Capacitors Patents (Class 365/149)
  • Patent number: 11973439
    Abstract: Between positive and negative electrode ends of battery 50, fuse 51, main contactor 52 and electrolytic capacitor C21 are connected in series. Between positive and negative electrode ends of electrolytic capacitor C21, inverter 54 in which upper phase side EFT (54U, 54V, 54W) and lower phase side FET (54X, 54Y, 54Z) are bridge-connected is connected. Resistor R1 for precharging electrolytic capacitor C21 is connected to main contactor 52 in parallel. The resistance value of resistor R1 is set so that in a precharging period until a key switch is turned on after battery 50 is connected, when the upper phase side FET is OFF-controlled and the lower phase side EFT is ON-controlled, the charge voltage value of electrolytic capacitor C21 is set to be able to limit a gate-source voltage of the upper phase side FET to a voltage at which the upper phase side FET is not turned on.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2024
    Assignee: MEIDENSHA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tetsuji Suzuki, Yoshihito Kumamoto, Takanori Wakamatsu
  • Patent number: 11923038
    Abstract: Multilevel command and address (CA) signals are used to provide commands and memory addresses from a controller to a memory system. Using multilevel signals CA signals may allow for using fewer signals compared to binary signals to represent a same number of commands and/or address space, or using a same number of multilevel CA signals to represent a larger number of commands and/or address space. A number of external command/address terminals may be reduced without reducing a set of commands and/or address space. Alternatively, a number of external terminals may be maintained, but provide for an expanded set of commands and/or address space.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Inventor: Kang-Yong Kim
  • Patent number: 11925014
    Abstract: A method of forming an apparatus comprises forming pillar structures extending from a base material. Upper portions of the pillar structures may exhibit a lateral width that is relatively greater than a lateral width of lower portions of the pillar structures. The method also comprises forming access lines laterally adjacent to the lower portions of the pillar structures and forming digit lines above upper surfaces of the pillar structures. Memory devices and electronic systems are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2024
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Song Guo, Sanh D. Tang, Shen Hu, Yan Li, Nicholas R. Tapias
  • Patent number: 11917833
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for thin film transistor deck selection in a memory device are described. A memory device may include memory arrays arranged in a stack of decks formed over a substrate, and deck selection components distributed among the layers to leverage common substrate-based circuitry. For example, each memory array of the stack may include a set of digit lines of a corresponding deck, and deck selection circuitry operable to couple the set of digit lines with a column decoder that is shared among multiple decks. To access memory cells of a selected memory array on one deck, the deck selection circuitry corresponding to the memory array may each be activated, while the deck selection circuitry corresponding to a non-selected memory array on another deck may be deactivated. The deck selection circuitry, such as transistors, may leverage thin-film manufacturing techniques, such as various techniques for forming vertical transistors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2024
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Daniele Vimercati
  • Patent number: 11908533
    Abstract: Disclosed is an operation method of a memory device which includes floating a first driving line corresponding to a first word line from the first word line and precharging the first driving line with a first voltage, floating the first driving line from the first voltage to sense a first voltage variation of the first driving line, storing the first voltage variation in a first capacitor, electrically connecting the first driving line to the first word line and precharging the first driving line and the first word line with the first voltage, floating the first driving line and the first word line from the first voltage to sense a second voltage variation of the first driving line and the first word line, and outputting a first detection signal corresponding to a first leakage current through the first word line based on the first voltage variation and the second voltage variation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Hyunkook Park
  • Patent number: 11910649
    Abstract: A substrate module includes a first substrate and a transistor unit. The transistor unit is disposed on the first substrate, and the transistor unit includes an active layer, a first electrode, and a second electrode. The active layer has a first surface and a second surface, and the first surface is opposite to the second surface. The first electrode and the second electrode at least partially overlap the active layer. The second surface contacts the first electrode and the second electrode. A first gallium concentration exists within a first range in the active layer, the first range is adjacent to the second surface of the active layer, a second gallium concentration exists within a second range in the active layer, the second range is adjacent to the first surface of the active layer, and the first gallium concentration is higher than the second gallium concentration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignee: InnoLux Corporation
    Inventors: Tsang-Lung Chen, Jhe-Ciou Jhu, Jian-Yu Wang, Chia-Hao Hsieh
  • Patent number: 11908514
    Abstract: In an embodiment, a non-volatile memory device includes a memory array including a plurality of memory portions, each memory portion having a respective plurality of memory cells arranged in rows and columns, wherein the memory portions are arranged in groups, each group of memory portions having a plurality of respective memory portions arranged in a row and a plurality of respective wordlines that extend through the respective memory portions, and wherein the memory cells of the memory portions of the group are coupled to the respective wordlines and a row decoder including a pre-decoding stage configured to execute a selection, in which it selects a wordline that extends through a group of memory portions and deselects other wordlines that extend through the group of memory portions, and a subsequent deselection, in which it deselects all the wordlines that extend through the group of memory portions, wherein the row decoder further includes, for each group of memory portions, a shared pull-up stage config
