Patents by Inventor Ward Parkinson

Ward Parkinson 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: 20190198106
    Abstract: Apparatuses and techniques are described for programming phase change memory cells while avoiding a clamp condition in transistors which are used for biasing a word line and bit line when the word line and bit line are unselected for a write operation. The transistors may be connected in parallel with the word line and bit line. During a write operation, a current source is connected to a selected word line and a voltage control circuit is connected to the selected bit line. The voltage control circuit can include a capacitor or a voltage driver, for example. The capacitor accumulates charge, or the voltage driver applies an increasing ramp voltage to the bit line, to increase the voltage of the bit line and word line during the write operation and to avoid the clamp condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2017
    Publication date: June 27, 2019
    Applicant: SanDisk Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Ward Parkinson, James O'Toole, Thomas Trent
  • Patent number: 10311921
    Abstract: A bit line read voltage generator may operate in a high drive strength or current mode to drive a selected bit line voltage to a read selected bit line voltage at a high level, and then may switch to operating in a low drive strength or current mode. Doing so may control, such as by limiting, the amount of cell current if the selected memory cell turns on, reducing the likelihood of false writes. Also, a word line read voltage generator may operate in a high drive strength or current mode to ramp up a selected word line voltage level, and then may switch to operating in a low drive strength or current mode to shorten the time for a global selected word line voltage to decrease to below a trip level and/or to control an amount of the cell current when the selected memory cell turns on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Ward Parkinson, Thomas Michael Trent, James Edwin O'Toole
  • Patent number: 10255953
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to the fabrication of and methods for creating a reversible tri-state memory device which provides both forward and reverse write and read drive to a bi-directional RRAM cell, thus allowing writing in the forward and reverse directions. The memory device, however, utilizes a single transistor “on pitch” which fits between two metal lines traversing the array tile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: James Edwin O'Toole, Ward Parkinson, Daniel Robert Shepard, Thomas Michael Trent
  • Patent number: 10192616
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to non-volatile memory arrays and memory devices in which a leakage current through an OTS is utilized to pre-charge a circuit of a memory chip. By running an additional wire on each side of a tile which is orthogonal to, above, or below the X and Y select wires, a high value resistance material, such as an OTS, may be deposited at the intersection. The OTS allows the word line or bit line to be selected without pulling excessive leakage to the select wire from the bias voltage, such as V/2. A thickness of the OTS is adjusted such that the Vt of the OTS is greater than V/2, with margin, and the OTS does not turn on when the OTS is selected. A resistance is created between the V/2 wire and the word line select wire or the bit line select wire.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: WESTERN DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: James Edwin O'Toole, Ward Parkinson, Daniel Robert Shepard, Thomas Michael Trent
  • Publication number: 20180301188
    Abstract: Apparatuses, systems, methods, and computer program products are disclosed for memory array addressing. An addressing circuit is configured to receive an address for an operation on an array of multiple memory regions. An address includes a row address and a column address both multiplexed into the address and received with an activate command for an operation. A row buffer for an array of multiple memory regions is configured to store data identified by multiplexed row and column addresses from the multiple memory regions. Data of an operation is selected from a row buffer based on a second address received with a subsequent command for the operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Publication date: October 18, 2018
    Applicant: SanDisk Technologies LLC
    Inventors: WON HO CHOI, WARD PARKINSON, ZVONIMIR BANDIC, JAMES O'TOOLE, MARTIN LUEKER-BODEN
  • Publication number: 20180285007
    Abstract: Apparatuses, systems, methods, and computer program products are disclosed for memory maintenance operations. A non-volatile memory device comprises a non-volatile memory medium. A non-volatile memory device is configured to receive a refresh command from a controller over a bus. A non-volatile memory device is configured to perform one or more maintenance operations on a non-volatile memory medium during a predefined period of time after receiving a refresh command.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2018
    Publication date: October 4, 2018
    Applicant: SanDisk Technologies LLC
    Inventors: NATHAN FRANKLIN, WARD PARKINSON
  • Publication number: 20180137915
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to the fabrication of and methods for creating a reversible tri-state memory device which provides both forward and reverse write and read drive to a bi-directional RRAM cell, thus allowing writing in the forward and reverse directions. The memory device, however, utilizes a single transistor “on pitch” which fits between two metal lines traversing the array tile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 12, 2018
    Publication date: May 17, 2018
    Inventors: James Edwin O'TOOLE, Ward PARKINSON, Daniel Robert SHEPARD, Thomas Michael TRENT
  • Patent number: 9887004
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to the fabrication of and methods for creating a reversible tri-state memory device which provides both forward and reverse write and read drive to a bi-directional RRAM cell, thus allowing writing in the forward and reverse directions. The memory device, however, utilizes a single transistor “on pitch” which fits between two metal lines traversing the array tile.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Western Digital Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: James Edwin O'Toole, Ward Parkinson, Daniel Robert Shepard, Thomas Michael Trent
  • Publication number: 20170372781
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to the fabrication of and methods for creating a reversible tri-state memory device which provides both forward and reverse write and read drive to a bi-directional RRAM cell, thus allowing writing in the forward and reverse directions. The memory device, however, utilizes a single transistor “on pitch” which fits between two metal lines traversing the array tile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2016
    Publication date: December 28, 2017
    Inventors: James Edwin O'TOOLE, Ward PARKINSON, Daniel Robert SHEPARD, Thomas Michael TRENT
  • Publication number: 20170372779
    Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to non-volatile memory arrays and memory devices in which a leakage current through an OTS is utilized to pre-charge a circuit of a memory chip. By running an additional wire on each side of a tile which is orthogonal to, above, or below the X and Y select wires, a high value resistance material, such as an OTS, may be deposited at the intersection. The OTS allows the word line or bit line to be selected without pulling excessive leakage to the select wire from the bias voltage, such as V/2. A thickness of the OTS is adjusted such that the Vt of the OTS is greater than V/2, with margin, and the OTS does not turn on when the OTS is selected. A resistance is created between the V/2 wire and the word line select wire or the bit line select wire.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2016
    Publication date: December 28, 2017
    Inventors: James Edwin O'TOOLE, Ward PARKINSON, Daniel Robert SHEPARD, Thomas Michael TRENT
  • Patent number: 9753481
    Abstract: A method and system for generating a reference voltage are disclosed. The reference voltage is generated by generating a voltage VRIGHT using a first transistor and generating a voltage VBIAS using a second transistor. The gates of the two transistors are connected to a common node VREF, but the loads of the transistors have different resistances. At least one differential pair is used to detect a difference between voltages VRIGHT and VBIAS. VREF is forced to a value at which the source-drain currents in each of the transistors is equal. The transistors sued are NMOS transistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: HGST, INC.
