Micron Technology Incorporated

Intel Corporation

Erwin E Yu

Tomoko Ogura Iwasaki

Jun Xu

Dan Xu

Ebrahim Abedifard

Hong-Yan Chen

Dheeraj Srinivasan

Uday Chandrasekhar

Kalyan C Kavalipurapu

Jae-Kwan Park

Luyen Tien Vu

Kalyan Chakravarthy Kavalipurapu

Yunfei Xu

Frederick Jaffin

Violante Moschiano

Aaron S Yip

Michele Piccardi

Paolo Tessariol

Yoshihiko Kamata

Hao Nguyen

Lawrence Celso Miranda

Allahyar Vahidimowlavi

Sheyang Ning

Surendranath C Eruvuru

Kalyan C Kavalipurau

Yoshiaki Fukuzumi

William C Filipiak

Chulbum Kim

Jeffrey Ming-Hung Tsai

Taehyun Kim

Kitae Park

Brian Kwon

Apparatus having an array of memory cells and a controller for access of the array of memory cells, wherein the controller is configured to cause the apparatus to apply a reference current to a selected access line, determine a time difference between a voltage level of a near end of the selected access line being deemed to exceed a first voltage level while applying the reference current and the voltage level of the near end of the selected access line being deemed to exceed a second voltage level while applying the reference current, and determine a capacitance value of the selected access line in response to a current level of the reference current, the time difference, and a voltage difference between the second voltage level and the first voltage level.

Apparatus for determination of capacitive and resistive characteristics of access lines

Memory array structures might include a first conductive plate connected to memory cells of a first dummy block of memory cells and to memory cells of a second dummy block of memory cells on opposing sides of a first isolation region; a second conductive plate connected to memory cells of the first dummy block of memory cells and to memory cells of the second dummy block of memory cells on opposing sides of a second isolation region; first and second conductors selectively connected to a first global access line, and connected to the first conductive plate on opposing sides of the first isolation region; third and fourth conductors selectively connected to a second global access line, and connected to the second conductive plate on opposing sides of the second isolation region; and a fifth conductor connected to the third conductor and connected to the second conductor.

Memory array structures and methods of forming memory array structures

A microelectronic device comprises a base structure, a memory array overlying the base structure, and a conductive pad tier overlying the memory array. The base structure comprises a logic region including logic devices. The memory array comprises vertically extending strings of memory cells within a horizontal area of the logic region of the base structure. The conductive pad tier comprises first conductive pads substantially outside of the horizontal area of the logic region of the base structure, and second conductive pads horizontally neighboring the first conductive pads and within the horizontal area of the logic region of the base structure. Memory devices and electronic systems are also described.

Microelectronic devices, and related memory devices and electronic systems

A microelectronic device comprises a stack structure, first digit lines, second digit lines, and multiplexer devices. The stack structure comprises an access line region comprising a lower group of conductive structures, and a select gate region overlying the access line region and comprising an upper group of conductive structures. The first digit lines are coupled to strings of memory cells, and the second digit lines are coupled to additional strings of memory cells. The second digit lines are horizontally offset from the first digit lines in a first direction and are substantially horizontally aligned with the first digit lines in a second direction. The multiplexer devices are coupled to page buffer devices, the first digit lines, and the second digit lines. The multiplexer devices comprise transistors in electrical communication with the upper group of conductive structures. Additional microelectronic devices, memory devices, and electronic systems are also described.

A processing device in a memory system connects a first data block of the memory device to a second data block of the memory device to generate a combined data block comprising a first plurality of sub-blocks of the first data block and a second plurality of sub-blocks of the second data block, wherein the connecting includes: for each wordline of a first plurality of wordlines of the first data block, creating a wordline connection short between the respective wordline of the first data block and a corresponding wordline of a second plurality of wordlines of the second data block, wherein the first plurality of wordlines and the second plurality of wordlines comprise data wordlines; and driving a first data wordline of the first data block and a second wordline of the second data block using a single string driver of the memory device.

Managing sub-block erase operations in a memory sub-system

A memory device includes a memory array of memory cells and control logic operatively coupled with the memory array. The control logic is to perform operations including: initiating a true erase sub-operation by causing an erase pulse to be applied to one or more sub-blocks of the memory array; tracking, a number of suspend commands received from a processing device during time periods that a memory line of the memory array is caused to ramp towards an erase voltage of the erase pulse; causing, in response to receiving each suspend command, the true erase sub-operation to be suspended to enable performing a non-erase memory operation; and in response to the number of suspend commands satisfying a threshold criterion, alerting the processing device to terminate sending suspend commands until after completion of the true erase sub-operation.

