Stmicroelectronics S.r.l.

Stmicroelectronics (rousset) Sas

Stmicroelectronics (grenoble 2) Sas

Francesca Grande

Francesco La Rosa

Alfredo Signorello

Maria Giaquinta

Antonino Conte

Francesco Pappalardo

Biagio Giacalone

Enrico Castaldo

Gianbattista Lo Giudice

Giovanni Matranga

Santi Nunzio Antonino Pagano

Claudio Luzzi

SantiNunzioAntonino Pagano

Carmelo Marcello Palano

Giuseppe Nastasi

AlbertoJose′ Dimartino

Franco Italiano

In an embodiment a device includes a supply node configured to receive a supply voltage, an output node configured to provide an output voltage, a plurality of switching stages coupled to the supply node and to the output node, a sensing circuit coupled to the supply node and configured to provide at least one sensing signal based on the supply voltage and a driver circuit coupled to the sensing circuit and to the plurality of switching stages, wherein the driver circuit is configured to provide the drive signal based on at least one sensing signal exceeding or failing to exceed at least one reference voltage level and to selectively bypass a selected number of the plurality of switching stages based on the drive signal thereby varying an output voltage level at the output node.

Voltage regulator device, corresponding method and data storage system

A semiconductor well of a non-volatile memory houses memory cells. The memory cells each have a floating gate and a control gate. Erasing of the memory cells includes biasing the semiconductor well with a first erase voltage having an absolute value greater than a breakdown voltage level of bipolar junctions of a control gate switching circuit of the memory. An absolute value of the first erase voltage is based on a comparison of a value of an indication of wear of the memory cells to a wear threshold value.

Method for writing in a non-volatile memory according to the ageing of the memory cells and corresponding integrated circuit

A method can be used for reducing a memory operation time in a non-volatile memory device having a memory array with a number of memory cells. The method includes performing a first execution of the memory operation on a set of memory cells by applying a first biasing configuration, storing information associated to the first biasing configuration, and performing a second execution, subsequent to the first execution, of the memory operation on the same set of memory cells by applying a second biasing configuration that is determined according to the stored information associated to the first biasing configuration.

Method for reducing a memory operation time in a non-volatile memory device and corresponding non-volatile memory device

A non-volatile memory device includes a memory array with memory cells arranged in rows and columns. Each cell has respective current-conduction regions and a control-gate region. The control-gate regions of the memory cells of a same row are coupled to a control-gate terminal and biased at a respective control-gate voltage. A control-gate decoder selects and biases the control-gate regions of the rows at respective control voltages according to operations to be performed on the memory cells. The current-conduction regions of the memory cells are arranged within a same bulk well, and the control-gate decoder has a number of driver blocks each of which supplies the control-gate voltages to a respective number of rows of the array. The driver blocks are provided in respective biasing wells, separate and distinct from one another.

Non-volatile memory device and corresponding operating method with stress reduction

A decoding system for a phase change non-volatile memory device having a memory array may include a column decoder that selects at least one column of the memory array during programming operations. The decoding system includes a selection circuit that includes selection switches on a number of hierarchical decoding levels for defining a conductive path between at least one column and a driving stage. A biasing circuit may supply biasing signals to the selection switches for defining the first conductive path and bringing the selected column to a programming voltage value. The programming selection circuit may have protection elements between columns and the selection switches. The selection switches and the protection elements may include metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) transistors having an upper threshold voltage level lower than the programming voltage.

Decoding architecture and method for phase change non-volatile memory devices

A codifying and storing method for membership functions representing a membership degree of fuzzy variables defined within a universe of discourse which is discretized into a finite number of points is provided. The membership functions are quantized into a finite number of levels corresponding to a finite number of membership degrees and are stored by means of a characteristic value of each sub-set of values of fuzzy variables having for their image the same value of the membership degree corresponding to one of said levels. Also provided is a method for calculating the value of the membership degree of a fuzzy variable defined within a universe of discourse discretized into a finite number of points with reference to a membership function thereof, as well as to a circuit for calculating the membership degree of a fuzzy variable with reference to a membership function thereof.

Coding and memorizing method for fuzzy logic membership functions and corresponding method and circuit architecture for calculating the membership degree

Growing community of inventors

Syracuse, Italy

Francesca Grande