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2024
    Assignees: STMicroelectronics S.r.l., STMicroelectronics (Grenoble 2) SAS
    Inventors: Antonino Conte, Alin Razafindraibe, Francesco Tomaiuolo, Thibault Mortier
  • Patent number: 11900986
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes: memory units arranged in a first direction; first semiconductor layers arranged in the first direction and electrically connected to the memory units; first gate electrodes arranged in the first direction and opposed to the first semiconductor layers; a first wiring extending in the first direction and connected to the first semiconductor layers; second wirings arranged in the first direction, and connected to the first gate electrodes; second semiconductor layers arranged in the first direction and disposed at first end portions of the second wirings; second gate electrodes arranged in the first direction and opposed to the second semiconductor layers; third semiconductor layers arranged in the first direction and disposed at second end portions of the second wirings; and third gate electrodes arranged in the first direction and opposed to the third semiconductor layers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: Kioxia Corporation
    Inventors: Mutsumi Okajima, Mamoru Ishizaka
  • Patent number: 11894039
    Abstract: A flat field transistor (FFT) based dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) (FFT-DRAM) is disclosed. The FFT-DRAM comprises an epitaxially grown source region comprising a source extension and an epitaxial source over and in contact with the source extension. The epitaxially grown source region is over a surface of a semiconductor substrate. The FFT-DRAM further comprises a trench capacitor structurally integrated into the epitaxially grown source region. The trench capacitor has a first terminal formed by the epitaxially grown source region and a second terminal being a conductive material filling one or more trenches of the trench capacitor. The second terminal is connected to a ground terminal or a fixed voltage terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2024
    Assignee: NIF/T, LLC
    Inventors: Mammen Thomas, Robert J. Strain
  • Patent number: 11887659
    Abstract: In some examples, separate main I/O (MIO) lines may be used for writing to different banks of a memory array. In some examples, separate MIO lines may be used for writing to and reading from different memory banks. In some examples, the MIO lines for some banks may be used as shield lines between the MIO lines for other banks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Yuhei Takahashi, Minari Arai
  • Patent number: 11887686
    Abstract: Embodiments provide for predicting rowhammer attack vulnerability of one or more memory cells of a direct random access memory (DRAM) chip, the DRAM chip including a plurality of memory cells. An example method, determines, for each memory cell of a subset of memory cells of the plurality of memory cells, a leakage time t, a resistance of intrinsic leakage RL based at least in part on the leakage time t, an activation time of an adjacent aggressor row to flip a bit in the memory cell, a resistance of coupling leaking RSW based at least in part on the activation time, and a toggling count. The method identifies, based at least in part on one or more of the RSW, RL, or toggling count, whether the direct random memory access (DRAM) chip is vulnerable to a rowhammer attack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignees: University of Florida Research Foundation, Incorporated, Washington University
    Inventors: Yier Jin, Yichen Jiang, Xuan Zhang, Huifeng Zhu, Xiaolong Guo
  • Patent number: 11875838
    Abstract: A memory device with shortened access time in data reading is provided. The memory device includes a first layer and a second layer positioned above the first layer, the first layer includes a reading circuit, and the second layer includes a first memory cell and a second memory cell. The reading circuit includes a Si transistor. The first memory cell and the second memory cell each include an OS transistor. The first memory cell is electrically connected to the reading circuit, and the second memory cell is electrically connected to the reading circuit. When a first current corresponding to first data retained in the first memory cell flows from the reading circuit to the first memory cell and a second current corresponding to second data retained in the second memory cell flows from the reading circuit to the second memory cell, the reading circuit compares the current amounts of the first current and the second current, and reads the first data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 16, 2024
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yuto Yakubo, Takahiko Ishizu
  • Patent number: 11837279
    Abstract: A method for execution by a Dynamic Random Access (DRAM) cell processing circuit, includes charging a bit-line operably coupled to a plurality of DRAM cells of a DRAM memory device, including a current DRAM cell, at a first voltage to pre-charge the parasitic capacitance between ground and the bit-line to a second voltage, where the second voltage is between a logic 1 voltage and a logic 0 voltage. The method continues by sensing a voltage change on the bit-line based on a difference between a voltage stored on a DRAM cell capacitor of the current DRAM cell and the second voltage and outputting a read output voltage that is generated based on the sensed voltage change. The method then continues by supplying, while outputting the read output voltage, the read output voltage to the bit-line to refresh the voltage stored in the DRAM cell capacitor of the current DRAM cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2023
    Assignee: SigmaSense, LLC.