Selective management of erase operations in memory devices that enable suspend commands

Memory devices might include a first storage element, a second storage element, a data line, and a controller. The first storage element is to store a first data bit. The second storage element is to store a second data bit. The data line is selectively connected to the first storage element, the second storage element, and a memory cell. The controller is configured to apply one of four voltage levels to the data line based on the first data bit and the second data bit.

Memory devices with four data line bias levels

A programming pulse is caused to be applied to a wordline associated with a memory cell of the memory sub-system. A program verify operation is caused to be performed on the memory cell to determine that a measured threshold voltage associated with the memory cell. The measured threshold voltage associated with the memory cell is stored in a sensing node associated with the memory cell. A bitline voltage matching the measured threshold voltage is caused to be applied to a bitline associated with the memory cell to reduce a rate of programming associated with the memory cell.

Managing programming convergence associated with memory cells of a memory sub-system

A processing device in a memory system receives an erase request to erase data stored at a data block of a memory device, the erase request identifying a selected sub-block of a plurality of sub-blocks of the data block for erase, each of the plurality of sub-blocks comprising select gate devices (SGDs) and data storage devices. For each sub-block of the plurality of sub-blocks not selected for erase, the processing device applies an input voltage at a bitline of the respective sub-block and applies a plurality of gate voltages to a plurality of wordlines of the respective sub-block, the plurality of wordlines are coupled to the SGDs and to the data storage devices, each voltage of the plurality of voltages applied to a successive wordline of the plurality of wordlines is less than a previous voltage applied to a previous wordline.

Memory devices might include a first latch to store a first data bit; a second latch to store a second data bit; a data line selectively connected to the first latch, the second latch, and a string of series-connected memory cells; and a controller configured to bias the data line during a programing operation of a selected memory cell. The controller may with the first data bit equal to 0 and the second data bit equal to 0, bias the data line to a first voltage level; with the first data bit equal to 1 and the second data bit equal to 0, bias the data line to a second voltage level; with the first data bit equal to 0 and the second data bit equal to 1, bias the data line to a third voltage level; and with the first data bit equal to 1 and the second data bit equal to 1, bias the data line to a fourth voltage level.

Memory array structures providing for determination of resistive characteristics of access lines might include a first block of memory cells, a second block of memory cells, a first current path between a particular access line of the first block of memory cells and a particular access line of the second block of memory cells, and, optionally, a second current path between the particular access line of the second block of memory cells and a different access line of the first block of memory cells. Methods for determining resistive characteristics of access lines might include connecting the particular access line of the first block of memory cells to a driver, and determining the resistive characteristics in response to a current level through that access line and a voltage level of that access line.

Memory array structures and methods for determination of resistive characteristics of access lines

A device includes a memory array and a sense circuit coupled with the memory array. The sense circuit includes a sense node coupled with a data line of the memory array. A first sensing path includes a first transistor having a first gate coupled with the sense node. A second sensing path includes a second transistor having a second gate coupled with the sense node. A first threshold voltage of the first transistors differs from a second threshold voltage of the second transistor by a threshold voltage gap.

Sense circuit to sense two states of a memory cell

A first programming pulse is caused to be applied to a wordline associated with a memory cell of the memory sub-system. In response to first programming pulse, causing a program verify operation to be performed to determine a measured threshold voltage associated with the memory cell. The measured threshold voltage associated with the memory cell is stored in a sensing node. A determination is made that the measured threshold voltage of the memory cell satisfies a condition and the measured threshold voltage stored in the sensing node is identified. A bitline voltage matching the measured threshold voltage is caused to be applied to a bitline associated with the memory cell.

Apparatus having an array of memory cells and a controller for access of the array of memory cells, wherein the controller is configured to cause the apparatus to determine capacitance and/or resistance values of an access line in response to applying a reference current to the access line, wherein the access line is connected to control gates of memory cells of the array of memory cells.

Apparatus and methods for determination of capacitive and resistive characteristics of access lines

A processing device in a memory system receives an erase request to erase data stored at a data block of a memory device, the erase request identifying a selected sub-block of a plurality of sub-blocks of the data block for erase, each of the plurality of sub-blocks comprising select gate devices (SGDs) and data storage devices. For each sub-block of the plurality of sub-blocks not selected for erase, the processing device applies an input voltage at a bitline of the respective sub-block and applies a plurality of gate voltages to a plurality of wordlines of the respective sub-block, the plurality of wordlines are coupled to the SGDs and to the data storage devices, each voltage of the plurality of voltages applied to a successive wordline of the plurality of wordlines is less than a previous voltage applied to a previous wordline by an amount equal to a step down interval.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Erwin E Yu