Patents by Inventor Yantao Ma

Yantao Ma 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: 20130193986
    Abstract: A measure initialization path for a delay line structure includes: a forward path, comprising a plurality of delay stages coupled in series; a first output path coupled to at least an output of a delay stage of the forward path, where at least an output of a delay stage is fed forward to the forward path; and a second output path coupled to at least an output of a delay stage of the forward path, where at least an output of a delay stage is fed forward to the forward path. When a signal is propagated through the measure initialization path, the signal successively propagates through a delay stage of the forward path, a delay stage of the first output path and a delay stage of the second output path for performing measure initialization.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 1, 2012
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Inventors: Aaron Willey, Yantao Ma
  • Publication number: 20130188428
    Abstract: Apparatuses, circuits, and methods are disclosed for reducing metastability in latches. In one such example apparatus, a circuit is configured to provide substantially complementary first and second signals and a latch stage is configured to latch the first and second signals. The latch stage includes a feedback circuit configured to provide positive feedback between the latched first and second signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 25, 2012
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Yantao Ma
  • Patent number: 8493104
    Abstract: Memories, clock generators and methods for providing an output clock signal are disclosed. One such method includes delaying a buffered clock signal by a adjustable delay to provide an output clock signal, providing a feedback clock signal from the output clock signal, and adjusting a duty cycle of the buffered clock signal based at least in part on the feedback clock signal. An example clock generator includes a forward clock path configured to provide a delayed output clock signal from a clock driver circuit, and further includes a feedback clock path configured to provide a feedback clock signal based at least in part on the delayed output clock signal, for example, frequency dividing the delayed output clock signal. The feedback clock path further configured to control adjustment a duty cycle of the buffered input clock signal based at least in part on the feedback clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron Willey, Yantao Ma
  • Publication number: 20130169330
    Abstract: A duty cycle controlling circuit for adjusting duty cycle of a target clock signal to a desired value, comprises: a first duty cycle adjusting cell, for receiving a first duty cycle control signal to adjust duty cycle of an input clock signal to generate a first output clock signal as the target clock signal; and a duty cycle detecting module, for generating the first duty cycle control signal according to the first output clock signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 3, 2012
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Inventor: Yantao Ma
  • Patent number: 8461889
    Abstract: Memories, clock generators and methods for providing an output clock signal are disclosed. One such method includes delaying a buffered clock signal by a adjustable delay to provide an output clock signal, providing a feedback clock signal from the output clock signal, and adjusting a duty cycle of the buffered clock signal based at least in part on the feedback clock signal. An example clock generator includes a forward clock path configured to provide a delayed output clock signal from a clock driver circuit, and further includes a feedback clock path configured to provide a feedback clock signal based at least in part on the delayed output clock signal, for example, frequency dividing the delayed output clock signal. The feedback clock path further configured to control adjustment a duty cycle of the buffered input clock signal based at least in part on the feedback clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron Willey, Yantao Ma
  • Patent number: 8462579
    Abstract: Control signal oscillation filtering circuits, delay locked loops, clock synchronization methods and devices and systems incorporating the control signal oscillation filtering circuits are described. An oscillation filtering circuit includes a first oscillation filter configured to filter oscillations and a majority filter configured to average filter an output of a phase detector and generate in response thereto control signals to an adjustable delay line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: June 11, 2013
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Yantao Ma
  • Patent number: 8436670
    Abstract: Examples of circuits and methods for compensating for power supply induced signal jitter in path elements sensitive to power supply variation. An example includes a signal path coupling an input to an output, the signal path including a delay element having a first delay and a bias-controlled delay element having a second delay. The first delay of the delay element exhibits a first response to changes in power applied thereto and the second delay of the bias-controlled delay element exhibits a second response to changes in the power applied such that the second response compensates at least in part for the first response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2013