    Inventors: Daniel Keith Van Ostrand, Gerald Dale Morrison, Richard Stuart Seger, Jr., Timothy W. Markison
  • Patent number: 11790966
    Abstract: A nonvolatile logic circuit includes: a memory unit having a pair of resistive memory elements; a computation unit connected to the memory unit and configured to perform an operation based on an input signal and a logic value corresponding to a resistance state of the pair of resistive memory elements; a determination circuit configured to determine whether the resistance state of the pair of resistive memory elements is a complementary state or a non-complementary state; and an output circuit connected to the computation unit and the determination circuit, and configured to output a signal corresponding to an operation result by the computation unit or a signal corresponding to a determination result by the determination circuit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2023
    Assignee: TOHOKU UNIVERSITY
    Inventors: Masanori Natsui, Takahiro Hanyu, Tetsuo Endoh
  • Patent number: 11749341
    Abstract: A memory device may include at least one multinary memory cell. Each multinary memory cell includes a parallel connection of N sub-bit units. N is an integer greater than 1. Each of the N sub-bit units includes a series connection of a respective transistor and a respective capacitor. A first sub-bit unit includes a first capacitor having a capacitance of C, and each i-th sub-unit includes an i-th capacitor having a capacitance of about 2i-1×C. A multinary bit having 2N values may be stored. A device network including multiple multinary logic units is also provided. Each of multiple multinary logic unit includes a parallel connection of N sub-bit units. Each sub-bit unit includes a series connection of a respective transistor and a respective capacitor having capacitance ratios of powers of 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
    Inventors: Katherine H. Chiang, Chung-Te Lin
  • Patent number: 11714570
    Abstract: A charge sharing scheme is used to mitigate the variations in cell currents in order to achieve higher accuracy for CIM computing. In some embodiments, a capacitor is associated with each SRAM cell, and the capacitors associated with all SRAM cells in a column are included in averaging the RBL current. In some embodiments, a memory unit associated to an RBL in a CIM device includes a storage element adapted to store a weight, a first switch device connected to the storage element and adapted to be controlled by an input signal and generate a product signal having a magnitude indicative of the product of the input signal and the stored weight. The memory unit further includes a capacitor adapted to receive the product signal and store an amount of charge corresponding to the magnitude of the product signal. The memory unit further include a second switch device adapted to transfer the charge on the capacitor to the RBL.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2023
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
    Inventors: Jonathan Tsung-Yung Chang, Hidehiro Fujiwara, Hung-Jen Liao, Yen-Huei Chen, Yih Wang, Haruki Mori
  • Patent number: 11705184
    Abstract: A memory device having long data retention time and high reliability is provided. The memory device includes a driver circuit and a plurality of memory cells, the memory cell includes a transistor and a capacitor, and the transistor includes a metal oxide in a channel formation region. The transistor includes a first gate and a second gate, and in a period during which the memory cell retains data, negative potentials are applied to the first gate and the second gate of the transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2023
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shunpei Yamazaki, Kiyoshi Kato, Takahiko Ishizu, Tatsuya Onuki
  • Patent number: 11688452
    Abstract: A memory device with internal row hammer mitigation couples to a memory controller. The memory controller or host can assist with row hammer mitigation by sending additional refresh cycles or refresh commands. In response to an extra refresh command the memory device can perform refresh for row hammer mitigation instead of refresh for standard data integrity. The memory controller can keep track of the number of activate commands sent to the memory device, and in response to a threshold number of activate commands, the memory controller sends the additional refresh command. With the extra refresh command the memory device can refresh the potential victim rows of a potential aggressor row, instead of simply refreshing a row that has not been accessed for a period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Bill Nale, Christopher E. Cox
