Patents by Inventor Tom George

Tom George 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: 20240071931
    Abstract: A memory array comprising strings of memory cells comprises laterally-spaced memory blocks individually comprising a vertical stack comprising alternating insulative tiers and conductive tiers above a conductor tier. Strings of memory cells comprising channel-material strings extend through the insulative tiers and the conductive tiers. The conductor tier comprises upper conductor material directly above and directly against lower conductor material of different composition from that of the upper conductor material. A through-array-via (TAV) region is included and comprises TAVs individually comprising the upper conductor material, the lower conductor material, and a conducting material that is directly below the conductor tier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2022
    Publication date: February 29, 2024
    Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Tom George, Rita J. Klein, Daniel Billingsley, Pengyuan Zheng, Yongjun Jeff Hu
  • Publication number: 20230343393
    Abstract: A method used in forming a memory array comprising strings of memory cells comprises forming a stack comprising vertically-alternating first tiers and second tiers directly above a conductor tier that comprises silicon-containing material. The stack comprises laterally-spaced memory-block regions and a through-array-via (TAV) region. The stack comprises channel-material strings that extend through the first tiers and the second tiers in the memory-block regions. The stack comprises TAV openings in the TAV region that extend to the silicon-containing material of the conductor tier. A metal halide is reacted with the silicon of the silicon-containing material to deposit the metal of the metal halide in the conductor tier. After depositing the metal, conductive material is formed in the TAV openings directly against the deposited metal and therefrom a TAV is formed in individual of the TAV openings that comprises the conductive material and the deposited metal. Structure embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2022
    Publication date: October 26, 2023
    Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Jordan D. Greenlee, Rajasekhar Venigalla, Tom George
  • Publication number: 20220415917
    Abstract: A microelectronic device comprises a stack structure comprising alternating conductive structures and insulative structures arranged in tiers, each of the tiers individually comprising a conductive structure and an insulative structure, strings of memory cells vertically extending through the stack structure, the strings of memory cells comprising a channel material vertically extending through the stack structure, and another stack structure vertically overlying the stack structure and comprising other tiers of alternating levels of other conductive structures and other insulative structures, the other conductive structures exhibiting a conductivity greater than a conductivity of the conductive structures of the stack structure. Related memory devices, electronic systems, and methods are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2022
    Publication date: December 29, 2022
    Inventors: Daniel Billingsley, Matthew J. King, Jordan D. Greenlee, Yongjun J. Hu, Tom George, Amritesh Rai, Sidhartha Gupta, Kyle A. Ritter
  • Patent number: 11527546
    Abstract: A microelectronic device comprises a stack structure comprising alternating conductive structures and insulative structures arranged in tiers, each of the tiers individually comprising a conductive structure and an insulative structure, strings of memory cells vertically extending through the stack structure, the strings of memory cells comprising a channel material vertically extending through the stack structure, and another stack structure vertically overlying the stack structure and comprising other tiers of alternating levels of other conductive structures and other insulative structures, the other conductive structures exhibiting a conductivity greater than a conductivity of the conductive structures of the stack structure. Related memory devices, electronic systems, and methods are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Daniel Billingsley, Matthew J. King, Jordan D. Greenlee, Yongjun J. Hu, Tom George, Amritesh Rai, Sidhartha Gupta, Kyle A. Ritter
  • Publication number: 20220037358
    Abstract: Some embodiments include a conductive structure of an integrated circuit. The conductive structure includes an upper primary portion, with the upper primary portion having a first conductive constituent configured as a container. The container has a bottom, and a pair of sidewalls extending upwardly from the bottom. An interior region of the container is over the bottom and between the sidewalls. The upper primary portion includes a second conductive constituent configured as a mass filling the interior region of the container. The second conductive constituent is a different composition than the first conductive constituent. One or more conductive projections join to the upper primary portion and extend downwardly from the upper primary portion. Some embodiments include assemblies comprising memory cells over conductive structures. Some embodiments include methods of forming conductive structures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2021
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Nancy M. Lomeli, Tom George, Jordan D. Greenlee, Scott M. Pook, John Mark Meldrim
  • Publication number: 20220037350
