IP Library Granted Patent US 12676198
Granted Patent B2
US 12676198 · App. 18/784,022 · Granted Jul 7, 2026

Alternative erase schemes for reliability-risk word lines

Inventors: Yu-Chung Lien (San Jose, CA); Zhenming Zhou (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
G11C16/3418G11C16/08G11C16/16G11C11/5635G11C16/0483G11C16/3445
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12676198
App. No.
18/784,022
Granted
Jul 7, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

In some implementations, a memory device may receive, from a host device, an erase command associated with erasing host data from a portion of a memory. The memory device may determine that the portion of the memory is associated with a reliability risk. The memory device may perform, based on determining that the portion of the memory is associated with the reliability risk, an alternative erase scheme to erase the host data from the portion of the memory, wherein during a first portion of the alternative erase scheme, a first voltage is applied to even word lines and a second voltage, that is different from the first voltage, is applied to odd word lines, and wherein during a second portion of the alternative erase scheme, a third voltage is applied to the even word lines and a fourth voltage is applied to the odd word lines.

Claims (59)

1 . A memory device, comprising:

one or more components configured to:

receive, from a host device, an erase command instructing the memory device to erase host data from a portion of a memory;

determine that the portion of the memory is associated with non-full block usage;

determine, based on determining that the portion of the memory is associated with the non-full block usage, whether the portion of the memory is associated with a reliability risk; and

determine, based on determining whether the portion of the memory is associated with the reliability risk, whether to perform an alternative erase scheme,

wherein the alternative erase scheme is associated with two erase pulses,

wherein during a first erase pulse, of the two erase pulses, a first voltage is applied to even word lines and a second voltage, that is different from the first voltage, is applied to odd word lines, and

wherein during a second erase pulse, of the two erase pulses, the second voltage is applied to the even word lines and the first voltage is applied to the odd word lines; and

perform, based on determining whether to perform the alternative erase scheme, the alternative erase scheme or a normal erase scheme.

2 . The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the non-full block usage is associated with one of a block by deck programming and erase scheme, or a half good block programming and erase scheme.

3 . The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more components, to determine whether to perform the alternative erase scheme, are configured to:

determine, based on determining that the portion of the memory is associated with the reliability risk, that the alternative erase scheme is to be performed; and

determine, based on determining that the portion of the memory is not associated with the reliability risk, that the normal erase scheme is to be performed.

4 . The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the memory is associated with a multi-deck memory, and

wherein the one or more components, to determine whether the portion of the memory is associated with the reliability risk, are configured to determine whether the portion of the memory is associated with a lowermost deck, of the multi-deck memory.

5 . The memory device of claim 4 , wherein the one or more components, to determine whether to perform the alternative erase scheme, are configured to:

determine, based on determining that the portion of the memory is associated with the lowermost deck, that the alternative erase scheme is to be performed; and

determine, based on determining that the portion of the memory is not associated with the lowermost deck, that the normal erase scheme is to be performed.

6 . The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the memory is associated with one of a triple-level cell memory, a quad-level cell memory, or a penta-level cell memory.

7 . A memory device, comprising:

one or more components configured to:

receive, from a host device, an erase command instructing the memory device to erase host data from a portion of a memory; and

perform, based on receiving the erase command, an alternative erase scheme to erase the host data from the portion of the memory,

wherein the alternative erase scheme is associated with an erase pulse,

wherein, during a first portion of the erase pulse, a first voltage is applied to even word lines and a second voltage, that is different from the first voltage, is applied to odd word lines, and

wherein, during a second portion of the erase pulse, a third voltage, which is different from the first voltage, is applied to the even word lines and a fourth voltage, which is different than the second voltage, is applied to the odd word lines.

8 . The memory device of claim 7 , wherein the erase pulse is associated with a ramping-up portion of the erase pulse, a plateau portion of the erase pulse, and a ramping-down portion of the erase pulse, and

wherein the first portion of the erase pulse and the second portion of the erase pulse occur during the plateau portion of the erase pulse.

9 . The memory device of claim 7 , wherein the first voltage is the same as the fourth voltage, and wherein the second voltage is the same as the third voltage.

10 . The memory device of claim 7 , wherein the first voltage is different than the fourth voltage, and wherein the second voltage is different than the third voltage.

11 . The memory device of claim 7 , wherein the one or more components, to perform the alternative erase scheme, are configured to:

switch between the first voltage and the third voltage at the even word lines at a first time; and

switch between the second voltage and the fourth voltage at the odd word lines at the first time.

12 . The memory device of claim 7 , wherein the one or more components, to perform the alternative erase scheme, are configured to:

switch between the first voltage and the third voltage at the even word lines at a first time; and

switch between the second voltage and the fourth voltage at the odd word lines at a second time that is different from the first time.

13 . The memory device of claim 7 , wherein the one or more components, to perform the alternative erase scheme, are configured to:

switch between the first voltage and the third voltage during a transition window;

switch between the second voltage and the fourth voltage during the transition window;

apply a fifth voltage to a bit line associated with the portion of the memory during the first portion of the erase pulse and the second portion of the erase pulse; and

apply a sixth voltage, that is less than the fifth voltage, to the bit line during the transition window.

14 . The memory device of claim 7 , wherein the one or more components, to perform the alternative erase scheme, are configured to apply at least one of a voltage debias to a word line group (WLG) associated with the portion of the memory or a timing debias to the WLG associated with the portion of the memory.

15 . A method, comprising:

receiving, from a host device, an erase command associated with erasing host data from a portion of a memory;

determining that the portion of the memory is associated with a reliability risk; and

performing, based on determining that the portion of the memory is associated with the reliability risk, an alternative erase scheme to erase the host data from the portion of the memory,

wherein during a first portion of the alternative erase scheme, a first voltage is applied to even word lines and a second voltage, that is different from the first voltage, is applied to odd word lines, and

wherein during a second portion of the alternative erase scheme, a third voltage, which is different from the first voltage, is applied to the even word lines and a fourth voltage, which is different than the second voltage, is applied to the odd word lines.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein determining that the portion of the memory is associated with the reliability risk includes determining that the portion of the memory is associated with non-full block usage.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the alternative erase scheme is associated with two erase pulses,

wherein the first portion of the erase scheme occurs during a first erase pulse, of the two erase pulses, and

wherein the second portion of the erase scheme occurs during a second erase pulse, of the two erase pulses.

18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the memory is associated with a multi-deck memory, and

wherein determining that the portion of the memory is associated with the reliability risk includes determining that the portion of the memory is associated with a lowermost deck, of the multi-deck memory.

19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the alternative erase scheme is associated with an erase pulse, and

wherein the first portion of the erase scheme and the second portion of the erase scheme occur during the erase pulse.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the erase pulse is associated with a ramping-up portion of the erase pulse, a plateau portion of the erase pulse, and a ramping-down portion of the erase pulse, and

wherein the first portion of the erase scheme and the second portion of the erase scheme occur during the plateau portion of the erase pulse.