Micron Technology Incorporated

Brady L Keays

William Henry Radke

Shuba Swaminathan

David A Eggleston

Michael Murray

Anthony Moschopoulos

Wanmo Wong

Peter Sean Feeley

Theodore T Pekny

Samuel A Shapero

Methods, systems, and devices for techniques for managed NAND translation with embedded memory systems are described. A host system may generate a first command to access a logical memory address associated with a memory system. The host system may identify a physical memory address of the memory system based on generating the first command. The host system may output to the memory system a second command and the physical memory address, where the second command may be communicated to the memory device using a protocol associated with a controller of the memory system. The memory system may then access memory cells in a memory device associated with the physical memory address based on receiving the second command and the physical memory address.

Techniques for managed NAND translation with embedded memory systems

Methods are described that facilitate the detection and correction of data in memory systems or devices by encoding the data bits of a memory row or block in a non-systematic ECC code. This allows memory embodiments of the present invention to utilize reduced complexity error detection and correction hardware and/or routines to efficiently detect and correct corrupted user data in a segment of memory, such as a sector, word line row, or erase block. User data is not stored in a plaintext format in the memory array, allowing for an increased level of data security. The ECC code is distributed throughout the stored data in the memory segment, increasing the robustness of the ECC code and its resistance to damage or data corruption.

Non-systematic coded error correction

An embodiment of a method of operating a memory device includes reading data from a memory array into a data buffer, checking the data using a first checker, checking the data using a second checker, and when an error is detected by the first checker and the error is not detected by the second checker returning the data to the memory array from the data buffer.

Error detection and correction scheme for a memory device

Split data error correction code (ECC) circuits including a control circuit coupled to an error correction code (ECC) circuit. The ECC circuit is adapted to generate at least one ECC code from user data of a first physical sector during a data access. The split data ECC circuit is adapted to write the at least one ECC code to a second physical sector if the data access is a write access and to compare the at least one generated ECC code with at least one ECC code stored in a second physical sector if the data access is a read access.

Split data error correction code circuits

Methods of correcting data in a memory, and memories adapted to correct data, include prioritizing error correction of the read data in response to locations and likely states of known bad or questionable data positions of a segment of a memory array selected for reading.

Correcting data in a memory

Data is read from a memory array. Before being stored in a data buffer, a Hamming code detection operation and a Reed-Solomon code detection operation are operated in parallel to determine if the data word has any errors. The results of the parallel detection operations are communicated to a controller circuit. If an error is present that can be corrected by the Hamming code correction operation, this is performed and the Reed-Solomon code detection operation is performed on the corrected word. If the error is uncorrectable by the Hamming code, the Reed-Solomon code correction operation is performed on the word.

Methods are described that facilitate the detection and correction of data in memory systems or devices by encoding the data bits of a memory row or block in a non-systematic ECC code. Reduced complexity error detection and correction hardware and/or routines detect and correct corrupted user data in a segment of memory, such as a sector, word line row, or erase block. User data is not stored in a plaintext format in the memory array. The ECC code is distributed throughout the stored data in the memory segment.

A Flash memory device, system, and data handling routine is detailed with a distributed erase block sector user/overhead data scheme that splits the user data and overhead data and stores them in differing associated erase blocks. The erase blocks of the Flash memory are arranged into associated erase block pairs in 'super blocks' such that when user data is written to/read from the user data area of a sector of an erase block of the super block pair, the overhead data is written to/read from the overhead data area of a sector of the other associated erase block. This data splitting enhances fault tolerance and reliability of the Flash memory device.

Erase block data splitting

Methods include receiving data and an ECC code read from a memory array, generating an ECC code from the received data, and determining whether the received data is corrupted by evaluating the generated ECC code against the ECC code read from the memory array. If the received data is determined to be corrupted, a correction algorithm and a recorded likely state of a known bad/questionable bit of the received data may be used to correct error in the received data. Alternatively, if the received data is determined to be corrupted, the correction algorithm and a recorded location of a known bad/questionable bit of the received data may be used to correct error in the received data.

Methods of data handling

One or more techniques are provided for programming a flash memory device. In one embodiment, the memory device is programmed such that a data pattern written to a page in the memory device has encoded therein an expected count value corresponding to the number of times a first binary value occurs in the data pattern. The data pattern includes the program data and the expected count value, and is written to the page in a single operation. The expected count value may be stored in a count field in the management area of the page. During a page read operation, the expected count value is compared to the actual count of the number of bits having the first binary value in the data area of the page. If the expected count is equal to the actual count, then the program data is determined to be valid.

Method for detecting flash program failures

Methods of operating memory devices, and memory devices configured to perform such methods, including reading Erase Block Management (EBM) data from an erase block of an array of memory cells. The EBM data, corresponding to a state of the particular erase block, is stored in control data spaces of a subset of sectors of the particular erase block.

Methods and apparatus reading erase block management data in subsets of sectors having user data and control data sections

Methods of data handling include receiving data having a previously-generated error correction code and generating one or more error correction codes for the data, with each error correction code corresponding to the data having one or more particular bits of the data in differing data states. Such methods further include comparing the generated one or more error correction codes to the previously-generated error correction code, and if a particular one of the generated one or more error correction codes matches the previously-generated error correction code, transmitting the data having its one or more particular bits in the data states corresponding to that particular one of the generated one or more error correction codes. Methods of data handling may further include prioritizing the error correction in response to at least locations of known bad or questionable bits of the data.

An improved Flash memory device with a distributed erase block management (EBM) scheme is detailed that enhances operation and helps minimize write fatigue of the floating gate memory cells of the Flash memory device. The Flash memory device of the invention combines the EBM data in a user data erase block by placing it in an EBM data field of the control data section of the erase block sectors. Therefore distributing the EBM data within the Flash memory erase block structure. This allows the Flash memory to update and/or erase the user data and the EBM data in a single operation, to reduce overhead and speed operation. The Flash memory also reduces the process of EBM data structure write fatigue by allowing the EBM data fields to be load leveled by rotating them with the erase blocks they describe.

Non-volatile memory with erase block state indication in a subset of sectors of erase block

A program failure is detected during programming of a memory device. When the program failure is detected, a transfer of the contents of a register of the memory device to a first location of a memory of the memory device is stopped. First data that remains in the register after the program failure is detected is transferred to a second location of the memory. At the second location of the memory, the first data is combined with second data from the first location of the memory that remains in the first location of the memory after the program failure is detected to reconstruct third data that was originally intended to be programmed in the first location before the program failure was detected.

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Half Moon Bay, CA, United States of America

Brady L Keays