Patents by Inventor Xia Li

Xia Li 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: 20190156895
    Abstract: A semiconductor device for a one-time programmable (OTP) memory according to some examples of the disclosure includes a gate, a dielectric region below the gate, a source terminal below the dielectric region and offset to one side, a drain terminal below the dielectric region and offset to an opposite side from the source terminal, a drain side charge trap in the dielectric region capable of programming the semiconductor device, and a source side charge trap in the dielectric region opposite the drain side charge trap and capable of programming the semiconductor device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2019
    Publication date: May 23, 2019
    Inventors: Xia LI, Xiao LU, Xiaonan CHEN, Zhongze WANG
  • Publication number: 20190147930
    Abstract: Varying energy barriers of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) in different magneto-resistive random access memory (MRAM) arrays in a semiconductor die to facilitate use of MRAM for different memory applications is disclosed. In one aspect, energy barriers of MTJs in different MRAM arrays are varied. The energy barrier of an MTJ affects its write performance as the amount of switching current required to switch the magnetic orientation of a free layer of the MTJ is a function of its energy barrier. Thus, by varying the energy barriers of the MTJs in different MRAM arrays in a semiconductor die, different MRAM arrays may be used for different types of memory provided in the semiconductor die while still achieving distinct performance specifications. The energy barrier of an MTJ can be varied by varying the materials, heights, widths, and/or other characteristics of MTJ stacks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 14, 2019
    Publication date: May 16, 2019
    Inventors: Xia Li, Wei-Chuan Chen, Wah Nam Hsu, Seung Hyuk Kang
  • Patent number: 10290352
    Abstract: A semiconductor device for a one-time programmable (OTP) memory according to some examples of the disclosure includes a gate, a dielectric region below the gate, a source terminal below the dielectric region and offset to one side, a drain terminal below the dielectric region and offset to an opposite side from the source terminal, a drain side charge trap in the dielectric region capable of programming the semiconductor device, and a source side charge trap in the dielectric region opposite the drain side charge trap and capable of programming the semiconductor device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 27, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Xia Li, Xiao Lu, Xiaonan Chen, Zhongze Wang
  • Patent number: 10283190
    Abstract: Transpose non-volatile (NV) memory (NVM) bit cells and related data arrays configured for both memory row and column, transpose access operations. A plurality of transpose NVM bit cells can be arranged in memory rows and columns in a transpose NVM data array. To facilitate a row read operation, the transpose NVM bit cell includes a first access transistor coupled to a word line. An activation voltage is applied to the word line to activate the first access transistor to read a memory state stored in the NVM cell circuit in a row read operation. To facilitate a column, transpose read operation, the transpose NVM bit cell includes a second access transistor coupled to a transpose word line. An activation voltage is applied to the transpose word line to activate the second access transistor to read the memory state stored in the NVM cell circuit in a column, transpose read operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventor: Xia Li
  • Patent number: 10283650
    Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to a semiconductor variable capacitor offering at least two types of capacitance tuning, as well as techniques for fabricating the same. For example, a CMOS-compatible silicon on insulator (SOI) process with a buried oxide (BOX) layer may provide a transcap with a front gate (above the BOX layer) and a back gate (beneath the BOX layer). The front gate may offer lower voltage, coarse capacitance tuning, whereas the back gate may offer higher voltage, fine capacitance tuning. By offering both types of capacitance tuning, such transcaps may provide greater capacitance resolution. Several variations of transcaps with front gate and back gate tuning are illustrated and described herein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Xia Li, Bin Yang, Gengming Tao
  • Publication number: 20190096864
    Abstract: Embodiments describe a display integration scheme in which an array of pixel driver chips embedded front side up in an insulator layer. A front side redistribution layer (RDL) spans across and is in electrical connection with the front sides of the array of pixel driver chips, and an array of light emitting diodes (LEDs) is bonded to the front side RDL. The pixel driver chips may be located directly beneath the display area of the display panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2018
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Inventors: Edzer Huitema, Vaibhav Patel, Tore Nauta, Xia Li, Hsin-Hua Hu
  • Publication number: 20190096475
    Abstract: Transpose static random access memory (SRAM) bit cells configured for horizontal and vertical read operations are disclosed. In one aspect, a transpose SRAM bit cell includes cross-coupled inverters and horizontal and vertical read access transistors. A word line in first metal layer having an axis in a first direction is electrically coupled to a gate node of the horizontal read access transistor, and a bit line in second metal layer having an axis disposed in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction is electrically coupled to the horizontal read access transistor. A transpose word line in third metal layer having an axis disposed in the second direction is electrically coupled to a gate node of the vertical read access transistor, and a transpose bit line in fourth metal layer having an axis disposed in the first direction is electrically coupled to the vertical read access transistor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2017
    Publication date: March 28, 2019
    Inventors: Xia Li, Yandong Gao
  • Patent number: 10242149
