IP Library Granted Patent US 12676200
Granted Patent B2
US 12676200 · App. 18/757,422 · Granted Jul 7, 2026

Selective use of a word line monitoring procedure for reliability-risk word lines

Inventors: Yu-Chung Lien (San Jose, CA); Ekamdeep Singh (San Jose, CA); Zhenming Zhou (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
G11C16/3459G11C16/3418G11C16/349G11C11/5628G11C16/0483G11C16/08G11C16/10
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12676200
App. No.
18/757,422
Granted
Jul 7, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

In some implementations, a memory device may receive, from a host device, a single-level cell (SLC) program command instructing host data to be written to one or more subblocks of memory. The memory device may determine whether a word line associated with a subblock, of the one or more subblocks, is associated with a reliability risk. The memory device may determine whether to perform a word line leakage monitoring procedure associated with a programming scheme to be used to program the subblock based on whether the word line is associated with the reliability risk.

Claims (39)

1 . A memory device, comprising:

one or more components configured to:

receive, from a host device, a single-level cell (SLC) program command instructing the memory device to write host data to one or more subblocks of memory;

determine whether a word line associated with a subblock, of the one or more subblocks, is associated with a reliability risk;

determine whether to perform a word line leakage monitoring procedure associated with a programming scheme to be used to program the subblock based on whether the word line is associated with the reliability risk; and

perform, based on determining that the word line is not associated with the reliability risk, a programming scheme associated with one programming pulse and zero verify operations without performing the word line leakage monitoring procedure.

2 . The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more components are further configured to, based on determining that the word line is associated with the reliability risk, perform the word line leakage monitoring procedure in connection with a programming scheme associated with one programming pulse and zero verify operations.

3 . The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more components are further configured to determine whether a program-erase cycle (PEC) count associated with the word line satisfies a PEC threshold, and

wherein determining whether to perform the word line leakage monitoring procedure is further based on whether the PEC count satisfies the PEC threshold.

4 . The memory device of claim 3 , wherein the one or more components are further configured to determine whether a ganged verify programming scheme is to be used to program the subblock, and

wherein determining whether to perform the word line leakage monitoring procedure is further based on whether the ganged verify programming scheme is to be used to program the subblock.

5 . The memory device of claim 4 , wherein the one or more components are further configured to, based on determining that the word line is associated with the reliability risk, that the PEC count satisfies the PEC threshold, and that the ganged verify programming scheme is not to be used to program the subblock, perform the word line leakage monitoring procedure.

6 . The memory device of claim 1 , wherein determining whether to perform the word line leakage monitoring procedure is based on a lookup table that associates one or more word lines associated with the reliability risk with one or more PEC thresholds.

7 . The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more components are further configured to determine whether to perform the word line leakage monitoring procedure is further based on whether a program-erase cycle (PEC) count satisfies a PEC threshold, the PEC threshold corresponding to a least reliable word line of the subblock.

8 . A method, comprising:

receiving, from a host device, a single-level cell (SLC) program command instructing host data to be written to one or more subblocks of memory;

determining whether a word line associated with a subblock, of the one or more subblocks, is associated with a reliability risk;

determining whether to perform a word line leakage monitoring procedure associated with a programming scheme to be used to program the subblock based on whether the word line is associated with the reliability risk; and

perform, based on determining that the word line is associated with the reliability risk, the word line leakage monitoring procedure in connection with a programming scheme associated with one programming pulse and zero verify operations.

9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising, based on determining that the word line is not associated with the reliability risk, performing a programming scheme associated with one programming pulse and zero verify operations without performing the word line leakage monitoring procedure.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein determining whether to perform the word line leakage monitoring procedure is further based on whether a program-erase cycle (PEC) count satisfies a PEC threshold, the PEC threshold corresponding to a least reliable word line of the subblock.

11 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising determining whether a program-erase cycle (PEC) count associated with the word line satisfies a PEC threshold,

wherein determining whether to perform the word line leakage monitoring procedure is further based on whether the PEC count satisfies the PEC threshold.

12 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising determining whether a ganged verify programming scheme is to be used to program the subblock, wherein determining whether to perform the word line leakage monitoring procedure is further based on whether the ganged verify programming scheme is to be used to program the subblock.

13 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising, based on determining that the word line is associated with the reliability risk, that the PEC count satisfies the PEC threshold, and that the ganged verify programming scheme is not to be used to program the subblock, performing the word line leakage monitoring procedure.

14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein determining whether to perform the word line leakage monitoring procedure is based on a lookup table that associates one or more word lines associated with the reliability risk with one or more PEC thresholds.

15 . A memory device, comprising:

a memory;

a controller operatively coupled to the memory and configured to:

receive, from a host device, a single-level cell (SLC) program command instructing the memory device to write host data to one or more subblocks of the memory;

determine whether a word line associated with a subblock, of the one or more subblocks, is associated with a reliability risk;

determine whether a program-erase cycle (PEC) count associated with the word line satisfies a PEC threshold; and

determine whether to perform a word line leakage monitoring procedure associated with a programming scheme to be used to program the subblock based on whether the word line is associated with the reliability risk and whether the PEC count satisfies the PEC threshold.

16 . The memory device of claim 15 , wherein the controller is further configured to, based on determining that at least one of the word line is not associated with the reliability risk or the PEC count does not satisfy the PEC threshold, perform a programming scheme associated with one programming pulse and zero verify operations without performing the word line leakage monitoring procedure.

17 . The memory device of claim 15 , wherein the controller is further configured to, based on determining that the word line is associated with the reliability risk and that the PEC count satisfies the PEC threshold, perform the word line leakage monitoring procedure in connection with a programming scheme associated with one programming pulse and zero verify operations.

18 . The memory device of claim 15 , wherein the controller is further 18 . configured to determine whether a ganged verify programming scheme is to be used to program the subblock, and

wherein determining whether to perform the word line leakage monitoring procedure is further based on whether the ganged verify programming scheme is to be used to program the subblock.

19 . The memory device of claim 18 , wherein the controller is further configured to, based on determining that the word line is associated with the reliability risk, that the PEC count satisfies the PEC threshold, and that the ganged verify programming scheme is not to be used to program the subblock, perform the word line leakage monitoring procedure.

20 . The memory device of claim 15 , wherein determining whether to perform the word line leakage monitoring procedure is based on a lookup table that associates one or more word lines associated with the reliability risk with one or more PEC thresholds.