  • Patent number: 11670354
    Abstract: A memory device includes a memory cell array connected to a plurality of wordlines and a plurality of bitlines; a row decoder configured to select a wordline, among the plurality of wordlines, in response to a row address; a column decoder configured to corresponding bitlines, among the plurality of bitlines, in response to a column address; a sense amplification circuit having a plurality of amplifiers connected to the selected corresponding bitlines; a row hammer detector configured to generate a refresh row address when the number of accesses to a row corresponding to the row address is a multiple of a predetermined value; and a refresh controller configured to perform a refresh operation on a row corresponding to the refresh row address. The row corresponding to the refresh row address is disposed adjacent to the row corresponding to the row address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sunghye Cho, Kijun Lee, Eunae Lee
  • Patent number: 11626155
    Abstract: A memory includes: a random seed generation circuit suitable for generating a random seed including process variation information; a random signal generator suitable for generating a random signal that is randomly activated based on the random seed; and an address sampling circuit suitable for sampling an active address while the random signal is activated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Woongrae Kim
  • Patent number: 11621033
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for techniques for low power operation are described. A device may be configurable to operate in a first mode and a second mode, where the first mode may include transmitting using a first modulation scheme having two logic levels and the second mode may include transmitting using a second modulation scheme having three or more (e.g., four) logic levels. The device may identify a data symbol for transmission and select, from the first mode and the second mode, the first modulation scheme for the transmission. In some example, the device may determine which of the two modes to select based on a value stored at a mode register. Here, the value stored by the mode register may indicate to utilize the first modulation scheme associated with the first mode. Thus, the device may transmit the data symbol by a signal modulated by the first modulation scheme.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Martin Brox, Thomas Hein, Stefan Dietrich, Natalija Jovanovic, Ronny Schneider, Michael Dieter Richter
  • Patent number: 11614877
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods for data movement. An example apparatus comprises a memory device. The memory device includes an array of memory cells and sensing circuitry coupled to the array via a plurality of sense lines. The sensing circuitry includes a sense amplifier and a compute component coupled to a sense line and configured to implement operations. A controller in the memory device is configured to couple to the array and sensing circuitry. A shared I/O line in the memory device is configured to couple a source location to a destination location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Glen E. Hush, David L. Pinney
  • Patent number: 11610623
    Abstract: A refresh tracking circuit and associated methods are disclosed herein. The tracking circuit may be configured to track a primary count value and a secondary count value based on addresses associated with received commands. The primary and secondary count values may be configured to control corresponding refresh operations respectively associated with a primary address and a secondary address.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Sadayuki Okuma
  • Patent number: 11605630
    Abstract: A 3D integrated circuit, the circuit including: a first level including a first wafer, the first wafer including a first crystalline substrate, a plurality of first transistors, and first copper interconnecting layers, where the first copper interconnecting layers at least interconnect the plurality of first transistors; and a second level including a second wafer, the second wafer including a second crystalline substrate, a plurality of second transistors, and second copper interconnecting layers, where the second copper interconnecting layers at least interconnect the plurality of second transistors, where the second level is bonded to the first level, where the bonded includes metal to metal bonding, where the bonded includes oxide to oxide bonding, and where at least one of the second transistors include a replacement gate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: MONOLITHIC 3D INC.