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product for enhancing integrated circuit noise performance. The method is for arranging target wires in a target region, the method including: for each wire in the target wires, obtaining a signal jump interval with respect to each of the other wires in the target wires, wherein the signal jump interval of one wire with respect to a further wire is a time interval between occurrence of signal jump on the one wire and occurrence of signal jump on the further wire; calculating a corresponding time influence factor based on the signal jump interval, wherein the time influence factor is a decreasing function of the signal jump interval; and arranging the target wires in the target region based on the time influence factor. Coupling noise between wires may be reduced according to the technical solution of an embodiment of the present invention.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Xia Li, Suo Ming Pu, Xiao Feng Tang, Bo Yu
  • Publication number: 20190088660
    Abstract: Bi-stable static random access memory (SRAM) bit cells that facilitate direct writing for storage are disclosed. In one aspect, a bi-stable SRAM bit cell includes source and drain regions, and a gate region formed over a well region between the source and drain regions, which results in two (2) bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) formed within a bi-stable SRAM bit cell. A base tap region and a collector tap region are employed to provide voltages for read and write operations. The base tap region is formed beside a shallow trench isolation (STI) region having a bottom surface higher in a Y-axis direction in the well region than a bottom surface of the well region. The collector tap region is formed on one side of an STI region having a bottom surface lower in the Y-axis direction in the substrate than the bottom surface of the well region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2017
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Inventors: Xia Li, Seung Hyuk Kang, Bin Yang, Gengming Tao
  • Publication number: 20190088310
    Abstract: Static random access memory (SRAM) bit cells employing current mirror-gated read ports for reduced power consumption are disclosed. In one aspect, an SRAM bit cell includes a read port employing a first transistor electrically coupled to a current sum line and to a current mirror circuit. A level of current that flows through the first transistor in response to voltage applied by the current mirror circuit correlates to a magnitude of the voltage. The read port includes a second transistor electrically coupled to the first transistor, to a driver circuit, and to an output node of a first inverter. Connecting the first and second transistors of the read port in this manner allows a voltage applied to the second transistor to generate a current that flows to the first transistor if the second transistor is activated. The current level depends on the voltage applied by the current mirror circuit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2017
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Inventors: Xia Li, Jianguo Yao
  • Publication number: 20190088309
    Abstract: Multi-level cell (MLC) static random access memory (SRAM) (MLC SRAM) cells configured to perform multiplication operations are disclosed. In one aspect, an MLC SRAM cell includes SRAM bit cells, wherein data values stored in SRAM bit cells correspond to a multiple-bit value stored in the MLC SRAM cell that serves as first operand in multiplication operation. Voltage applied to read bit line is applied to each SRAM bit cell, wherein the voltage is an analog representation of a multiple-bit value that serves as a second operand in the multiplication operation. For each SRAM bit cell, if a particular binary data value is stored, a current correlating to the voltage of the read bit line is added to a current sum line. A magnitude of current on the current sum line is an analog representation of a multiple-bit product of the first operand multiplied by the second operand.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2017
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Inventors: Xia Li, Seung Hyuk Kang, Venkat Rangan, Rashid Ahmed Akbar Attar, Nicholas Ka Ming Stevens-Yu
  • Publication number: 20190088765
    Abstract: A compound semiconductor field effect transistor (FET) may include a channel layer. The semiconductor FET may also include an oxide layer, partially surrounded by a passivation layer, on the channel layer. The semiconductor FET may also include a first dielectric layer on the oxide layer. The semiconductor FET may also include a second dielectric layer on the first dielectric layer. The semiconductor FET may further include a gate, comprising a base gate through the oxide layer and the first dielectric layer, and a head gate in the second dielectric layer and electrically coupled to the base gate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 20, 2018
    Publication date: March 21, 2019
    Inventors: Bin YANG, Gengming TAO, Xia LI, Periannan CHIDAMBARAM
  • Patent number: 10224368
    Abstract: Voltage-switched magneto-resistive random access memory (MRAM) employing separate read operation circuit paths from a shared spin torque write operation circuit path is disclosed. The MRAM includes an MRAM array that includes MRAM bit cell rows each including a plurality of MRAM bit cells. MRAM bit cells on an MRAM bit cell row share a common electrode to provide a shared write operation circuit path for write operations. Dedicated read operation circuit paths are also provided for each MRAM bit cell separate from the write operation circuit path. As a result, the read operation circuit paths for the MRAM bit cells do not vary as a result of the different layout locations of the MRAM bit cells with respect to the common electrode. Thus, the read parasitic resistances of the MRAM bit cells do not vary from each other because of their different coupling locations to the common electrode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Xia Li, Jimmy Jianan Kan, Seung Hyuk Kang, Bin Yang, Gengming Tao
  • Publication number: 20190066746
    Abstract: Varying energy barriers of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) in different magneto-resistive random access memory (MRAM) arrays in a semiconductor die to facilitate use of MRAM for different memory applications is disclosed. In one aspect, energy barriers of MTJs in different MRAM arrays are varied. The energy barrier of an MTJ affects its write performance as the amount of switching current required to switch the magnetic orientation of a free layer of the MTJ is a function of its energy barrier. Thus, by varying the energy barriers of the MTJs in different MRAM arrays in a semiconductor die, different MRAM arrays may be used for different types of memory provided in the semiconductor die while still achieving distinct performance specifications. The energy barrier of an MTJ can be varied by varying the materials, heights, widths, and/or other characteristics of MTJ stacks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2017