    Abstract: A microelectronic device comprises a stack structure comprising alternating conductive structures and insulative structures arranged in tiers, each of the tiers individually comprising a conductive structure and an insulative structure, strings of memory cells vertically extending through the stack structure, the strings of memory cells comprising a channel material vertically extending through the stack structure, and another stack structure vertically overlying the stack structure and comprising other tiers of alternating levels of other conductive structures and other insulative structures, the other conductive structures exhibiting a conductivity greater than a conductivity of the conductive structures of the stack structure. Related memory devices, electronic systems, and methods are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 30, 2020
    Publication date: February 3, 2022
    Inventors: Daniel Billingsley, Matthew J. King, Jordan D. Greenlee, Yongjun J. Hu, Tom George, Amritesh Rai, Sidhartha Gupta, Kyle A. Ritter
  • Patent number: 11177276
    Abstract: Some embodiments include a conductive structure of an integrated circuit. The conductive structure includes an upper primary portion, with the upper primary portion having a first conductive constituent configured as a container. The container has a bottom, and a pair of sidewalls extending upwardly from the bottom. An interior region of the container is over the bottom and between the sidewalls. The upper primary portion includes a second conductive constituent configured as a mass filling the interior region of the container. The second conductive constituent is a different composition than the first conductive constituent. One or more conductive projections join to the upper primary portion and extend downwardly from the upper primary portion. Some embodiments include assemblies comprising memory cells over conductive structures. Some embodiments include methods of forming conductive structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Nancy M. Lomeli, Tom George, Jordan D. Greenlee, Scott M. Pook, John Mark Meldrim
  • Patent number: 11149729
    Abstract: A gear pump assembly includes a drive gear having a plurality of circumferentially spaced teeth, and a driven gear likewise having a plurality of circumferentially spaced teeth positioned for intermeshing engagement between the drive and driven gears via the teeth. A bleed mechanism directs carryover fluid from a discharge side of a bearing dam to an inlet side of the bearing dam in order to supply the carryover fluid to a carryover volume disposed between mating drive gear teeth and driven gear teeth. The bleed mechanism including a passage communicating with at least one of (i) a gear face of the drive gear, (ii) a gear face of the driven gear; or (iii) a bottom of a gear tooth profile adjacent a root region between adjacent gear teeth.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Eaton Intelligent Power Limited
    Inventors: Jubin Tom George, Kishor Ramdas Borkar, Robert Joseph Nyzen
  • Publication number: 20210091009
    Abstract: Some embodiments include a memory device having a conductive structure which includes silicon-containing material. A stack is over the conductive structure and includes alternating insulative levels and conductive levels. Channel material pillars extend through the stack and are electrically coupled with the conductive structure. Memory cells are along the channel material pillars. A conductive barrier material is under the silicon-containing material. The conductive barrier material includes one or more metals in combination with one or more nonmetals. An electrical contact is under the conductive barrier material. The electrical contact includes a region reactive with silicon. Silicon is precluded from reaching said region at least in part due to the conductive barrier material. Control circuitry is under the electrical contact and is electrically coupled with the conductive structure through at least the electrical contact and the conductive barrier material.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2019
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Devesh Kumar Datta, David Daycock, Keen Wah Chow, Tom George, Justin B. Dorhout, Bingli Ma, Rita J. Klein, John Mark Meldrim
  • Publication number: 20200075620
    Abstract: Some embodiments include a conductive structure of an integrated circuit. The conductive structure includes an upper primary portion, with the upper primary portion having a first conductive constituent configured as a container. The container has a bottom, and a pair of sidewalls extending upwardly from the bottom. An interior region of the container is over the bottom and between the sidewalls. The upper primary portion includes a second conductive constituent configured as a mass filling the interior region of the container. The second conductive constituent is a different composition than the first conductive constituent. One or more conductive projections join to the upper primary portion and extend downwardly from the upper primary portion. Some embodiments include assemblies comprising memory cells over conductive structures. Some embodiments include methods of forming conductive structures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2019
    Publication date: March 5, 2020
    Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Nancy M. Lomeli, Tom George, Jordan D. Greenlee, Scott M. Pook, John Mark Meldrim
  • Patent number: 10424596