    Inventors: Zvi Or-Bach, Brian Cronquist
  • Patent number: 11574668
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods are disclosed that include ferroelectric memory and for operating ferroelectric memory. An example apparatus includes a capacitor having a first plate, a second plate, and a ferroelectric dielectric material. The apparatus further includes a first digit line and a first selection component configured to couple the first plate to the first digit line, and also includes a second digit line and a second selection component configured to couple the second plate to the second digit line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2023
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott J. Derner, Christopher J. Kawamura
  • Patent number: 11568917
    Abstract: A hammer refresh row address detector includes a control logic unit that receives a row address applied along with an active command, to increase a hit count stored in a corresponding entry when the row address is present in candidate aggressor row addresses stored in n entries. The control logic determines a candidate aggressor row address stored in an entry in which the hit count equals a threshold value to be a target aggressor row address. The control logic generates a victim row address adjacent to the target aggressor row address as a hammer refresh row address to accompany a hammer refresh command. The control logic increases the miss count value when the row address is not present in the candidate aggressor row addresses stored in the n entries and no hit count within the n entries is identical to the miss count value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 19, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., Seoul National University R&DB Foundation
    Inventors: Hoon Shin, Yeonhong Park, Jaewook Lee, Eojin Lee, Woosuk Kwon, Jungho Ahn, Taejun Ham
  • Patent number: 11569243
    Abstract: A DRAM integrated circuit device is described in which at least some of the peripheral circuits associated with the memory arrays are provided on a first substrate. The memory arrays are provided on a second substrate stacked on the first substrate, thus forming a DRAM integrated circuit device on a stacked-substrate assembly. Vias that electrically connect the memory arrays on the second substrate to the peripheral circuits on the first substrate are fabricated using high aspect ratio via fabrication techniques.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2023
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Abhishek A. Sharma, Willy Rachmady, Ravi Pillarisetty, Gilbert Dewey, Jack T. Kavalieros
  • Patent number: 11545203
    Abstract: The operation speed of a semiconductor device is improved. The semiconductor device includes a first memory region and a second memory region; in the semiconductor device, a first memory cell in the first memory region is superior to a second memory cell in the second memory region in data retention characteristics such as a large storage capacitance or a large channel length-channel width ratio (L/W) of a transistor. When the semiconductor device is used as a cache memory or a main memory device of a processor, the first memory region mainly stores a start-up routine and is not used as a work region for arithmetic operation, and the second memory region is used as a work region for arithmetic operation. The first memory region becomes an accessible region when the processor is booted, and the first memory region becomes an inaccessible region when the processor is in normal operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshiyuki Kurokawa, Shunpei Yamazaki
  • Patent number: 11527281
    Abstract: Apparatuses with a signal line in a semiconductor device are described. An example apparatus includes one or more power supply voltage lines in a first conductive layer, a plurality of transistors and a signal line in a second conductive layer. Each transistor of the plurality of transistors includes an active region disposed in a substrate and a gate electrode above the active region. The signal line in the second conductive layer is below the first conductive layer and above the active regions of the plurality of transistors. The signal line is coupled to the gate electrodes of the plurality of transistors. The signal line has electrical resistance higher than electrical resistance of the power supply voltage line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenichi Watanabe, Moeha Shibuya
  • Patent number: 11527280
    Abstract: A memory device comprises a memory array, a counter unit, and a service unit. The memory array comprises cells arranged in rows and columns, wherein a subset of the cells in each of the rows holds a row activation count for each row. The counter unit, in response to an activation of the row caused by a read operation on at least a portion of the row, increments the row activation count for at least one of the rows prior to a completion of the read operation, and writes-back the row activation count in an incremented state to the subset of the cells in the row that held the row activation count prior to the activation. The service unit is coupled to the counter unit and performs a service with respect to one or more other rows, offset from the row, in response to the row activation count associated with the row satisfying service criteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2022
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: John Grant Bennett, Stefan Saroiu
  • Patent number: 11510002
