Micron Technology Incorporated

Jeffrey S McNeil, Jr

Kishore Kumar Muchherla

Giuseppina Puzzilli

Jeremy Binfet

Akira Goda

Gil Golov

Todd A Marquart

Mark Alan Helm

Niccolo' Righetti

Carmine Miccoli

Violante Moschiano

Eric N Lee

Vamsi Pavan Rayaprolu

Ashutosh Malshe

Karl David Schuh

Niccolo′ Righetti

Sivagnanam Parthasarathy

Patrick Robert Khayat

James Fitzpatrick

Jonathan Scott Parry

Tomoko Ogura Iwasaki

Lawrence Celso Miranda

Sheyang Ning

Jiangang Wu

Sundararajan Sankaranarayanan

Jung-Sheng Hoei

Ugo Russo

Phong Sy Nguyen

Silvia Beltrami

Lakshmi Kalpana Vakati

Sead Zildzic, Jr

Sead Zildzic

Tommaso Vali

Huai-Yuan Tseng

Jung Sheng Hoei

Michele Incarnati

Walter Di Francesco

Dung Viet Nguyen

Umberto Siciliani

Daniel J Hubbard

Giovanni Maria Paolucci

Jason Lee Nevill

Dave Scott Ebsen

Paing Z Htet

Junwyn A Lacsao

Lakshmi Kalpana K Vakati

Kishore Kumar Muccherla

Robert Loren O Ursua

Patrick R Khayat

Systems and methods are disclosed including a memory device comprising a memory array and control logic, operatively coupled with the memory array. The control logic can perform operations comprising causing a read operation to be initiated with respect to a set of target cells of the memory array; obtaining, for a respective group of adjacent cells, respective cell state information; performing a set of strobe reads on the set of target cells; and generating, for a target cell of the set of target cells, semi-soft bit data based on the respective cell state information of the respective group of adjacent cells and on data obtained from a first strobe read and a second strobe read of the set of strobe reads performed on the target cell.

Generating semi-soft bit data during corrective read operations in memory devices

Memories might include an array of memory cells having a plurality of strings of series-connected memory cells and a controller configured to cause to memory to access a first string of series-connected memory cells of the plurality of strings of series-connected memory cells in a first mode of operation for volatile storage of data to the first string of series-connected memory cells, and access a second string of series-connected memory cells of the plurality of strings of series-connected memory cells in a second mode of operation for non-volatile storage of respective data to each memory cell of a plurality of memory cells of the second string of series-connected memory cells

Volatile data storage in NAND memory

A memory device comprises an array of memory cells organized into a plurality of wordlines, and a processing device to perform processing operations that receive a program command specifying a memory unit and data comprising first received data, where the plurality of wordlines includes one or more first active data wordlines and a group of consecutive retired wordlines. The processing operations also program the specified data to the memory unit by programming the first received data to the one or more first active data wordlines, identifying a first retired boundary wordline that is in the group of consecutive retired wordlines and is adjacent to one of the first active data wordlines, generating a first data pattern comprising a first plurality of threshold voltage levels, and programming the first data pattern to the first retired boundary wordline.

Selectively programming retired wordlines of a memory device

Described are systems and methods for validating read level voltage in memory devices. An example memory device comprises: a memory array comprising a plurality of memory cells electrically coupled to a plurality of wordlines; and a controller coupled to the memory array, the controller to perform operations comprising: causing a read level voltage to be applied to a specified wordline of the plurality of wordlines; receiving an actual bit count reflecting a number of memory cells that have their respective threshold voltages below the read level voltage; and responsive to determining that a difference of an expected bit count and the actual bit count exceeds a predetermined threshold value, adjusting the read level voltage.

Validating read level voltage in memory devices

Control logic in a memory device initiates a program operation including application of a set of programming pulses to a wordline associated with one or more memory cells of a memory array to be programmed to a set of programming levels, where each programming level of the set of programming levels is programmed by each programming pulse. The control logic determines that a program voltage of a programming pulse of the set of programming pulses reaches a maximum program voltage level. In response to the determining, during a subsequent programming pulse following the programming pulse, adjusting a first voltage associated with boosting a pillar voltage, a second voltage applied to a bitline, and a third voltage applied to the wordline to establish a subsequent program voltage of the subsequent programming pulse that is below the maximum program voltage level.

Establishing bitline, wordline and boost voltages to manage a maximum program voltage level during all levels programming of a memory device

A method performed by a processing device receives a plurality of write operation requests, where each of the write operation requests specifies a respective one of the memory units, identifies one or more operating characteristic values, where each operating characteristic value reflects one or more memory access operations performed on a memory device, and determines whether the operating characteristic values satisfy one or more threshold criteria. Responsive to determining that the operating characteristic values satisfy the one or more threshold criteria, the method performs a plurality of write operations, where each of the write operations writes data to the respective one of the memory units, and performs a multiple-read scan operation subsequent to the plurality of write operations, where the multiple-read scan operation reads data from each of the memory units.

Workload-based scan optimization

Control logic in a memory device determines to initiate a string read operation on a first memory string of a plurality of memory strings in a block of a memory array, the block comprising a plurality of wordlines, wherein the first memory string is designated as a sacrificial string. The control logic further causes a read voltage to be applied to each of the plurality of wordlines concurrently and senses a level of current flowing through the sacrificial string while the read voltage is applied. In addition, the control logic identifies, based on the level of current flowing through the sacrificial string, whether a threshold level of read disturb has occurred on the block.