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Yantao Ma, Aaron Willey
  • Patent number: 8405214
    Abstract: A semiconductor package structure includes: a substrate comprising a plurality of power supply balls on a first surface of the substrate, a first metal conductor on a second surface of the substrate and at least one via coupling a power supply ball to the first metal conductor of the substrate; a die, comprising a plurality of bond pads on a first surface of the die, a first metal conductor on a second surface of the die and at least one via coupling a bond pad to the first metal conductor of the die; and a plurality of first wire bonds for coupling the first metal conductor of the substrate to the first metal conductor of the die.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Nanya Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Aaron Willey, Yantao Ma
  • Publication number: 20130051166
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for compensating for differing power supply sensitivities of a circuit in a clock path. One such method includes altering signal timing of at least one of reference and feedback clock signals differently according to variations in power supply voltage to compensate for differences in delay power supply sensitivities of delays of a forward clock path and of a feedback clock path. Another example method includes providing an output clock signal in phase with an input clock signal and compensating for delay error between delays used in providing at least some of the delay of the output clock signal relative to the input clock signal by providing delays having power supply sensitivities resulting in a combined power supply sensitivity that is inverse to the delay error.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 23, 2011
    Publication date: February 28, 2013
    Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Yantao Ma, Tyler Gomm
  • Publication number: 20130043918
    Abstract: A multi-phase clock signal generator, comprising: a ring phase shifting loop, including a plurality of controllable delay cells, for generating output clock signals having different phases via the controllable delay cells according to a input clock signal, wherein delay amount of the controllable delay cells are determined by a biasing voltage; a phase skew detecting circuit, for computing phase differences of the output clock signals to generate a phase skew detecting signal; and a biasing circuit, for providing the biasing voltage according to the phase skew detecting signal. The above-mentioned ring phase shifting loop can operate independently from the multi-phase clock signal generator, without receiving the biasing voltage, for phase-shifting a input clock signal to generate output clock signals with different phases, wherein the output clock signals are respectively output at different output terminals respectively located between the phase shifting units.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 15, 2011
    Publication date: February 21, 2013
    Inventor: Yantao Ma
  • Publication number: 20130037951
    Abstract: A semiconductor package structure includes: a substrate comprising a plurality of power supply balls on a first surface of the substrate, a first metal conductor on a second surface of the substrate and at least one via coupling a power supply ball to the first metal conductor of the substrate; a die, comprising a plurality of bond pads on a first surface of the die, a first metal conductor on a second surface of the die and at least one via coupling a bond pad to the first metal conductor of the die; and a plurality of first wire bonds for coupling the first metal conductor of the substrate to the first metal conductor of the die.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2011
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Inventors: Aaron Willey, Yantao Ma
  • Patent number: 8373462
    Abstract: A delay lock loop comprising: a first delay loop, for delaying an input signal to generate a first output signal; a second delay loop, for frequency-dividing and delaying the input signal to generate a second output signal, wherein a frequency of the first output signal is higher than which of the second output signal; a phase detector, selectively detecting phases of the input signal, and one of the first delayed output signal and the second delayed output signal, to generate a phase detecting result; and a delay control circuit, for generating a first and a second delay control signal according to the phase detecting result, wherein the first and the second delay control signals are respectively transmitted to the first delay loop and the second delay loop, to control delay amounts of the first delay loop and the second delay loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: Nanya Technology Corp.
