Advanced Micro Devices Corporation

Spansion LLC.

Don Carlos Darling

Mark W Randolph

Darlene G Hamilton

J Courtney Black

Susan Xia Li

David S Lehtonen

Ron Kornitz

Richard C Blish Ii

Providing for extended data retention of flash memory devices by program state rewrite is disclosed herein. By way of example, a memory cell or group of memory cells can be evaluated to determine a program state of the cell(s). If the cell(s) is in a program state, as opposed to a natural or non-programmed state, a charge level, voltage level and/or the like can be rewritten to a default level associated with the program state, without erasing the cell(s) first. Accordingly, conventional mechanisms for refreshing cell program state that require rewriting and erasing, typically degrading storage capacity of the memory cell, can be avoided. As a result, data stored in flash memory can be refreshed in a manner that mitigates loss of memory integrity, providing substantial benefits over conventional mechanisms that can degrade memory integrity at a relatively high rate.

Extending flash memory data retension via rewrite refresh

An apparatus for x-raying a semiconductor device which includes semiconductor material and conductive material, the apparatus including a source of x-rays, a filter for receiving x-rays from the source of x-rays and allowing transmission of x-rays to the device, the filter having an atomic number greater than the atomic number of the conductive material of the device, and an x-ray imager for receiving x-rays from the device.

Prevention of parametic or functional changes to silicon semiconductor device properties during x-ray inspection

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Don Carlos Darling