    Abstract: A semiconductor device with a novel structure which can identify the sound source is provided. The semiconductor device includes a microphone array, delay circuits, and a signal processing circuit. The delay circuit includes a first selection circuit, which selects a microphone, signal retention circuits, which retain voltages depending on the sound signal, and a second selection circuit, which selects a signal retention circuit. Each signal retention circuit includes a transistor which includes a semiconductor layer including an oxide semiconductor in its channel formation region. The first selection circuit writes the voltage of discreet sound signals to the signal retention circuit. The second selection circuit selects at different timings the voltages which are retained in the signal retention circuit and generates the output signal corresponding to the delayed sound signal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2022
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takayuki Ikeda, Kiyotaka Kimura, Takeya Hirose
  • Patent number: 11495280
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory device includes an external resistor provided on a board and a plurality of memory dies mounted on the board, designated as a master die and slave dies. The memory dies are commonly connected to the external resistor. The master die performs a first impedance calibration operation during an initialization sequence of the semiconductor memory device and stores, in a first register set therein, first calibration data, a first voltage and a first temperature. Each of the slave dies, after the first impedance calibration operation is completed, performs a second impedance calibration operation during the initialization sequence and stores, in a second register set therein, second calibration data associated with the second impedance calibration operation and offset data corresponding to a difference between the first calibration data and the second calibration data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jeongseok Seo, Kwanghyun Kim, Chikook Kim, Seungwoo Ryu, Doohee Hwang
  • Patent number: 11495284
    Abstract: Disclosed are a memory device and an operating method thereof. The memory device includes a bitline sense amplifier connected to a bitline and a complementary bitline connected to a memory cell, and a sense amplifier driver circuit. The bitline sense amplifier senses and amplifies a voltage difference by developing a voltage of the bitline and a voltage of the complementary bitline. The sense amplifier driver circuit includes a pull-up circuit adjusting a level of a bitline low-level voltage developed by the bitline sense amplifier to be higher than a ground voltage in response to a first pull-up pulse, and a pull-down circuit adjusting the level of the bitline low level adjusted by the pull-up circuit to be equal to the ground voltage in response to a pull-down pulse. A pulse generator generates the first pull-up pulse and the pull-down pulse based on a command received from a host.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 8, 2022
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jong-Ho Moon, Sung-Hwan Jang
  • Patent number: 11475939
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for saving power at an input buffer are described. An example apparatus includes an input buffer comprising an amplifier coupled to a pair of serially coupled inverters, and a de-emphasis circuit coupled to the input buffer in parallel with one of the pair of serially-coupled inverters. The de-emphasis circuit comprising a plurality of transistors coupled in parallel to a resistance. The example apparatus further includes an input buffer control circuit configured to selectively enable one of the plurality of transistors to adjust a gain across the one of the pair of inverters based on a latency setting.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Akira Yamashita, Kenji Asaki
  • Patent number: 11476258
    Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a main surface, a gate electrode formed on the main surface of the semiconductor substrate, a side-wall oxide film formed on a side wall of the gate electrode, a first insulating layer formed on the gate electrode and containing silicon nitride, and a second insulating layer formed between the gate electrode and the first insulating layer and containing silicon oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Assignee: RENESAS ELECTRONICS CORPORATION
    Inventor: Yukio Maki
  • Patent number: 11462258
    Abstract: A memory device and an operating method thereof are provided. The memory device includes a latch configured to sense a voltage or a current of a bit line coupled to a memory cell and store read data, a transmission circuit configured to output the read data stored in the latch through a page bus line in response to a transmission signal, a cache latch configured to receive the read data through the page bus line and temporarily store the read data, and a pump voltage output circuit coupled to the transmission circuit through a transmission line and configured to apply a second voltage greater than a first voltage after applying the first voltage to the transmission line for a set time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2022
    Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
    Inventor: Hyung Jin Choi
  • Patent number: 11417385
    Abstract: A semiconductor memory apparatus is provided. The semiconductor memory apparatus includes a temperature sensor, a plurality of memory blocks and a refresh controller. The temperature sensor detects a device temperature inside the semiconductor memory apparatus to generate a corresponding temperature signal. Each of the memory blocks includes a memory cell array having a plurality of volatile memory cells, and a plurality of word lines. The refresh controller monitors accesses to the word lines, detects accesses that occur a predetermined number of times within a predetermined period, and assigns a refresh operation corresponding to the refresh operation command to a first refresh operation or a second refresh operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Winbond Electronics Corp.
