Micron Technology Incorporated

Intel Corporation

Robert J Gleixner

Zhongyuan Lu

Joseph M McCrate

Donald D Danielson

Patrick M Paluda

Rajan Naik

Hongmei Wang

Karthik Sarpatwari

Ramin Ghodsi

Hari Giduturi

Christina Papagianni

Stephen H Tang

Joy Sarker

Systems, methods, and apparatus to select an enhanced write pulse for a write operation in a memory device. In one approach, stronger reset pulses are triggered when there is an increased risk of memory cell threshold voltage degradation. Memory cells read by a relatively higher number of read operations are recorded by a controller of a memory device by updating a lookup table with addresses of the memory cells read. For a new write operation, the controller determines if a reset on set write operation is to be performed. The controller also searches the lookup table to determine if an address for the target bits or codeword of the write operation are in the lookup table. If both conditions are satisfied, then the magnitude of the write pulse is increased for programming the memory cells.

Triggering of stronger write pulses in a memory device based on prior read operations

The application relates to an architecture that allows for less precision of demarcation read voltages by combining two physical memory cells into a single logical bit. Reciprocal binary values may be written into the two memory cells that make up a memory pair. When activated using bias circuitry and address decoders the memory cell pair creates current paths having currents that may be compared to detect a differential signal. The application is also directed to writing and reading memory cell pairs.

Memory device architecture using multiple physical cells per bit to improve read margin and to alleviate the need for managing demarcation read voltages

Apparatuses, methods, and systems for generating patterns for memory using threshold voltage difference are disclosed. An embodiment includes circuitry and a memory array including a plurality of memory cells. The circuitry can select a group of memory cells from the plurality of memory cells, program each memory cell of the group to a first data state, determine a first threshold voltage of each memory cell of the group, program each memory cell of the group to a second data state, perform a number of snapback events on each memory cell of the group, program each memory cell of the group to the first data state, determine a second threshold voltage of each memory cell of the group having the first data state, and generate a pattern for the memory array based, at least in part, on a difference between the first threshold voltage and the second threshold voltage.

Generating patterns for memory threshold voltage difference

The present disclosure includes apparatuses, methods, and systems for error detection and correction in memory. An embodiment includes a memory having a group of self-selecting memory cells which store data corresponding to a codeword from an error correcting code, and circuitry configured to perform a sense operation on the group of self-selecting memory cells, identify, based on the sense operation, memory cells of the group that cannot store data, mark data sensed from the identified memory cells as erasures and perform an error correction operation on data sensed from the group of self-selecting memory cells with the data sensed from the identified memory cells marked as erasures.

Error detection and correction in memory

Systems, methods, and apparatus to evaluate read margin when reading memory cells in a memory device. In one approach, a controller of a memory device applies an initial read voltage of an initial polarity to memory cells. Errors from the read are used to determine whether read retry is needed. If so, a pre-read voltage of an opposite polarity is applied, and errors determined. Based on the errors from applying the pre-read voltage, a polarity is selected for the read retry voltage. The read retry voltage of the selected polarity is then applied to the memory cells.

Pre-read in opposite polarity to evaluate read margin

The present disclosure includes apparatuses, methods, and systems for predicting and compensating for degradation of memory cells. An embodiment includes a memory having a group of memory cells, and circuitry configured to, upon a quantity of sense operations performed on the group of memory cells meeting or exceeding a threshold quantity, perform a sense operation on the group of memory cells using a positive sensing voltage and perform a sense operation on the group of memory cells using a negative sensing voltage, and perform an operation to program the memory cells of the group determined to be in a reset data state by both of the sense operations to the reset data state.

Predicting and compensating for degradation of memory cells

The present disclosure includes apparatuses, methods, and systems for increase of a sense current in memory. An embodiment includes a memory having a plurality of memory cells, and circuitry configured to apply, prior to sensing a data state of a memory cell of the plurality of memory cells, a voltage to an access line to which the memory cell is coupled, determine whether an amount of current on the access line in response to the applied voltage meets or exceeds a threshold amount of current, and determine whether to increase a magnitude of a current used to sense the data state of the memory cell based on whether the amount of current on the access line in response to the applied voltage meets or exceeds the threshold amount of current.

Increase of a sense current in memory

The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods related to forming memory cells having memory element dimensions. For example, a memory cell may include a first electrode, a select-element material between the first electrode and a second electrode, and a lamina between the select-element material and the first electrode. The first electrode may comprise a first portion, proximate to the lamina, having a first lateral dimension; and a second portion, distal from the lamina, having a second lateral dimension, wherein the second lateral dimension is greater than the first lateral dimension.

Memory electrodes and formation thereof

Methods, systems, and devices for write operation techniques for memory systems are described. In some memory systems, write operations performed on target memory cells of the memory device may disturb logic states stored by one or more adjacent memory cells. Such disturbances may cause reductions in read margins when accessing one or more memory cells, or may cause a loss of data in one or more memory cells. The described techniques may reduce aspects of logic state degradation by supporting operational modes where a host device, a memory device, or both, refrains from writing information to a region of a memory array, or inhibits write commands associated with write operations on a region of a memory array.

Write operation techniques for memory systems

The present disclosure includes apparatuses, methods, and systems for increase of a sense current in memory. An embodiment includes a memory having a plurality of memory cells, and circuitry configured to count a number of program operations performed on the memory cells of the memory during operation of the memory, and increase a magnitude of a current used to sense a data state of the memory cells of the memory upon the count of the number of program operations reaching a threshold count.

The present disclosure includes systems, apparatuses, and methods related to generating a random data value. For example, a first read operation may be performed on a memory cell programmed to a first state, wherein the first read operation is performed using a first read voltage that is within a predetermined threshold voltage distribution corresponding to the first state. A programming signal may be applied to the memory cell responsive to the first read operation resulting in a snapback event, wherein the programming signal is configured to place the memory cell in a second state. A second read operation may be performed to determine whether the memory cell is in the first state or the second state using a second read voltage that is between the predetermined threshold voltage distribution corresponding to the first state and a second threshold voltage distribution corresponding to the second state.

Random value generator

Methods and systems include memory devices with multiple memory cells configured to store data. The memory devices also include a cache configured to store at least a portion of the data to provide access to the at least the portion of the data without accessing the multiple memory cells. The memory devices also include control circuitry configured to receive a read command having a target address. Based on the target address, the control circuitry is configured to determine that the at least the portion of the data is present in the cache. Using the cache, the control circuitry also outputs read data from the cache without accessing the plurality of memory cells.

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Robert J Gleixner