Patents by Inventor Woongrae Kim

Woongrae Kim 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: 12334135
    Abstract: A memory device includes: a rate control circuit configured to: generate a refresh counting value based on a refresh management command and an internal target refresh command, and generate a rate control signal by comparing the refresh counting value with a target value corresponding to temperature information; and a target command issuing circuit configured to: set a target number according to the rate control signal, and issue the internal target refresh command whenever a number of inputs of a normal refresh command reaches the target number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2025
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Chul Moon Jung, Byeong Yong Go, Woongrae Kim
  • Patent number: 12315579
    Abstract: A memory device includes a sense amplifying circuit coupled between a pull-up voltage line and a pull-down voltage line and configured to sense and amplify data of bit lines according to a sensing control signal; a fail detection circuit configured to calculate counting values of fail bits for each temperature based on the data and configured to generate a minimum error code for each temperature by detecting a minimum value for each temperature from the counting values for each temperature, in response to a test mode signal; and a sense amplifying control circuit configured to drive the pull-up voltage line and the pull-down voltage line by generating a pull-up voltage and a pull-down voltage corresponding to current temperature information based on the minimum error code for each temperature and configured to generate the sensing control signal according to the test mode signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2025
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Yeonsu Jang, Woongrae Kim, Jung Min Yoon
  • Publication number: 20250140299
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes: a sampling control circuit configured to select a coarse section from a plurality of coarse sections according to a first pattern signal during a sampling period, select a fine section from a plurality of fine sections according to a second pattern signal during the selected coarse section, and generate first to third sampling control signals having activated sections defined by the selected coarse section and the selected fine section; and a sampling circuit configured to sample an input address according to the first to third sampling control signals, respectively, to generate first to third sampling addresses, and schedule the first to third sampling addresses according to a sampling signal defining the sampling period to output an output address.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 20, 2024
    Publication date: May 1, 2025
    Inventors: Hyeon Woo NOH, Kwang Soo KIM, Woongrae KIM, Hyung Min KIM, Jun Seok NOH
  • Patent number: 12288580
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes: a memory cell region including normal cells and row-hammer cells coupled to each of a plurality of rows, wherein the row-hammer cells of a selected row are suitable for storing first data and second data, the first data representing a number of accesses to the selected row and the second data denoting whether to refresh second adjacent rows of the selected row; and a refresh control circuit suitable for: selecting a sampling address based on the first data read from a row corresponding to an input address when an active command is inputted, determining, in response to a refresh command, whether to refresh first adjacent rows of a target row corresponding to the sampling address, and determining, in response to the refresh command, whether to refresh second adjacent rows of the target row based on the second data read from the target row.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2025
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Woongrae Kim
  • Patent number: 12283301
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes: a memory cell region including a plurality of cell mats in each of which a plurality of rows are disposed, each row coupled to normal cells and row-hammer cells; a repair control circuit suitable for generating a pairing flag denoting whether a cell mat in which an active row corresponding to an active address is disposed, is repaired with another cell mat; and a refresh control circuit suitable for: selecting, when an active command is inputted, a sampling address based on first and second data read from the row-hammer cells of the active row, refreshing, when a target refresh command is inputted, one or more adjacent rows to a target row corresponding to the sampling address, and selectively refreshing, when the target refresh command is inputted, one or more adjacent rows to a paired row of the target row according to the pairing flag.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2025
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Chul Moon Jung, Woongrae Kim
  • Publication number: 20250095709
    Abstract: A memory includes: a memory core; a list storage circuit suitable for storing a weak row list of rows that are vulnerable to a row hammer attack in the memory core; and a row hammer attack detection circuit suitable for selecting rows that are row-hammer-attacked among rows in the memory core as hammered rows, and increasing a probability that the rows stored in the list storage circuit are selected as the hammered rows.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 6, 2024
    Publication date: March 20, 2025
    Inventors: Woongrae KIM, Hoiju CHUNG
  • Patent number: 12230310
    Abstract: An operation method of a memory may include entering a self-refresh mode, increasing a level of a back-bias voltage in response to entering the self-refresh mode, performing self-refresh operations in a first cycle, confirming that the back-bias voltage reaches a level of a first threshold voltage, and performing the self-refresh operations in a second cycle longer than the first cycle in response to the confirmation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2025