    Inventors: Yantao Ma, Aaron Willey
  • Publication number: 20130010527
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes resistive memory devices and systems having resistive memory cells, as well as methods for operating the resistive memory cells. One memory device embodiment includes at least one resistive memory element, a programming circuit, and a sensing circuit. For example, the programming circuit can include a switch configured to select one of N programming currents for programming the at least one resistive memory element, where each of the N programming currents has a unique combination of current direction and magnitude, with N corresponding to the number of resistance states of the at least one memory element. In one or more embodiments, the sensing circuit can be arranged for sensing of the N resistance states.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Publication date: January 10, 2013
    Applicant: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Yantao Ma, Jun Liu
  • Patent number: 8351245
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes resistive memory devices and systems having resistive memory cells, as well as methods for operating the resistive memory cells. One memory device embodiment includes at least one resistive memory element, a programming circuit, and a sensing circuit. For example, the programming circuit can include a switch configured to select one of N programming currents for programming the at least one resistive memory element, where each of the N programming currents has a unique combination of current direction and magnitude, with N corresponding to the number of resistance states of the at least one memory element. In one or more embodiments, the sensing circuit can be arranged for sensing of the N resistance states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Yantao Ma, Jun Liu
  • Patent number: 8334714
    Abstract: Memories, clock generators and methods for providing an output clock signal are disclosed. One such method includes delaying a buffered clock signal by a adjustable delay to provide an output clock signal, providing a feedback clock signal from the output clock signal, and adjusting a duty cycle of the buffered clock signal based at least in part on the feedback clock signal. An example clock generator includes a forward clock path configured to provide a delayed output clock signal from a clock driver circuit, and further includes a feedback clock path configured to provide a feedback clock signal based at least in part on the delayed output clock signal, for example, frequency dividing the delayed output clock signal. The feedback clock path further configured to control adjustment a duty cycle of the buffered input clock signal based at least in part on the feedback clock signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron Willey, Yantao Ma
  • Publication number: 20120306554
    Abstract: Clock signal timing cells, clock signal timing circuits, clock circuits, memory devices, systems, and method for altering the timing of a clock signal are disclosed. An example method for altering the timing of an output signal provided responsive to an input clock signal includes adjusting a transition of an edge of the output signal from one voltage level to another based at least in part on a bias signal. An example clock signal timing cell includes an inverter and a bias controlled inverter coupled in parallel to the inverter. The bias controlled circuit is configured to provide an output signal wherein a transition of a clock edge of the output signal between first and second voltage levels is based at least in part on a bias signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2011
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Yantao Ma, Aaron Willey
  • Publication number: 20120293221
    Abstract: A delay lock loop comprising: a first delay loop, for delaying an input signal to generate a first output signal; a second delay loop, for frequency-dividing and delaying the input signal to generate a second output signal, wherein a frequency of the first output signal is higher than which of the second output signal; a phase detector, selectively detecting phases of the input signal, and one of the first delayed output signal and the second delayed output signal, to generate a phase detecting result; and a delay control circuit, for generating a first and a second delay control signal according to the phase detecting result, wherein the first and the second delay control signals are respectively transmitted to the first delay loop and the second delay loop, to control delay amounts of the first delay loop and the second delay loop.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2011
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Inventors: Yantao Ma, Aaron Willey
  • Publication number: 20120274374
    Abstract: Systems and methods for synchronization of clock signals are disclosed. In a feedback system such as a delay-lock loop circuit, delays to be applied can be determined adaptively based on a phase difference between a reference signal and a clock signal being delayed. Such adaptive decisions can be made during each feedback cycle, thereby making it possible to achieve a phase lock faster and more efficiently. In some embodiments, such adaptive functionality can be incorporated into existing circuits with minimal impact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2012
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Applicant: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventor: Yantao Ma
  • Publication number: 20120268171
    Abstract: Memories, clock generators and methods for providing an output clock signal are disclosed. One such method includes delaying a buffered clock signal by a adjustable delay to provide an output clock signal, providing a feedback clock signal from the output clock signal, and adjusting a duty cycle of the buffered clock signal based at least in part on the feedback clock signal. An example clock generator includes a forward clock path configured to provide a delayed output clock signal from a clock driver circuit, and further includes a feedback clock path configured to provide a feedback clock signal based at least in part on the delayed output clock signal, for example, frequency dividing the delayed output clock signal. The feedback clock path further configured to control adjustment a duty cycle of the buffered input clock signal based at least in part on the feedback clock signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2012
    Publication date: October 25, 2012
    Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron Willey, Yantao Ma
  • Publication number: 20120249193
    Abstract: Measurement initialization circuitry is described. Propagation of a start signal through a variable delay line may be stopped by either of two stop signals. One stop signal corresponds to a rising edge of a reference clock signal. A second stop signal corresponds to a falling edge of the reference clock signal. The start signal propagation is stopped responsive to the first to arrive of the first and second stop signals. Accordingly, in some examples, start signal propagation through a variable delay line may be stopped responsive to either a rising or falling edge of the reference clock signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 29, 2011
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicant: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Aaron Willey, Yantao Ma