Patents by Inventor Stephan Schröder

Stephan Schröder 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: 20080056045
    Abstract: A device is disclosed for refreshing memory contents of first and second memory cells, wherein the memory contents of the first memory cells are refreshed in a first period of time and the memory contents of the second memory cells are refreshed in a second period of time, having a pre-charge circuit for bit lines for the first memory cells and the second memory cells, and having a controller which may be coupled to the pre-charge circuit to control the pre-charge circuit such that a pre-charge voltage may be applied to the bit lines of the first memory cells during the first period of time and not during the second period of time and that the pre-charge voltage may be applied to the bit lines of the second memory cells during the second period of time and not during the first period of time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2007
    Publication date: March 6, 2008
    Inventors: Manfred Proell, Stephan Schroeder
  • Publication number: 20070258307
    Abstract: A memory circuit comprises a memory cell array with dynamic memory cells arranged on word lines and bit lines, a selection unit providing selection information and a refresh circuit selecting the memory cells in each case in dependence on the selection information and refreshing the selected memory cells so that any information stored therein is retained in each case.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2007
    Publication date: November 8, 2007
    Inventors: Manfred Proell, Stephan Schroeder, Wolfgang Ruf, Hermann Haas
  • Publication number: 20070260955
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for applying a test pattern to cells in a memory module. A test auxiliary device in a memory module contains a test pattern selection device for selecting a test pattern from at least two elementary M-bit test patterns. The test pattern is applied to a group of M data lines of the memory module, M being an integer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 21, 2007
    Publication date: November 8, 2007
    Inventors: Joerg Kliewer, Manfred Proell, Stephan Schroeder, Georg Eggers
  • Publication number: 20070253264
    Abstract: An integrated semiconductor memory with a test function comprises a bit line pair having a first end and a second end. A voltage generation circuit having a first connection and a second connection is coupled to the first end of the bit line pair. A plurality of memory cells are connected to a bit line of the bit line pair between the first end and second end of the bit line pair. A controllable switch is connected between the second end of the bit line pair.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2007
    Publication date: November 1, 2007
    Inventors: Manfred Proell, Juan Ocon, Frank Ertl, Stephan Schroeder
  • Publication number: 20070226591
    Abstract: An integrated device comprises a functional circuit, a test circuit for testing the functional circuit and for providing an error data item and a register element for storing the error data item and for outputting the error data item at an error data output of the integrated device responsive to an output signal. The register element is connected to a data input of the integrated device in order to accept a data item, which is applied to the data input, responsive to the output signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 9, 2007
    Publication date: September 27, 2007
    Inventors: Manfred Proell, Stephan Schroeder, Wolfgang Ruf, Hermann Haas
  • Patent number: 7266027
    Abstract: An integrated semiconductor memory includes word lines connected to a first voltage potential via a respective first controllable switch and a respective third controllable switch and to a second voltage potential via a respective second controllable switch. In order to test whether one of the word lines is connected to the first voltage potential via its respective first and third controllable switches, the one of the word lines is connected to a comparator circuit via the respective second controllable switch and a driver line. After the respective first and third controllable switches have been controlled into the on state, in a test operating state of the integrated semiconductor memory, the respective second controllable switch is controlled into the on state and a potential state on the word line is evaluated by the comparator circuit. The result of the evaluation is fed to an external data terminal by an evaluation signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2007
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Ralf Schneider, Stephan Schröder, Manfred Pröll, Herbert Benzinger
  • Patent number: 7263633
    Abstract: An integrated circuit, in particular, an integrated memory, contains a control circuit for ascertaining an operating state of the circuit. A self-repair circuit, which is connected to the control circuit, is used to implement self-test and self-repair operation for checking the functioning of, and repairing, defective circuit sections of the integrated circuit. After a supply voltage has been applied to the integrated circuit, the control circuit ascertains an operating state of the integrated circuit and, in a manner dependent thereon, the self-repair circuit is activated by the control circuit in a self-controlling manner in order to put the integrated circuit into a self-repair mode for implementing self-test and self-repair operation. The integrated circuit can be tested for its functionality and repaired even after being soldered onto a module substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2007
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Evangelos Stavrou, Stephan Schröder, Manfred Pröll, Koen Van der Zanden
  • Publication number: 20070173566