Sacrificial strings in a memory device to detect read disturb

A system can include a memory device and a processing device, operatively coupled with the memory device, to perform operations including reading a first copy of data stored in a first set of memory cells comprising a first memory cell, determining whether a threshold voltage of the first memory cell is within a first range of threshold voltages, responsive to determining that the threshold voltage of the first memory cell is within the first range of threshold voltages, reading a second copy of the data stored in a second set of memory cells comprising a second memory cell, determining whether a threshold voltage of the second memory cell is within a second range of threshold voltages, and responsive to determining that the threshold voltage of the second memory cell is outside the second range, using the second copy of the data.

Using duplicate data for improving error correction capability

Described are systems and methods for all level coarse/fine programming of memory cells. An example memory device comprises: a memory array comprising a plurality of memory cells electrically coupled to a plurality of wordlines and a plurality of bitlines; and a controller coupled to the memory array, the controller to perform operations comprising: identifying a set of memory cells for performing a memory programming operation, wherein the memory cells are electrically coupled to a target wordline and a set of target bitlines; causing a first voltage to be applied to the target wordline, wherein the first voltage is incremented every time period over a number of time periods that corresponds to a number of threshold voltages to be programmed; causing a second voltage to be applied to a first bitline over the number of time periods; causing a third voltage to be applied to a second bitline, wherein the third voltage is incremented during a second time period of the number of time periods, wherein the second time period follows a first time period; causing a fourth voltage to be applied to a third bitline, wherein the fourth voltage is incremented during a third time period of the number of time periods, wherein the third time period follows the second time period; and causing a fifth voltage to be applied to a fourth bitline over the number of time periods.

All level coarse/fine programming of memory cells

A memory array includes a block including wordlines, bitlines, and strings each connected to a respective bitline. The block is divided into a sub-blocks. Each sub-block includes a respective set of the strings, and each string of the set of strings is located at a sub-block position within its respective sub-block. Control logic performs operations including selecting each sub-block, causing a first voltage to be applied to a dummy wordline to activate a first set of dummy cells and deactivate a second set of dummy cells, and causing a second voltage to be applied to a selected wordline. Each sub-block includes a single string corresponding to an open string connected to a dummy cell of the first set of dummy cells. The second voltage causes data to be read out from each open string to a respective page buffer.

Parallelized defect detection across multiple sub-blocks in a memory device

Described are systems and methods for concurrent slow-fast memory cell programming. An example memory device comprises: a memory array comprising a plurality of memory cells electrically coupled to a plurality of wordlines and a plurality of bitlines; and a controller coupled to the memory array, the controller to perform operations comprising: identifying a set of memory cells for performing a memory programming operation, wherein the set of memory cells are electrically coupled to a target wordline and one or more target bitlines; causing a first programming pulse to be performed by applying a first programming voltage to the target wordline; classifying, by a processing device, the set of memory cells into a first subset of memory cells and a second subset of memory cells based on their respective threshold voltages; causing a first bias voltage to be applied to a first target bitline connected to the first subset of memory cells; causing a second bias voltage to be applied to a second target bitline connected to the second subset of memory cells; and causing a second programing voltage to be applied to the target wordline, wherein the second programming voltage exceeds the first programing voltage.

Concurrent slow-fast memory cell programming

A system includes a memory device including a memory array and control logic, operatively coupled with the memory array, to perform operations including receiving a set of commands to concurrently program a set of cells of the memory array with dummy data, the set of cells corresponding to a group of retired wordlines of the plurality of wordlines, in response to receiving the set of commands, obtaining the dummy data, and concurrently programming the set of cells with the dummy data by causing a ganged programming pulse to be applied to the set of cells.

Concurrent programming of retired wordline cells with dummy data

A system includes a memory device including a plurality of groups of memory cells and a processing device that is operatively coupled to the memory device. The processing device is to receive a request to determine a reliability of the plurality of groups of memory cells. The processing device is further to perform, in response to receipt of the request, a scan operation on a sample portion of the plurality of groups of memory cells to determine a reliability of the sample portion that is representative of the reliability of the plurality of groups of memory cells.

Memory sub-system scan

Memory devices might include an array of memory cells, a plurality of access lines, and control logic. The array of memory cells includes a plurality of strings of series-connected memory cells. Each access line of the plurality of access lines is connected to a control gate of a respective memory cell of each string of series-connected memory cells of the plurality of strings of series-connected memory cells. The control logic is configured to: open the array of memory cells for multiple read operations; read first page data from respective memory cells coupled to a selected access line of the plurality of access lines; read second page data from the respective memory cells coupled to the selected access line; and close the array of memory cells subsequent to reading the first page data and the second page data.

Memory devices for multiple read operations

A memory device comprising an array of memory cells organized into a set of sub-blocks and a set of wordlines. Control logic is operatively coupled with the array of memory cells, the control logic to perform operations including: receiving a program command from a processing device, the program command including information indicative of a physical address associated with a retired wordline of the set of wordlines; in response to detecting the information within the program command, generating dummy data that is one of pseudo-random data, all one values, or all zero values; and causing the dummy data to be programmed to memory cells of multiple sub-blocks of the set of sub-blocks that are selectively connected to the retired wordline.

Program command generation with dummy data generation at a memory device

Growing community of inventors

Nampa, ID, United States of America

Jeffrey S McNeil, Jr