Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Eun-cheol Kim

Jun-Jin Kong

Ung-hwan Kim

Hong-Rak Son

Dong-Min Shin

Hee-Choul Park

Kyung-jin Kim

Eun-chu Oh

Myung-Kyu Lee

Kwang-Hoon Kim

Beom-Kyu Shin

Se-Jin Lim

A method of reading multi-bit data stored in a memory cell of a flash memory includes attempting to perform hard decision (HD) decoding on output data from the flash memory, and performing soft decision (SD) decoding on the output data when the HD decoding cannot be performed. The performing of the SD decoding includes: changing a maximum number of iterations according to a threshold voltage distribution of the memory cell; and performing the SD decoding based on the changed maximum number of iterations.

Memory controllers and flash memory reading methods

A method of estimating a deterioration state of a memory device comprises reading data from selected memory cells connected to a selected wordline of a memory cell array by applying to the selected wordline a plurality of distinct read voltages having values corresponding to at least one valley of threshold voltage distributions of the selected memory cells, generating quality estimation information indicating states of the threshold voltage distributions using the data read from the selected memory cells, and determining a deterioration state of a storage area including the selected memory cells based on the generated quality estimation information.

Method of estimating deterioration state of memory device and related method of wear leveling

A method of operating a memory controller in a memory system including a nonvolatile memory device includes; erasing memory cells of a target memory block of the non-volatile memory device on a block basis, and then searching for a bad memory cell by a performing an erase verifying operation, comparing a threshold voltage of the bad memory cell to a reference voltage to generate comparison results, and designating as a bad area one of the entire target memory block, and a sub-block of the target memory block in response to the comparison results.

Memory controller operating method and memory system including memory controller

A synchronous semiconductor device being operated in synchronism with an external clock signal includes an internal clock controller and an internal clock generator. The internal clock controller is responsive to an externally applied signal indicative of a beginning of an operation and generates an internal control signal in synchronism with the external clock signal. The internal control signal is only activated for a predetermined time interval long enough to carry out the operation. The internal clock generator serves to generate an internal clock signal synchronized with the external clock signal while the internal control signal is activated. An internal buffer circuit is operated in synchronism with the internal clock signal. Accordingly, power consumption can be reduced while in a standby mode.

Internal clock generation circuit for synchronous semiconductor device

Growing community of inventors

Seongnam-si, South Korea

Eun-cheol Kim