IP Library Granted Patent US 12676202
Granted Patent B2
US 12676202 · App. 18/820,041 · Granted Jul 7, 2026

Selective media scanning for a virtual block

Inventors: Peng Zhang (Los Altos, CA); Murong Lang (San Jose, CA); Zhenming Zhou (San Jose, CA); Lei Lin (Freemont, CA)
Assignee: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
G11C29/12005G11C2029/1202
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12676202
App. No.
18/820,041
Granted
Jul 7, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for performing a media scan operation on a virtual block in a memory device is described herein. The method includes incrementing a first count value of a first read counter via a controller in response to a first read operation performed on a first fractional good block of the virtual block. The method also includes incrementing a second count value of a second read counter via the controller in response to a second read operation performed on a second fractional good block of the virtual block. The method also includes selecting one of the first and second fractional good blocks for the media scan operation via the controller based on a difference between the first and second count values. The method further includes performing the media scan operation on a wordline of the selected one of the first and second fractional good blocks via the controller.

Claims (72)

1 . A method for performing a media scan operation on a virtual block in a memory device, the method comprising:

incrementing a first count value of a first read counter via a controller in response to a first read operation performed on a first fractional good block of the virtual block;

incrementing a second count value of a second read counter via the controller in response to a second read operation performed on a second fractional good block of the virtual block;

initiating the media scan operation via the controller;

selecting one of the first and second fractional good blocks for the media scan operation via the controller based on a difference between the first and second count values, wherein the selecting of one of the first and second fractional good blocks further comprises:

determining which of the first and second count values has a highest count value;

comparing the highest count value with a selective scan threshold; and

selecting the respective one of the first and second fractional good blocks for the media scan operation based on the highest count value relative to the selective scan threshold; and

performing the media scan operation on a wordline of the selected one of the first and second fractional good blocks via the controller.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein initiating the media scan operation comprises:

incrementing a total count value of a total read counter in response to either the first or the second read operation; and

initiating the media scan operation in response to the total count value being greater than a total count threshold.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the respective one of the first and second fractional good blocks for the media scan operation further comprises:

selecting the wordline from an arbitrary one of the first and second fractional good blocks for the media scan operation in response to the highest count value being less than the selective scan threshold; and

selecting the respective one of the first and second fractional good blocks for the media scan operation in response to the highest count value being greater than the selective scan threshold.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein comparing the highest count value with the selective scan threshold comprises:

determining an ambient temperature of the memory device; and

adjusting the selective scan threshold based on the ambient temperature of the memory device.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein adjusting the selective scan threshold comprises:

determining a threshold weight value based on the ambient temperature of the memory device; and

multiplying a nominal threshold value by the threshold weight value to generate the selective scan threshold.

6 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising determining the nominal threshold value based on the difference between the first and second count values.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein determining the nominal threshold value comprises setting the nominal threshold value to an average value of the first and second count values.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first read counter is a read counter associated with a first physical block that includes the first fractional good block of the virtual block, wherein the second read counter is a read counter associated with a second physical block that includes the second fractional good block of the virtual block.

9 . A method for performing a media scan operation on a virtual block in a memory device, the method comprising:

incrementing a first count value of a first read counter via a controller in response to a first read operation performed on a first fractional good block of the virtual block;

incrementing a second count value of a second read counter via the controller in response to a second read operation performed on a second fractional good block of the virtual block;

initiating the media scan operation via the controller;

selecting one of the first and second fractional good blocks for the media scan operation via the controller based on a difference between the first and second count values;

performing the media scan operation on a wordline of the selected one of the first and second fractional good blocks via the controller, wherein incrementing the first count value comprises incrementing the first count value of the first read counter in response to the first read operation performed on a first third good block (TGB) of the virtual block;

wherein incrementing the second count value comprises incrementing the second count value of the second read counter in response to the second read operation performed on a second TGB of the virtual block;

the method further comprising incrementing the third count value of a third read counter in response to a third read operation performed on a third TGB of the virtual block;

wherein selecting comprises selecting one of the first, second, and third TGBs for the media scan operation based on a difference between the first, second, and third count values; and

wherein performing the media scan operation comprises performing the media scan operation on the wordline of the selected one of the first, second, and third TGBs.

10 . A system for performing a media scan operation in a memory device, comprising:

the memory device; and

a processing device coupled to the memory device, the processing device to perform operations comprising:

incrementing a first count value of a first read counter in response to a first read operation performed on a first fractional good block of a virtual block;

incrementing a second count value of a second read counter in response to a second read operation performed on a second fractional good block of the virtual block;

initiating the media scan operation;

selecting one of the first and second fractional good blocks for the media scan operation based on a difference between the first and second count values, wherein selecting the respective one of the first and second fractional good blocks for the media scan operation comprises:

determining which of the first and second count values has a highest count value;

comparing the highest count value with a selective scan threshold;

selecting a wordline from an arbitrary one of the first and second fractional good blocks for the media scan operation in response to the highest count value being less than the selective scan threshold; and

selecting the respective one of the first and second fractional good blocks for the media scan operation in response to the highest count value being greater than the selective scan threshold; and

performing the media scan operation on the wordline of the selected one of the first and second fractional good blocks.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein initiating the media scan operation comprises:

incrementing a total count value of a total read counter in response to either the first or the second read operation; and

initiating the media scan operation in response to the total count value being greater than a total count threshold.

12 . The system of claim 10 , wherein comparing the highest count value with the selective scan threshold comprises:

determining an ambient temperature of the memory device;

determining a threshold weight value based on the ambient temperature of the memory device; and

multiplying a nominal threshold value by the threshold weight value to generate the selective scan threshold.

13 . The system of claim 12 , further comprising setting the nominal threshold value to an average value of the first and second count values.

14 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform a media scan operation on a memory device, the media scan operation comprising:

incrementing a first count value of a first read counter in response to a first read operation performed on a first fractional good block of a virtual block;

incrementing a second count value of a second read counter in response to a second read operation performed on a second fractional good block of the virtual block;

initiating the media scan operation;

selecting one of the first and second fractional good blocks for the media scan operation based on a difference between the first and second count values, wherein selecting the respective one of the first and second fractional good blocks for the media scan operation comprises:

determining which of the first and second count values has a highest count value;

comparing the highest count value with a selective scan threshold;

selecting a wordline from an arbitrary one of the first and second fractional good blocks for the media scan operation in response to the highest count value being less than the selective scan threshold; and

selecting the respective one of the first and second fractional good blocks for the media scan operation in response to the highest count value being greater than the selective scan threshold; and

performing the media scan operation on the wordline of the selected one of the first and second fractional good blocks.

15 . The medium of claim 14 , wherein initiating the media scan operation comprises:

incrementing a total count value of a total read counter in response to either the first or the second read operation; and

initiating the media scan operation in response to the total count value being greater than a total count threshold.

16 . The medium of claim 14 , wherein comparing the highest count value with the selective scan threshold comprises:

determining an ambient temperature of the memory device;

determining a threshold weight value based on the ambient temperature of the memory device; and

multiplying a nominal threshold value by the threshold weight value to generate the selective scan threshold.

17 . The medium of claim 16 , further comprising setting the nominal threshold value to an average value of the first and second count values.