International Business Machines Corporation

Intel Corporation

Intel Ndtm US LLC

Globalfoundries Inc.

Sk Hynix Nand Product Solutions Corp.

Rohit Sudhir Shenoy

Kailash Gopalakrishnan

Pranav Kalavade

Ali Khakifirooz

Aliasgar S Madraswala

Arash Hazeghi

Dharmendra S Modha

Krishna Kumar Parat

Shankar Natarajan

Donald Stimson Bethune

Andrew John Kellock

Arun Sitaram Athreya

Hsiao-Yu Chang

Xin Guo

Ravi H Motwani

David Brian Mitzi

Geoffrey W Burr

Yogesh B Wakchaure

Shantanu R Rajwade

Kristopher H Gaewsky

Kumar R Virwani

Sriram Natarajan

Donia Sebastian

Sung-Taeg Kang

Naveen Vittal Prabhu

Yihua Zhang

Xin Sun

Hinesh K Shah

Dipanjan Basu

Golnaz Karbasian

Christian Mion

Rifat Ferdous

Dharmendra Shantilal Modha

At the end of or after a reading operation in a 3D (three dimensional) NAND array, the wordlines of the 3D NAND array can be transitioned to ground in a staggered manner. The 3D NAND array includes a 3D stack with multiple wordlines vertically stacked, including a bottom-most wordline, a top-most wordline, and middle wordlines between the bottom-most wordline and the top-most wordline. A controller that controls the reading can set the multiple wordlines to a high voltage at the end or after the reading operation and then transition a selected wordline of the multiple wordlines from the high voltage to ground prior to transitioning the other wordlines to ground. Thus, the controller will transition the other wordlines from the high voltage to ground after a delay.

Staggered read recovery for improved read window budget in a three dimensional (3D) NAND memory array

A method is described. The method includes performing the following on a flash memory chip: measuring a temperature of the flash memory chip; and, changing a program step size voltage of the flash memory chip because the temperature of the flash memory chip has changed.

Flash memory chip that modulates its program step voltage as a function of chip temperature

In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises a memory comprising a group of memory cells coupled to a wordline; and a controller configured to skip programming of one or more pages of the group of memory cells responsive to a sequential write operation; and program the one or more pages of the group of memory cells responsive to one or more random write commands.

Method and apparatus for improving write uniformity in a memory device

An embodiment of an electronic apparatus may include one or more substrates, and logic coupled to the one or more substrates, the logic to control access to a persistent storage media based on a block and sub-block access structure, store a data structure in the persistent storage media to track read fails at a sub-block granularity for a word-line for every block, and update the data structure in response to a read fail on a block to indicate a failed sub-block that corresponds to the read fail for a word-line for the block. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.

Persistent data structure to track and manage SSD defects

Error correction coding (ECC) mis-corrected reads, if undetected, result in silent data corruption of a non-volatile memory device. Overcoming ECC mis-corrected reads is based on a read signature of a result of reading a page in the non-volatile memory device. An ECC mis-correct logic counts the number of bits in the end-most buckets into which the bits of the result is divided. End-most buckets that are overpopulated or starved reveal a tell-tale read signature of an ECC mis-correct. The ECC mis-correct is likely to occur when the read reference voltage level used to read the page is shifted in one direction or another to an extreme amount that risks reading data from a different page. Detecting ECC mis-corrected reads can be used to overcome the ECC mis-corrects and mitigate silent data corruption.

Overcoming error correction coding mis-corrects in non-volatile memory

An apparatus and/or system is described including a memory device or a controller for the memory device to perform heating of the memory device. In embodiments, a controller is to receive a temperature of the memory device and determine that the temperature is below a threshold temperature. In embodiments, the controller activates a heater for one or more memory die to assist the memory device in moving the temperature towards the threshold temperature, to assist the memory device when reading data. In embodiments, the heater comprises a plurality of conductive channels included in the one or more memory die or other on-board heater. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.

Apparatuses, systems, and methods for heating a memory device

A memory device comprising a memory array; and controller circuitry to apply a first pass voltage to a first plurality of unselected wordlines of the memory array during a string current sensing phase; and reduce the first pass voltage applied to the first plurality of unselected wordlines during a multistrobe sensing phase that follows the string current sensing phase.

