configuration includes a plurality of resistive ferroelectric memory cells. Each of the resistive ferroelectric memory cells includes a selection transistor and a storage capacitor. The selection transistor has a given zone of a first conductivity type. The storage capacitor has a first electrode and a second electrode. The first electrode is supplied with a fixed cell plate voltage. The second electrode is connected to the given zone of the first conductivity type. A semiconductor body of a second conductivity type opposite the first conductivity type is provided. A line is formed by a highly doped zone of the first conductivity type. The line is supplied with the cell plate voltage. The second electrode of the storage capacitor is connected via the resistor to the line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2001
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2002
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Oskar Kowarik, Kurt Hoffmann
  • Patent number: 6392918
    Abstract: A circuit for generating a reference voltage for the reading out from and the evaluation of read output signals which are read out with a constant plate voltage from storage cells of a ferroelectric memory via bit lines. In the circuit, a reference voltage device is formed of two reference cells that are subjected to the action of complementary signals. The reference cells can be simultaneously read out in order to generate the reference voltage in a selection and evaluation device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 21, 2002
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Georg Braun, Heinz Hönigschmid, Kurt Hoffmann, Oskar Kowarik, Thomas Röhr
  • Patent number: 6388917
    Abstract: A method for nondestructively reading memory cells of an MRAM memory, which includes steps of: determining a standard resistance of a memory cell at a voltage at which a resistance of the memory cell is independent of a stored content of the memory cell; determining an actual resistance of the memory cell at a voltage at which the resistance of the memory cell is dependent on the stored content of the memory cell; obtaining a normalized actual resistance of the memory cell by dividing the actual resistance by the standard resistance; obtaining a comparison result by comparing the normalized actual resistance with a reference value; and detecting the stored content of the memory cell dependent on the comparison result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2001
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2002
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Kurt Hoffmann, Oskar Kowarik
  • Publication number: 20020018356
    Abstract: A memory configuration includes a plurality of resistive ferroelectric memory cells. Each of the resistive ferroelectric memory cells includes a selection transistor and a storage capacitor. The selection transistor has a given zone of a first conductivity type. The storage capacitor has a first electrode and a second electrode. The first electrode is supplied with a fixed cell plate voltage. The second electrode is connected to the given zone of the first conductivity type. A semiconductor body of a second conductivity type opposite the first conductivity type is provided. A line is formed by a highly doped zone of the first conductivity type. The line is supplied with the cell plate voltage. The second electrode of the storage capacitor is connected via the resistor to the line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2001
    Publication date: February 14, 2002
    Inventors: Kurt Hoffmann, Oskar Kowarik
  • Publication number: 20020018361
    Abstract: A method for nondestructively reading memory cells of an MRAM memory, which includes steps of: determining a standard resistance of a memory cell at a voltage at which a resistance of the memory cell is independent of a stored content of the memory cell; determining an actual resistance or of the memory cell at a voltage at which the resistance of the memory cell is dependent on the stored content of the memory cell; obtaining a normalized actual resistance of the memory cell by to dividing the actual resistance or by the standard resistance; obtaining a comparison result by comparing the normalized actual resistance with a reference value; and detecting the stored content of the memory cell dependent on the comparison result.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2001
    Publication date: February 14, 2002
    Inventors: Kurt Hoffmann, Oskar Kowarik
  • Publication number: 20020018366
    Abstract: A method for reading non-volatile semiconductor memory configurations includes determining a high threshold voltage and a low threshold voltage based on a charge state of a floating gate for a transistor, and applying a reverse bias between a bulk and a source of the transistor during reading.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2001
    Publication date: February 14, 2002
    Inventors: Andreas Graf von Schwerin, Oskar Kowarik, Franz Schuler
  • Patent number: 6317356
    Abstract: A configuration for self-referencing a ferroelectric memory cell reads out the ferroelectric memory cell successively while a bit line is precharged to two different, opposing voltages. The voltage values read out from the ferroelectric memory cell are temporarily stored respectively in a first and a second capacitor and then fed to an evaluator circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2000
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2001
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Kurt Hoffmann, Oskar Kowarik
  • Publication number: 20010038557
    Abstract: A circuit for generating a reference voltage for the reading out from and the evaluation of read output signals which are read out with a constant plate voltage from storage cells of a ferroelectric memory via bit lines. In the circuit, a reference voltage device is formed of two reference cells that are subjected to the action of complementary signals. The reference cells can be simultaneously read out in order to generate the reference voltage in a selection and evaluation device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2001
    Publication date: November 8, 2001
    Inventors: Georg Braun, Heinz Honigschmid, Kurt Hoffmann, Oskar Kowarik, Thomas Rohr
  • Publication number: 20010038109
    Abstract: A resistive ferroelectric memory cell includes a selection transistor having first and second zones of a first conduction type. A storage capacitor has one electrode at a fixed cell-plate voltage and another electrode connected to the first zone of the selection transistor. A semiconductor substrate has a second conduction type opposite the first conduction type. The storage capacitor and the selection transistor are disposed in the semiconductor substrate. A resistor is disposed between the other electrode of the storage capacitor and the fixed cell-plate voltage. The resistor has a resistance R2 such that R3<<R2<<R1, in which R1 is a reverse resistance of a pn junction between the first zone of the selection transistor and the semiconductor substrate and R3 is a resistance between the first zone and the second zone of the selection transistor, in a turned-on state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2001
    Publication date: November 8, 2001
    Inventors: Oskar Kowarik, Kurt Hoffmann
  • Publication number: 20010033516
    Abstract: A memory configuration includes a plurality of resistive ferroelectric memory cells. Each of the memory cells includes a selection transistor and a storage capacitor. The selection transistor has a given zone of a first conductivity type. The storage capacitor has a first and a second electrode. The first electrode is supplied with a fixed cell plate voltage, the second electrode is connected to the given zone of the first conductivity type. A source and a drain of a MOS transistor are supplied with the fixed cell plate voltage. The channel of the MOS transistor has a channel length extending over at least two of the memory cells. The given zone of the first conductivity type is connected, via a resistor, to the channel of the MOS transistor such that the given zone is electrically connected to the first electrode of the storage capacitor via the resistor and the MOS transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2001
    Publication date: October 25, 2001
    Inventors: Oskar Kowarik, Kurt Hoffmann