The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Date of Patent:
Oct. 29, 2019

Filed:

Dec. 12, 2017
Applicant:

Western Digital Technologies, Inc., San Jose, CA (US);

Inventors:

Piyush Dak, San Jose, CA (US);

Mohan Vamsi Dunga, Santa Clara, CA (US);

Pitamber Shukla, Milpitas, CA (US);

Assignee:
Attorneys:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G11C 16/26 (2006.01); G11C 16/34 (2006.01); G11C 16/04 (2006.01); G11C 11/408 (2006.01); G11C 7/12 (2006.01); G06F 3/06 (2006.01); G11C 11/4097 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G11C 16/26 (2013.01); G06F 3/0679 (2013.01); G11C 7/12 (2013.01); G11C 11/4085 (2013.01); G11C 11/4097 (2013.01); G11C 16/0483 (2013.01); G11C 16/0491 (2013.01); G11C 16/34 (2013.01); G11C 2211/5641 (2013.01);
Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to non-volatile memory devices, such as flash memory, and sensing operation methods including locking out high conduction current memory cells of the memory devices. In one embodiment, a method of sensing a plurality of memory cells in an array includes conducting a lower page read of one or more demarcation threshold voltages. Each memory cell is programmable to a threshold voltage corresponding to one of multiple memory states. A middle page read of one or more demarcation threshold voltages is conducted. Memory cells identified from the lower page read are selectively locked out during the middle page read. An upper page read of one or more demarcation threshold voltages is conducted. Memory cells identified from a prior page read are selectively locked out during the upper page read.


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