String current reduction during multistrobe sensing to reduce read disturb

A nonvolatile (NV) memory device includes an NV storage media and a storage controller to control access to the NV storage media. In response to a host read request, the storage controller can determine if the NV storage media is in a stable Vt (threshold voltage) state. If the NV storage media is in a stable Vt state, the storage controller can perform a reset read operation prior to servicing the host read request. A reset read is a read operation that does not produce data to send back to the host. The reset read operation is a dummy read that puts the NV storage media into a transient Vt state, which has lower risk of read disturb.

System approach to reduce stable threshold voltage (Vt) read disturb degradation

Provided are techniques for resuming storage die programming after power loss. In response to receipt of an indication of the power loss, data that was to be programmed to multi-level cell NAND blocks are copied to single level cell NAND blocks and a pulse number at which programming was interrupted is stored. In response to receipt of an indication to resume from the power loss, the data is copied from the single level cell NAND blocks to a page buffer, the pulse number is retrieved, and programming of the multi-level cell NAND blocks is resumed at the retrieved pulse number using the data in the page buffer.

Resuming storage die programming after power loss

A memory programmer apparatus may include a first-level programmer to program a first-level cell portion of a multi-level memory in a first pass, a coarse programmer to coarse program a second-level cell portion of the multi-level memory in the first pass, wherein the second-level cell portion includes more levels than the first-level cell portion, and a fine programmer to fine program the second-level cell portion of the multi-level memory in a second pass from data programmed in the first-level cell portion in the first pass.

Coarse pass and fine pass multi-level NVM programming

A device has a MXYlayer in between a first conductive layer on the top and a second conductive layer on the bottom, wherein (i) M includes at least one element selected from the following: Cu, Ag, Li, and Zn, (ii) X includes at least one Group XIV element, and (iii) Y includes at least one Group XVI element. Another device has MXYmaterial contacted on opposite sides by respective layers of conductive material, wherein: (i) M includes at least one element selected from the following: Cu, Ag, Li, and Zn, (ii) X includes at least one Group XIV element, and (iii) Y includes at least one Group XVI element, and a is in the range of 48-60 atomic percent, b is in the range of 4-10 atomic percent, c is in the range of 30-45 atomic percent, and a+b+c is at least 90 atomic percent.

Backend of line (BEOL) compatible high current density access device for high density arrays of electronic components

A crystalline semiconductor Schottky barrier-like diode sandwiched between two conducting electrodes is in series with a memory element, a word line and a bit line, wherein the setup provides voltage margins greater than 1V and current densities greater than 5&#xd7;10A/cm. This Schottky barrier-like diode can be fabricated under conditions compatible with low-temperature BEOL semiconductor processing, can supply high currents at low voltages, exhibits high on-off ratios, and enables large memory arrays.

Low temperature BEOL compatible diode having high voltage margins for use in large arrays of electronic components

A device for use with a memory cross-point array of elements, each of which comprises a selection device in series with a state-holding device, in one embodiment includes a controller, configured to apply at least one voltage and/or current pulse to a selected one or more of the elements, said selected one or more of the elements including a partially- or completely-shorted selection device, so that said partially- or completely-shorted selection device passes enough current so as to damage its corresponding state-holding device and place said corresponding state-holding device in a highly resistive state, while any other selection device that is not partially- or completely-shorted passes less current so that the state-holding device corresponding to said other selection device remains unaffected. Additional systems and methods are also presented.

Non-volatile memory crosspoint repair

A system, method and computer program product produce spike-dependent plasticity in an artificial synapse. A method includes: an electronic device generating a pre-synaptic pulse that occurs a predetermined period of time after receiving a pre-synaptic spike at a first input. The electronic device generating a post-synaptic pulse that starts at a baseline value and reaches a first voltage value a first period of time after receiving a post-synaptic spike at a second input, followed by a second voltage value a second period of time after the post synaptic spike, followed by a return to said baseline voltage a third period of time after the post-synaptic spike. The generated pre-synaptic pulse is applied to a pre-synaptic node of a synaptic device in series with a rectifying element that has a turn-on voltage based on a threshold. The generated post-synaptic pulse is applied to a post-synaptic node of said synaptic device.

Growing community of inventors

Fremont, CA, United States of America

Rohit Sudhir Shenoy