    Inventors: R. Jacob Baker, Ward Parkinson
  • Patent number: 9576648
    Abstract: A thin-film memory may include a thin-film transistor-free address decoder in conjunction with thin-film memory elements to yield an all-thin-film memory. Such a thin-film memory excludes all single-crystal electronic devices and may be formed, for example, on a low-cost substrate, such as fiberglass, glass or ceramic. The memory may be configured for operation with an external memory controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Ovonyx Memory Technology, LLC
    Inventor: Ward Parkinson
  • Patent number: 9472273
    Abstract: A thin-film memory may include a thin-film transistor-free address decoder in conjunction with thin-film memory elements to yield an all-thin-film memory. Such a thin-film memory excludes all single-crystal electronic devices and may be formed, for example, on a low-cost substrate, such as fiberglass, glass or ceramic. The memory may be configured for operation with an external memory controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2016
    Assignee: Carlow Innovations LLC
    Inventor: Ward Parkinson
  • Publication number: 20160276024
    Abstract: A thin-film memory may include a thin-film transistor-free address decoder in conjunction with thin-film memory elements to yield an all-thin-film memory. Such a thin-film memory excludes all single-crystal electronic devices and may be formed, for example, on a low-cost substrate, such as fiberglass, glass or ceramic. The memory may be configured for operation with an external memory controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2015
    Publication date: September 22, 2016
    Inventor: Ward Parkinson
  • Patent number: 9349447
    Abstract: In various embodiments, quench switches are utilized within a cross-point memory array to minimize parasitic coupling in lines proximate selected lines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2016
    Assignee: HGST, INC.
    Inventors: Thomas Trent, Ward Parkinson
  • Publication number: 20160124456
    Abstract: A method and system for generating a reference voltage are disclosed. The reference voltage is generated by generating a voltage VRIGHT using a first transistor and generating a voltage VBIAS using a second transistor. The gates of the two transistors are connected to a common node VREF, but the loads of the transistors have different resistances. At least one differential pair is used to detect a difference between voltages VRIGHT and VBIAS. VREF is forced to a value at which the source-drain currents in each of the transistors is equal. The transistors sued are NMOS transistors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 9, 2015
    Publication date: May 5, 2016
    Inventors: R. Jacob Baker, Ward Parkinson
  • Publication number: 20160064076
    Abstract: A thin-film memory may include a thin-film transistor-free address decoder in conjunction with thin-film memory elements to yield an all-thin-film memory. Such a thin-film memory excludes all single-crystal electronic devices and may be formed, for example, on a low-cost substrate, such as fiberglass, glass or ceramic. The memory may be configured for operation with an external memory controller.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2015
    Publication date: March 3, 2016
    Inventor: Ward Parkinson
  • Patent number: 9076521
    Abstract: A thin-film memory may include a thin-film transistor-free address decoder in conjunction with thin-film memory elements to yield an all-thin-film memory. Such a thin-film memory excludes all single-crystal electronic devices and may be formed, for example, on a low-cost substrate, such as fiberglass, glass or ceramic. The memory may be configured for operation with an external memory controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2015
    Assignee: Ovonyx, Inc.
    Inventor: Ward Parkinson
  • Patent number: 8792270
    Abstract: A memory includes an interface through which it provides access to memory cells, such as phase change memory cells. Such access permits circuitry located on a separate integrated circuit to provide access signals, including read and write signals suitable for binary or multi-level accesses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Ovonyx, Inc.
    Inventor: Ward Parkinson
  • Patent number: 8773941
    Abstract: A thin-film memory may include a thin-film transistor-free address decoder in conjunction with thin-film memory elements to yield an all-thin-film memory. Such a thin-film memory excludes all single-crystal electronic devices and may be formed, for example, on a low-cost substrate, such as fiberglass, glass or ceramic. The memory may be configured for operation with an external memory controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Ovonyx, Inc.
    Inventor: Ward Parkinson