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Woongrae Kim, Chul Moon Jung
  • Patent number: 12190934
    Abstract: A memory includes: a memory core; a list storage circuit suitable for storing a weak row list of rows that are vulnerable to a row hammer attack in the memory core; and a row hammer attack detection circuit suitable for selecting rows that are row-hammer-attacked among rows in the memory core as hammered rows, and increasing a probability that the rows stored in the list storage circuit are selected as the hammered rows.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Woongrae Kim, Hoiju Chung
  • Publication number: 20240420752
    Abstract: A semiconductor system includes a controller outputting a clock, a chip selection signal, a command address, and data, and a semiconductor device performing an auto-refresh operation when the chip selection signal and command address input in synchronization with the clock have a combination for performing the auto-refresh operation, correcting an error of internal data stored therein by performing a read-modify-write operation instead of the auto-refresh operation when the auto-refresh operation is performed a first set number of times and storing the corrected internal data, performing a self-refresh operation when the chip selection signal and command address input in synchronization with the clock have a combination for performing the self-refresh operation, and correcting an error of the internal data stored therein by performing a read-modify-write operation instead of the self-refresh operation when the self-refresh operation is performed a second set number of times and to store the corrected internal
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2023
    Publication date: December 19, 2024
    Applicant: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Woongrae KIM, Seol Min YI, Kyoung Chul JANG
  • Patent number: 12136450
    Abstract: A method for operating a memory includes: receiving an active command and a row address; confirming that a portion of columns of a first row corresponding to the row address is replaced with a portion of columns of a second row; activating the first row and the second row; confirming activation of a random pulse; randomly selecting one among the row address corresponding to the first row and a row address corresponding to the second row in response to the activation of the random pulse; and sampling the selected row address as a sampling address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2024
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Woongrae Kim, Yoonna Oh, Chul Moon Jung
  • Patent number: 12068022
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes: first and second pattern generation circuits generating first and second pattern signal for a sampling section; a first section control part generating a coarse section signal for a first section of the sampling section, according to the first pattern signal; a first filter part generating a first section extract signal by filtering the second pattern signal according to the coarse section signal; a second section control part generating a fine section signal for a second section of the sampling section, according to the first section extract signal; a second filter part generating a second section extract signal by filtering the second pattern signal according to the fine section signal; an output control circuit generating a sampling enable signal according to the first and second section extract signals; and a sampling circuit suitable for sampling an input signal according to the sampling enable signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: August 20, 2024
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Woongrae Kim, Byeong Yong Go, Chul Moon Jung, Yoonna Oh
  • Publication number: 20240274182
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes: a memory cell region including normal cells and row-hammer cells coupled to each of a plurality of rows, wherein the row-hammer cells of a selected row are suitable for storing first data and second data, the first data representing a number of accesses to the selected row and the second data denoting whether to refresh second adjacent rows of the selected row; and a refresh control circuit suitable for: selecting a sampling address based on the first data read from a row corresponding to an input address when an active command is inputted, determining, in response to a refresh command, whether to refresh first adjacent rows of a target row corresponding to the sampling address, and determining, in response to the refresh command, whether to refresh second adjacent rows of the target row based on the second data read from the target row.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2024
    Publication date: August 15, 2024
    Inventor: Woongrae KIM
  • Patent number: 12062390
    Abstract: A memory device includes: a refresh control circuit configured to generate a self-refresh command and a refresh address, word line control circuits configured to control a refresh operation of a plurality of word lines, a group management circuit configured to classify N address groups by grouping the refresh addresses to be generated by the refresh control circuit and to select from the N address groups, a current address group including a refresh address to be currently generated and a subsequent address group including a refresh address to be generated after the current address group according to the predetermined order, a row control circuit configured to group the plurality of word line control circuits with N control signals respectively corresponding to the N address groups, respectively, and a supply control circuit configured to activate signals corresponding to the current and subsequent address groups among the N control signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2024
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Woongrae Kim
  • Patent number: 12062391
