IP Library Granted Patent US 7,289,353
Granted Patent B2
US 7,289,353 · App. 10/919,846 · Granted Oct 30, 2007

Systems and methods for adjusting programming thresholds of polymer memory cells

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,289,353
App. No.
10/919,846
Granted
Oct 30, 2007
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methodologies are provided for adjusting threshold associated with a polymer memory cell's operation by applying thereupon a regulated electric field and/or voltage pulse width, during a post fabrication stage. Such customization of programming thresholds can typically be obtained at any cycle of programming the memory cell, to increase flexibility in circuit design. Accordingly, the present invention supplies both a current-voltage domain, and/or a frequency-time domain, to facilitate adjusting the program thresholds of the polymer memory cell.

Claims (18)

1. A method of setting a programming threshold of a memory device, comprising:

determining a differential voltage in an erase direction beyond an erase threshold of a memory cell, the differential voltage is linearly determinative of a corresponding programming threshold for a next programming stage, the memory cell operating based upon ionic movement through a passive layer and an active layer thereof;

setting the programming threshold for the next programming stage based at least in part on the differential voltage; and

erasing the memory cell by applying the differential voltage plus the erase threshold thereupon.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying a voltage to the active layer to set an impedance state of the memory device, the impedance state representing an information content.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising comparing a current flowing through the memory device with a predetermined value.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising setting at least one of a write and erase threshold of the memory cell to a predetermined value.

5. The method of claim 1 , differential voltage is determined based at least in part on interpreting a graph that depicts the programming threshold as a function of the differential voltage.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising varying the programming threshold as a linear function of the differential voltage.

7. A method of setting a programming threshold of a memory device, comprising:

determining a desired programming threshold for a next programming stage of a polymer memory cell, the polymer memory cell operating based upon ionic movement through a passive layer and an active layer thereof;

discerning a pulse width that corresponds to the desired programming threshold; and

setting the programming threshold of the memory cell via the pulse width.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising balancing a memory speed with power supply voltage to obtain optimum performance in a circuit design.

9. The method of claim 7 , the pulse width is based at least in part on analyzing a graph that depicts the programming threshold as a function of pulse width.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising varying the programming threshold as a hyperbolic function of pulse width.

11. The method of claim 7 , setting the programming threshold of the memory cell comprises applying a voltage in the erase direction.

12. The method of claim 11 , the voltage applied exceeds an erase threshold by an amount related to the desired programming threshold.

Assignments (8)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE 8647899 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 035240 FRAME 0429. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE SECURITY INTERST. Recorded Nov 3, 2020
From: CYPRESS SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION; SPANSION LLC
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 058002/0470 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 14, 2016
From: CYPRESS SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
To: MONTEREY RESEARCH, LLC
Reel/Frame 040911/0238 →
PARTIAL RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS Recorded Aug 11, 2016
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: CYPRESS SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION; SPANSION LLC
Reel/Frame 039708/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 30, 2015
From: SPANSION, LLC
To: CYPRESS SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 036036/0738 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 21, 2015
From: CYPRESS SEMICONDUCTOR CORPORATION; SPANSION LLC
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC.
Reel/Frame 035240/0429 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Mar 13, 2015
From: BARCLAYS BANK PLC
To: SPANSION LLC; SPANSION INC.; SPANSION TECHNOLOGY LLC
Reel/Frame 035201/0159 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 4, 2010
From: SPANSION LLC; SPANSION INC.; SPANSION TECHNOLOGY INC.; SPANSION TECHNOLOGY LLC
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC
Reel/Frame 024522/0338 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 17, 2004
From: SPITZER, STUART; KRIEGER, JURI H.; GAUN, DAVID
To: SPANSION, LLC
Reel/Frame 015705/0899 →