    Inventor: Yutaka Ito
  • Patent number: 11386945
    Abstract: Apparatuses and techniques are described for reading MRAM memory cells. In a cross-point memory array, each conductive line, such as a bit line or word line, is connected to a transistor pair comprising a pMOSFET in parallel with an nMOSFET. When selecting a memory cell to be read, a voltage of a first conductive line may be pulled up using the pMOSFET while a voltage of a second conductive line is pulled down, e.g., to 0 V, using the nMOSFET. This minimizes a capacitance while the selector is turned on. Further, when reading the selected memory cell, the parallel nMOSFET of the first conductive line may turned on while the pMOSFET is turned off. The nMOSFET provides a higher resistance in place of the decreased resistance of the pMOSFET to amplify a signal at a sense circuit to allow accurate sensing of the voltage across the memory cell.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2022
    Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC
    Inventors: Ward Parkinson, James O'Toole, Nathan Franklin, Thomas Trent
  • Patent number: 11380396
    Abstract: The gate of the access transistor of a 1 transistor 1 resistor (1T1R) type RRAM cell is biased relative to the source of the access transistor using a current mirror. Under the influence of a voltage applied across the 1T1R cell (e.g., via the bit line), the RRAM memory element switches from a higher resistance to a lower resistance. As the RRAM memory element switches from the higher resistance to the lower resistance, the current through the RRAM cell switches from being substantially determined by the higher resistance of the RRAM device (while the access transistor is operating in the linear region) to being substantially determined by the saturation region operating point of the access transistor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: Hefei Reliance Memory Limited
    Inventor: Brent Steven Haukness
  • Patent number: 11381231
    Abstract: A digital measurement circuit includes a first input flip-flop which receives a first signal through a data input terminal, receives a first clock signal through a clock input terminal, and outputs a second signal; a second input flip-flop which receives the second signal through a data input terminal, receives a second clock signal, which is an inverted signal of the first clock signal, through a clock input terminal, and outputs a third signal; and a delay line which receives the second signal and outputs first through n-th output signals, wherein n is an integer greater than one, and the first through n-th output signals are sampled based on the third signal to output first through n-th sampling signals is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kwan Yeob Chae, Jong-Ryun Choi
  • Patent number: 11356625
    Abstract: An image sensor semiconductor device includes a first photodiode disposed in a semiconductor substrate and configured to generate charges in response to radiation, a first transistor disposed adjacent to the first photodiode, a floating diffusion region configured to store the generated charges, a reset transistor configured to reset the floating diffusion region, and a second transistor disposed over the substrate between the first photodiode and the reset transistor. The first transistor and the second transistor are configured to generate a first electric field and a second electric field, respectively, to move the charges generated by the first photodiode to the floating diffusion region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.
    Inventors: Seiji Takahashi, Jhy-Jyi Sze
  • Patent number: 11355504
    Abstract: Described herein are anti-ferroelectric (AFE) memory cells and corresponding methods and devices. For example, in some embodiments, an AFE memory cell disclosed herein includes a capacitor employing an AFE material between two capacitor electrodes. Applying a voltage to one electrode of such capacitor allows boosting the charge at the other electrode, where nonlinear behavior of the AFE material between the two electrodes may advantageously manifest itself in that, for a given voltage applied to the first electrode, a factor by which the charge is boosted at the second electrode of the capacitor may be substantially different for different values of charge at that electrode before the boost. Connecting the second capacitor electrode to a storage node of the memory cell may then allow boosting the charge on the storage node so that different logic states of the memory cell become more clearly resolvable, enabling increased retention times.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Daniel H. Morris, Uygar E. Avci, Ian A. Young
  • Patent number: 11335396
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for timing signal delay for a memory device are described. In some memory devices, operations for accessing memory cells may be performed with timing that is asynchronous relative to an input signal. To support asynchronous timing, a memory device may include delay components that support generating a timing signal having aspects that are delayed relative to an input signal. A memory device may include delay components having a configurable impedance based at least in part on one or more fabrication characteristics of the memory device, one or more operating conditions of the memory device, one or more bias voltages, or a combination thereof.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 17, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Zhi Qi Huang, Wei Lu Chu, Dong Pan
  • Patent number: 11329640