    Abstract: New polymer concentrates on the basis of polymer additives, like e.g. fillers and flame-retardants, are provided which have in particular an increased bulk density compared to the polymer additives as such. This increased bulk density leads to a substantial improvement in the processability of such concentrates, their dispersibility during compounding and the properties of the resulting polymer compound. Processing improvements include less dust, faster processing and more homogeneous additive dispersion. The invention also provides a process for preparing such new polymer concentrates, a process for preparing polymer compounds containing the new polymer concentrates, the respective polymer compounds and a process for preparing formed parts thereof. Such formed parts have more uniform properties such as density, wall thickness, and in case of the flame-retardants more homogeneous and consistent flame retardancy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2006
    Publication date: July 26, 2007
    Inventors: Stephen Pask, Andre Damman, Stephan Schroeder
  • Patent number: 7248536
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory and a method for operating the latter in order are provided, at least in testwise fashion, to deactivate a word line segment (12) of a segmented word line not via a first line (21) otherwise used for deactivation, but rather via a second line (22) via that the word line segment (12) is otherwise activated. The second line (22) can optionally be biased with a second potential (Vpp) provided for activation or with a third potential (Vgnd). If the third potential (Vgnd) is used for at least temporarily deactivating the word line segment (12), the word line segment can be driven via a switching element (17), which couples the word line segment to the second line (22), without the complementary switching element (16) of the driver segment (20) having to be used for deactivation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2007
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Stephan Schroeder, Arndt Gruber, Manfred Proell, Herbert Benzinger
  • Patent number: 7236412
    Abstract: An integrated semiconductor memory including memory cells which can be driven via first and second word lines and can be replaced by redundant memory cells. In the first memory cell type, data can be stored corresponding to the data present at a data input terminal. In the memory cells of a second memory cell type, data can be stored inverted with respect to data present at the data input terminal. The integrated semiconductor memory includes a circuit for data inversion, wherein the data are written to a redundant memory cell, inverted with respect to the data present at the data input terminal if the defective memory cell and the redundant memory cell replacing it are situated in different word line strips of a bit line twist, and if the defective memory cell and the redundant memory cell replacing it are associated with different memory cell types.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2007
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Manfred Pröll, Johann Pfeiffer, Stephan Schröder, Arndt Gruber, Georg Erhard Eggers
  • Publication number: 20070133322
    Abstract: A method for improving the reliability of a memory having a used memory region and an unused memory region, wherein defect memory elements in the used memory region can be substituted by functional memory elements in the unused memory region, having the steps of providing the used memory region with a first stress sequence; and providing the unused memory region with a second stress sequence.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2006
    Publication date: June 14, 2007
    Inventors: Manfred Proell, Stephan Schroeder
  • Patent number: 7206238
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory and a test method for testing whether word line segments (12) are floating after an activation operation or a deactivation operation is disclosed. For this purpose, the charge-reversal current (I) that occurs in the event of a word line segment (12) being subjected to charge reversal or a charge quantity (Q) which is fed to the word line (12) or conducted away from the word line segment (12) as a result of this is measured. If, upon activation or deactivation of a word line segment (12), the measured charge-reversal current (I) or the corresponding charge quantity (Q) is less than a lower limit value, it is ascertained that the relevant word line segment (12) has a defective contact terminal. In this way, high-impedance or defective contact hole fillings can thereby be identified and the associated word line segments (12) can be replaced by redundant word lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2007
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Joerg Kliewer, Herbert Benzinger, Stephan Schroeder, Manfred Proell
  • Patent number: 7198403
    Abstract: In an arrangement for determining a temperature loading during a soldering process, a semiconductor chip (1) comprises at least one contact (2) to be soldered or is electrically conductively connected to at least one contact (14d) to be soldered that is situated outside the semiconductor chip. The semiconductor chip (1) furthermore comprises a temperature sensor device (3), which determines a measurement quantity corresponding to the temperature. A processing device (4, 5) has an analog-to-digital converter (5), which is electrically conductively connected to the temperature sensor device (3) and converts the measurement quantity into at least one storable signal that represents the temperature loading. A voltage supply device (10), which is electrically conductively connected to the temperature sensor device (3) and the processing device (4, 5), supplies these components with an operating voltage. A data memory (6) serves for storing the at least one storable signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Manfred Pröll, Jürgen Auge, Stephan Schröder, Thomas Huber
  • Publication number: 20070070758
    Abstract: A method for operating a semiconductor memory and to a semiconductor memory with at least one sense amplifier and device for switching the sense amplifier to or off at least one line is disclosed. The means is, during the switching of the sense amplifier to the line, placed in a conductive state for a differently long time and/or differently strongly, depending on the respective operating mode of the semiconductor memory.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2006
    Publication date: March 29, 2007
