Infineon Technologies Ag

Karl Hofmann

Thomas Kern

Michael Goessel

Cyrille Nicolas Dray

Robert Strenz

Joel Hatsch

Luis-Felipe Giles

Siegmar Koeppe

Robert Allinger

Klaus Knobloch

Peter Huber

Stefan Decker

Alexandre Ney

In various embodiments, a method of correcting and/or detecting an error in a memory device is provided. The method may include, in a first operations mode, applying a first code to detect and/or correct an error, and

Method of operating a memory device

A memory device includes a memory with first memory cells and second memory cells, which are different from the first memory cells. In the first memory cells there is stored a first bit sequence and in the second memory cells there is stored a second bit sequence. The memory device includes a memory controller, which is configured to check the first bit sequence with a frequency (x/T) assigned to the first memory cells. The frequency (x/T) assigned to the first memory cells depends on an item of reliability information for the first memory cells. The memory controller is configured in the case of an error state to correct an erroneous bit of the first bit sequence and to write back at least the corrected bit into the memory. The second bit sequence is checked less often than the first bit sequence on the basis of an item of reliability information for the second memory cells.

Memory device and method for correcting a stored bit sequence

A system and method of refreshing a nonvolatile memory having memory cells. The method includes identifying one or more of the memory cells that do not satisfy a data retention test; remapping the one or more identified memory cells from original memory addresses to spare memory addresses; and refreshing the identified memory cells.

Nonvolatile memory refresh

An apparatus includes a processing unit and a memory. The processing unit is configured to encode a plurality of bits to obtain a plurality of encoded bits, the processing unit is configured to determine an inversion decision. When the inversion decision indicates that the subset of the encoded bits shall not be inverted, the processing unit is configured to store, as a stored word, bits of the first codeword into the memory. When the inversion decision indicates that the subset of the encoded bits shall be inverted, the processing unit is configured to invert each encoded bit of a subset of the encoded bits to obtain a second codeword and to store the second codeword into the memory.

Apparatus and method for improving data storage by data inversion

A memory having an array of perpendicular spin-transfer torque (STT) magnetic random access memory (MRAM) cells, wherein each cell has a magnetic layer stack. A magnetic shield disposed between the cells and having a minimum height of at least the height of the magnetic layer stacks.

Magnetic shielding of perpendicular STT-MRAM

A method and associated apparatus to determine a reference value on the basis of a plurality of half reference values stored in memory cells is disclosed, wherein the plurality of half reference values are read from the memory cells, wherein a subset of half reference values is determined from the plurality of half reference values, and wherein the reference value is determined on the basis of the subset of half reference values.

Methods for calculating and determining reference values for semiconductor memory cells

Rather than merely carrying out a BIST test by verifying whether a memory cell accurately stores a '1' or '0' under normal read/write conditions, aspects of the present discloser relate to BIST tests that test the read and/or write margins of a cell. During this BIST testing, the read and/or write margins can be incrementally stressed until a failure point is determined for the cell. In this way, &#x201c;weak&#x201d; memory cells in an array can be identified and appropriate action can be taken, if necessary, to deal with these weak cells.

Memory reliability verification techniques

Representative implementations of memory devices have transistors between memory cells of a memory device. Memory devices may be arranged in memory arrays. The use of transistors may include alternately providing electrical isolation or current paths between pairs or groups of memory cells in a memory array.

Nonvolatile memory architecture

A method of producing a field effect transistor arrangement. A substrate having a first crystal surface orientation is provided. A first layer is formed above a first portion of the substrate, the first layer having a second crystal surface orientation different from the first crystal surface orientation. A second layer is formed on at least a second portion of the substrate and adjacent to the first layer, the second layer having the first crystal surface orientation. A first buried oxide layer is formed between the substrate and the first layer. Micro-cavities are formed in the second layer and oxidizing the micro-cavities, thereby forming a second buried oxide layer between the substrate and the second layer. A first field effect transistor of a first conductivity type is formed in or on the first layer. A second field effect transistor of a second conductivity type is formed in or on the second layer.

Method of producing a field effect transistor arrangement

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method of forming a semiconductor device is provided, the method including: forming a substrate; forming a first gate on the substrate; forming a mask layer on the substrate, the mask layer including a first window covering an area within which the first gate is formed so that the first gate divides the substrate exposed by the first window into a first region and a second region; and doping the exposed substrate using rays inclined with respect to the substrate top surface, where the position of the first gate with respect to a border of the first window is chosen such that the inclined doping rays impinge more on the first region than on the second region.

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Munich, Germany

Karl Hofmann