    Abstract: An analog delay line includes a clock generator, an analog sampling circuit, a bank of analog memory cells, a memory controller, an analog readout circuit, and an analog multiplexer. The clock generator is configured to output plural reception clock signals of different frequencies and plural transmission clock signals of different frequencies, the transmission clock signals offset in accumulated phase relative to the reception clock signals. The analog sampling circuit is controlled by at least one of the reception clock signals, and is configured to output a sequence of sampled voltages of an analog input signal. The memory controller is configured to control a write operation at a write frequency of at least one of the reception clock signals and a read operation at a read frequency of at least one of the transmission clock signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Keysight Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Charles Wu, Ken A. Nishimura, Kenneth D. Poulton
  • Patent number: 11309011
    Abstract: A memory system is disclosed. The memory system includes a memory array and a controller. The controller is configured to perform a refresh operation to the memory array with a first refresh cycle rate. The first refresh cycle rate is derived from a first refresh time in a lookup table. The lookup table is configured to store refresh times and refresh temperatures corresponding to the refresh times separately.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hiroki Noguchi, Yih Wang
  • Patent number: 11309320
    Abstract: A nonvolatile memory cell using vertical nanowire (VNW) FETs includes a program element of which a gate is connected to a word line, and a switch element that is provided between the program element and a bit line and of which a gate is connected to the word line. The program element and the switch element are each constituted by one or a plurality of VNW FETs, and these VNW FETs are arranged in a line in a first direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: SOCIONEXT INC.
    Inventor: Tomoyuki Yamada
  • Patent number: 11309306
    Abstract: An integrated circuit includes an active zone having a center portion adjoining a first side portion and a second side portion. A first transistor having a gate formed over one of the first channel regions in the center portion has a first threshold-voltage. A second transistor having a gate formed over one of the second channel regions in the center portion has a second threshold-voltage. A third transistor having a gate formed over one of the third channel regions in the first side portion has a third threshold-voltage. A fourth transistor having a gate formed over one of the fourth channel regions in the second side portion has a fourth threshold-voltage. A first average of the first threshold-voltage and the second threshold-voltage is larger than a second average of the third threshold-voltage and the fourth threshold-voltage by a predetermined threshold-voltage offset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LTD.
    Inventors: Yu-Tao Yang, Wen-Shen Chou, Yung-Chow Peng
  • Patent number: 11302374
    Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure are drawn to apparatuses, systems, and methods for dynamic refresh allocation. Memories may be subject to row hammer attacks, where one or more wordlines are repeatedly accessed to cause data degradation in victim rows nearby to the hammered wordlines. A memory may perform background auto-refresh operations, and targeted refresh operations where victim wordlines are refreshed. The memory may monitor access patterns to the memory in order to dynamically allocate the number of targeted refresh operations and auto-refresh operations in a set of refresh operations based on if a hammer attack is occurring and the type of hammer attack which is occurring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew D. Jenkinson, Nathaniel J. Meier, Dennis G. Montierth
  • Patent number: 11282561
    Abstract: A memory device with internal row hammer mitigation couples to a memory controller. The memory controller or host can assist with row hammer mitigation by sending additional refresh cycles or refresh commands. In response to an extra refresh command the memory device can perform refresh for row hammer mitigation instead of refresh for standard data integrity. The memory controller can keep track of the number of activate commands sent to the memory device, and in response to a threshold number of activate commands, the memory controller sends the additional refresh command. With the extra refresh command the memory device can refresh the potential victim rows of a potential aggressor row, instead of simply refreshing a row that has not been accessed for a period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 25, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Bill Nale, Christopher E. Cox
  • Patent number: 11270997
    Abstract: A novel memory device is provided. A first cell array including a plurality of memory cells and a second cell array including a plurality of memory cells are stacked. One of two bit lines of a first bit line pair is electrically connected to A memory cells of the first cell array, and the other of the two bit lines of the first bit line pair is electrically connected to D memory cells of the second cell array. One of two bit lines of a second bit line pair is electrically connected to B memory cells of the first cell array and F memory cells of the second cell array, and the other of the two bit lines of the second bit line pair is electrically connected to C memory cells of the first cell array and E memory cells of the second cell array. The first bit line pairs and the second bit line pairs are alternately provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Onuki, Yuki Okamoto, Hisao Ikeda, Shuhei Nagatsuka