    Applicant: QIMONDA AG
    Inventors: Tobias Graf, Joerg Kliewer, Manfred Proell, Stephan Schroeder
  • Patent number: 7196572
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes an input terminal (IN) for application of a supply voltage (Vext) and an output terminal (A) for generation of an output voltage (Vout). A first branch including a first controllable resistance (T1) and a second branch including a charge pump (10) and a second controllable resistance (T2) are connected between the input terminal (IN) and the output terminal (A). A control circuit (20) alters the resistance values of the first and second controllable resistances (T1, T2) in a manner dependent on a ratio of an actual value (Vout) of the output voltage to a desired value (VSout) of the output voltage and a ratio of an actual value (Vext) of the supply voltage to a desired value (VSext) of the supply voltage. As a result, the output voltage (Vout) can be stabilized to the desired value (VSout) virtually independently of fluctuations of the supply voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2007
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies, AG
    Inventors: Ralf Schneider, Stephan Schröder, Manfred Pröll, Jörg Kliewer
  • Publication number: 20070047355
    Abstract: A method for detecting a leakage current in a bit line of a semiconductor memory is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes isolating the connection of a sense amplifier from a bit line via an isolation transistor, reading out a memory cell to the bit line, waiting until a predetermined delay time has elapsed, so that a leakage current measurably changes the voltage on the bit line within the delay time. The sense amplifier is short circuited with the bit line via the isolation transistor. The voltage on the bit line is collected by the sense amplifier, and compared with a reference voltage so as to detect the leakage current.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2006
    Publication date: March 1, 2007
    Applicant: QIMONDA AG
    Inventors: Herbert Benzinger, Tobias Graf, Joerg Kliewer, Manfred Proell, Stephan Schroeder
  • Patent number: 7181579
    Abstract: An integrated memory has individually addressable normal and redundant units of memory cells. A memory unit is used to store, in a normal mode, an address for one of the normal units which needs to be replaced by one of the redundant units. A comparison unit compares an address which is present on an address bus with an address stored in the memory unit and activates one of the redundant units in the event of a match being identified. The memory also has a test circuit which can be activated by a test mode signal, can reset the memory unit to an initial state, and can store an address for one of the redundant units in the memory unit for subsequently writing an identification code to this redundant unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Aurel von Campenhausen, Manfred Pröll, Jörg Kliewer, Stephan Schröder
  • Patent number: 7180820
    Abstract: An integrated semiconductor memory includes at least one word line and a number of memory cells. Each memory cell has a selection transistor coupled to the word line. A word line driver is coupled to the word line. The word line driver provides a first electrical potential or a second electrical potential to the word line such that the word line is activated by the first electrical potential and is deactivated by the second electrical potential. A passive component (e.g., a diode or a resistor) is coupled between the word line and the second electrical potential such that the word line is coupled to the second electrical potential in a high-resistance fashion through the passive component. The passive component is transmissive for a leakage current between the word line and the contact connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2007
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Jörg Kliewer, Herbert Benzinger, Manfred Pröll, Stephan Schröder
  • Patent number: 7110310
    Abstract: The invention relates to a RAM store having a shared SA structure, in which sense amplifiers (SA) arranged in SA strips (10) between two respective adjacent cell blocks are used by a plurality of bit line pairs (21, 22; 21–24) from the adjacent cell blocks and the bit line pairs (21, 22; 21–24) have respective charge equalization circuits individually associated with them for the purpose of performing charge equalization between the bit line halves of the bit line pairs (21, 22; 21–24) in a precharge phase, where a shorting transistor (30) is provided which, when prompted by a control signal (EQLx), connects the bit line halves (BLT, BLC) of the bit line pairs (21, 22; 21–24) which are in the precharge phase to one another.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 19, 2006
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
    Inventors: Manfred Proell, Stephan Schroeder, Ralf Schneider, Joerg Kliewer
  • Patent number: 7102912
    Abstract: An integrated semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array (B1) with a first bit line and a second bit line (BL, /BL), a controllable resistor (SW) and a control unit (100) configured to control the controllable resistor. In a first operating state of the integrated semiconductor memory device, the first and second bit lines are connected to one another via a first controllable switch (ET1) and also via the controllable resistor (SW) which has been set to a low resistance, to a connection (A10) that applies a mid-voltage (VBLEQ), where the voltage level of the mid-voltage is in the form of an arithmetic mean between a first and second voltage potential (VBLH, VBLL). By virtue of the control unit briefly setting the controllable resistor to a very low resistance in the first operating state of the integrated semiconductor memory device, the period of time required for the first and second bit lines require to assume the mid-voltage (VBLEQ) is shortened.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 4, 2005
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2006
    Assignee: Infineon Technologies, AG
    Inventors: Herbert Benzinger, Jörg Kliewer, Manfred Pröll, Stephan Schröder