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.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 03, 2007
Filed:
Dec. 31, 2003
Jerry A. Kreifels, El Dorado Hills, CA (US);
Jerry A. Kreifels, El Dorado Hills, CA (US);
Intel Corporation, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Abstract
In some embodiments, an apparatus and methods for storing data which self-compensate for erase performance degradation. Such an apparatus includes, in an exemplary embodiment, a plurality of memory blocks individually erasable during erase cycles by the application of erase pulses thereto having appropriate erase pulse voltage levels, and a memory location uniquely associated with each memory block that stores an initial erase pulse voltage level therefor to be used during an erase cycle. Such methods include, in an exemplary embodiment, counting the number of erase pulses applied to each memory block during an erase cycle therefor, comparing the count for each memory block to a threshold count value, and updating the stored initial erase pulse voltage level to be used during a subsequent erase cycle for each respective memory block if the count for that memory block is not less than the threshold count. Other embodiments are described and claimed.