    Abstract: Some embodiments include a conductive structure of an integrated circuit. The conductive structure includes an upper primary portion, with the upper primary portion having a first conductive constituent configured as a container. The container has a bottom, and a pair of sidewalls extending upwardly from the bottom. An interior region of the container is over the bottom and between the sidewalls. The upper primary portion includes a second conductive constituent configured as a mass filling the interior region of the container. The second conductive constituent is a different composition than the first conductive constituent. One or more conductive projections join to the upper primary portion and extend downwardly from the upper primary portion. Some embodiments include assemblies comprising memory cells over conductive structures. Some embodiments include methods of forming conductive structures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2019
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Nancy M. Lomeli, Tom George, Jordan D. Greenlee, Scott M. Pook, John Mark Meldrim
  • Publication number: 20190198518
    Abstract: Some embodiments include a conductive structure of an integrated circuit. The conductive structure includes an upper primary portion, with the upper primary portion having a first conductive constituent configured as a container. The container has a bottom, and a pair of sidewalls extending upwardly from the bottom. An interior region of the container is over the bottom and between the sidewalls. The upper primary portion includes a second conductive constituent configured as a mass filling the interior region of the container. The second conductive constituent is a different composition than the first conductive constituent. One or more conductive projections join to the upper primary portion and extend downwardly from the upper primary portion. Some embodiments include assemblies comprising memory cells over conductive structures. Some embodiments include methods of forming conductive structures.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2017
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Inventors: Nancy M. Lomeli, Tom George, Jordan D. Greenlee, Scott M. Pook, John Mark Meldrim
  • Publication number: 20190024657
    Abstract: A gear pump assembly includes a drive gear having a plurality of circumferentially spaced teeth, and a driven gear likewise having a plurality of circumferentially spaced teeth positioned for intermeshing engagement between the drive and driven gears via the teeth. A bleed mechanism directs carryover fluid from a discharge side of a bearing dam to an inlet side of the bearing dam in order to supply the carryover fluid to a carryover volume disposed between mating drive gear teeth and driven gear teeth. The bleed mechanism including a passage communicating with at least one of (i) a gear face of the drive gear, (ii) a gear face of the driven gear; or (iii) a bottom of a gear tooth profile adjacent a root region between adjacent gear teeth.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2018
    Publication date: January 24, 2019
    Inventors: Jubin Tom George, Kishor Ramdas Borkar, Robert Joseph Nyzen
  • Patent number: 7882435
    Abstract: An electronic equipment is provided that includes access to a playlist, the content of which identifies a plurality of media objects, and a media player section configured to play the plurality of media objects identified in the playlist in an order. In addition, the electronic equipment includes a shuffler section for altering at least one of the order in which the plurality of media objects in the playlist are played by the media player, or the content of the playlist, in response to a shuffle command. The electronic equipment further includes a motion sensor that detects motion of the electronic equipment, the motion sensor producing an output based on detected motion from which the shuffle command is derived.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB
    Inventors: Martin Hans Kretz, Tom George Rudolf Gajdos
  • Publication number: 20090239573
    Abstract: An electronic equipment is provided that includes access to a playlist, the content of which identifies a plurality of media objects, and a media player section configured to play the plurality of media objects identified in the playlist in an order. In addition, the electronic equipment includes a shuffler section for altering at least one of the order in which the plurality of media objects in the playlist are played by the media player, or the content of the playlist, in response to a shuffle command. The electronic equipment further includes a motion sensor that detects motion of the electronic equipment, the motion sensor producing an output based on detected motion from which the shuffle command is derived.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2009
    Publication date: September 24, 2009
    Applicant: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB
    Inventors: Martin Hans Kretz, Tom George Rudolf Gajdos
  • Publication number: 20070156679
    Abstract: An electronic equipment is provided that includes access to a playlist, the content of which identifies a plurality of media objects, and a media player section configured to play the plurality of media objects identified in the playlist in an order. In addition, the electronic equipment includes a shuffler section for altering at least one of the order in which the plurality of media objects in the playlist are played by the media player, or the content of the playlist, in response to a shuffle command. The electronic equipment further includes a motion sensor that detects motion of the electronic equipment, the motion sensor producing an output based on detected motion from which the shuffle command is derived.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2005
    Publication date: July 5, 2007
    Inventors: Martin Kretz, Tom George Gajdos