    Abstract: A memory device may include: a memory region including a plurality of word lines, a self-refresh command generation circuit suitable for generating self-refresh commands for each predetermined interval during a self-refresh period, a refresh check circuit suitable for generating a ratio signal by checking a ratio which word lines refreshed in response to the self-refresh commands occupy among the plurality of word lines, a ratio adjustment circuit suitable for adjusting, among a plurality of auto-refresh commands inputted from an external device during an auto-refresh period, a ratio of to-be-applied commands, which are to be used for a refresh operation, to to-be-skipped commands, which are to be skipped for the refresh operation, according to the ratio signal, and a refresh operation circuit suitable for performing the refresh operation on the plurality of word lines in response to the self-refresh commands and the to-be-applied commands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2024
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Woongrae Kim
  • Publication number: 20240257894
    Abstract: A memory system includes: an address scrambler suitable for scrambling an address based on a scrambling rule to generate a scrambled address; a memory core including a plurality of memory cells and suitable for storing data in memory cells designated by the scrambled address; and a scramble control circuit suitable for changing the scrambling rule in response to satisfaction of an attack condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2024
    Publication date: August 1, 2024
    Inventors: Chul Moon JUNG, Uk Song KANG, Woongrae KIM
  • Publication number: 20240257857
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device, comprising: first storage logic configured to store, as the first addresses, ‘K’ addresses having different values among input addresses applied during the enable period of a reference signal, second storage logic configured to store, as second addresses, ‘L’ addresses corresponding to a time point at which the enable period of the reference signal is ended among the input addresses, an order controller configured to determine a first output order of each of the first addresses based on a number of times each of the first addresses is repeatedly input, and to determine a second output order for outputting mixed addresses obtained by mixing the first addresses based on the first output order and the second addresses together, and refresh operation logic configured to apply the mixed addresses according to the second output order, to a target refresh operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 15, 2024
    Publication date: August 1, 2024
    Inventor: Woongrae KIM
  • Publication number: 20240257895
    Abstract: A memory system includes: an address scrambler suitable for scrambling an address based on a scrambling rule to generate a scrambled address; a memory core including a plurality of memory cells and suitable for storing data in memory cells designated by the scrambled address; and a scramble control circuit suitable for changing the scrambling rule in response to satisfaction of an attack condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2024
    Publication date: August 1, 2024
    Inventors: Chul Moon JUNG, Uk Song KANG, Woongrae KIM
  • Publication number: 20240233851
    Abstract: A memory device includes a sense amplifying circuit coupled between a pull-up voltage line and a pull-down voltage line and configured to sense and amplify data of bit lines according to a sensing control signal; a fail detection circuit configured to calculate counting values of fail bits for each temperature based on the data and configured to generate a minimum error code for each temperature by detecting a minimum value for each temperature from the counting values for each temperature, in response to a test mode signal; and a sense amplifying control circuit configured to drive the pull-up voltage line and the pull-down voltage line by generating a pull-up voltage and a pull-down voltage corresponding to current temperature information based on the minimum error code for each temperature and configured to generate the sensing control signal according to the test mode signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 13, 2023
    Publication date: July 11, 2024
    Inventors: Yeonsu JANG, Woongrae KIM, Jung Min YOON
  • Patent number: 12027193
    Abstract: A memory device may include: a memory bank comprising a plurality of memory blocks, each divided into a normal area and a row hammer area, a command control circuit suitable for performing an access operation on the normal area in response to an active command, an internal command generation circuit suitable for generating an internal command in response to a precharge command, a target address generation circuit suitable for saving a count for each logic level combination of a received address in the row hammer area by performing an access operation on the row hammer area in response to the internal command, and setting an address corresponding to the count as a target address when the count satisfies a preset condition, and a refresh control circuit suitable for controlling a smart refresh operation on the target address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventors: Byeong Yong Go, Woongrae Kim, Hoiju Chung, Saeng Hwan Kim, Yoonna Oh, Chul Moon Jung
  • Patent number: 12026392
    Abstract: A method for operating a memory system includes: collecting, by a memory controller, information on rows that are determined as row-hammer-attacked in a memory by the memory controller; collecting, by the memory, information on rows that are determined as row-hammer-attacked by the memory; confirming, by the memory, that the row collected by the memory controller is the same as the row collected by the memory; and resetting, by the memory, information on the row collected by the memory which is the same as the row collected by the memory controller in response to the confirmation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 25, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2024
    Assignee: SK HYNIX INC.
    Inventors: Chul Moon Jung, Woongrae Kim