    Publication date: February 28, 2019
    Inventors: Xia Li, Wei-Chuan Chen, Wah Nam Hsu, Seung Hyuk Kang
  • Patent number: 10210920
    Abstract: Magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) devices with varied breakdown voltages in different memory arrays fabricated in a same semiconductor die to facilitate different memory applications are disclosed. In exemplary aspects disclosed herein, MTJ devices are fabricated in a semiconductor die to provide at least two different memory arrays. MTJ devices in each memory array are fabricated to have different breakdown voltages. For example, it may be desired to fabricate a One-Time-Programmable (OTP) memory array in the semiconductor die using MTJ devices having a first, lower breakdown voltage, and a separate magneto-resistive random access memory (MRAM) in a same semiconductor die with MTJ devices having a higher breakdown voltage. Thus, in this example, lower breakdown voltage MTJ devices in OTP memory array require less voltage to program, while higher breakdown voltage MTJ devices in MRAM can maintain a desired write operation margin to avoid or reduce write operations causing dielectric breakdown.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 19, 2019
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Wei-Chuan Chen, Xia Li, Wah Nam Hsu, Seung Hyuk Kang
  • Publication number: 20190051750
    Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device generally includes a substrate, a channel disposed above the substrate, and a first dielectric layer disposed adjacent to a first side of the channel. The semiconductor device may also include a first non-insulative region disposed between the first dielectric layer and the substrate, and a second dielectric layer disposed adjacent to a second side of the channel, wherein the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer comprise high-k layers. In certain aspects, a second non-insulative region may be disposed above the second dielectric layer, and a third non-insulative region may be disposed adjacent to a third side of the channel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2017
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Inventors: Xia LI, Bin YANG, Gengming TAO
  • Publication number: 20190051341
    Abstract: Dynamically controlling voltage for access operations to magneto-resistive random access memory (MRAM) bit cells to account for ambient temperature is disclosed. An MRAM bit cell process variation measurement circuit (PVMC) is configured to measure process variations and ambient temperature in magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) that affect MTJ resistance, which can change the write current at a given fixed supply voltage applied to an MRAM bit cell. These measured process variations and ambient temperature are used to dynamically control a supply voltage for access operations to the MRAM to reduce the likelihood of bit errors and reduce power consumption. The MRAM bit cell PVMC may also be configured to measure process variations and/or ambient temperatures in logic circuits that represent the process variations and ambient temperatures in access transistors employed in MRAM bit cells in the MRAM to determine variations in the switching speed (i.e., drive strength) of the access transistors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 14, 2017
    Publication date: February 14, 2019
    Inventors: Xia Li, Wah Nam Hsu, Wei-Chuan Chen, Seung Hyuk Kang
  • Patent number: 10205018
    Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to a semiconductor device. The semiconductor device generally includes a substrate, a channel disposed above the substrate, and a first dielectric layer disposed adjacent to a first side of the channel. The semiconductor device may also include a first non-insulative region disposed between the first dielectric layer and the substrate, and a second dielectric layer disposed adjacent to a second side of the channel, wherein the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer comprise high-k layers. In certain aspects, a second non-insulative region may be disposed above the second dielectric layer, and a third non-insulative region may be disposed adjacent to a third side of the channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: QUALCOMM Incorporated
    Inventors: Xia Li, Bin Yang, Gengming Tao
  • Publication number: 20190030523
    Abstract: A simple approach to produce mixed Cu/Cu2O nanocrystals having a specific morphology by controlling the reaction temperature during Cu/Cu2O nanocrystals synthesis. Other variables are kept constant, such as the amount of reactants, while the reaction temperatures is maintained at a predetermined temperature of 70° C., 30° C. or 0° C., which are used to produce different and controlled morphologies for the Cu/Cu2O nanocrystals. The reaction mixture includes a copper ion contributor, a capping agent, a pH adjustor, and reducing agent. The reaction mixture is held at the predetermined temperature for three hours to produce the Cu/Cu2O nanocrystals. The synthesis method has advantages such as mass production, easy operation, and high reproducibility.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Inventors: Gugang Chen, Avetik Harutyunyan, Yi Rao, Xia Li
  • Publication number: 20190035945
    Abstract: Certain aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to a semiconductor variable capacitor offering at least two types of capacitance tuning, as well as techniques for fabricating the same. For example, a CMOS-compatible silicon on insulator (SOI) process with a buried oxide (BOX) layer may provide a transcap with a front gate (above the BOX layer) and a back gate (beneath the BOX layer). The front gate may offer lower voltage, coarse capacitance tuning, whereas the back gate may offer higher voltage, fine capacitance tuning. By offering both types of capacitance tuning, such transcaps may provide greater capacitance resolution. Several variations of transcaps with front gate and back gate tuning are illustrated and described herein.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2017
    Publication date: January 31, 2019
    Inventors: Xia LI, Bin YANG, Gengming TAO