IP Library Granted Patent US 12688890
Granted Patent B2
US 12688890 · App. 18/527,693 · Granted Jul 21, 2026

Program verify level adjustment for program operation in a memory device

Inventors: Yu-Chung Lien (San Jose, CA); Christina Papagianni (San Jose, CA); Zhenming Zhou (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
G11C16/10G11C16/26G11C16/3459
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12688890
App. No.
18/527,693
Granted
Jul 21, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A request to perform a program operation on a set of vertically stacked memory cells of a memory device is received. A program verify level adjustment value based on a number of program erase cycles (PECs) associated with the memory device is determined responsive to determining that at least one memory cell of the set of vertically stacked memory cells is non-programmable. A default program verify level is adjusted by the program verify level adjustment value to generate an adjusted program verify level. The program operation on the set of vertically stacked memory cells is performed using the adjusted program verify level.

Claims (49)

1 . A method comprising:

receiving a request to perform a program operation on a set of vertically stacked memory cells of a memory device, wherein each memory cell of the set of vertically stacked memory cells is addressable by a respective wordline;

determining whether at least one memory cell of the set of vertically stacked memory cells is non-programmable due to degradation;

responsive to determining that at least one memory cell of the set of vertically stacked memory cells is non-programmable due to degradation, determining, based on a logical state of remaining memory cells of the set of vertically stacked memory cells that are programmable and a number of program erase cycles (PECs) associated with the memory device, a program verify level adjustment value;

adjusting a default program verify level by the program verify level adjustment value to generate an adjusted program verify level; and

performing, using the adjusted program verify level, the program operation on the set of vertically stacked memory cells.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining that at least one memory cell of the set of vertically stacked memory cells is non-programmable comprises:

identifying whether a wordline associated with the at least one memory cell of the set of vertically stacked memory cells is defective.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the program operation comprises:

applying the adjusted program verify level during a program verify phase of the program operation.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the program verify level adjustment value further comprises:

for a given memory cell of the set of vertically stacked memory cells, identifying, from a plurality of entries in a program verify level adjustment data structure, an entry associated with a programming level of the given memory cell and the number of PECs, the entry comprising the program verify level adjustment value, wherein each entry of the plurality of entries comprises a respective program verify level adjustment value associated with a different programming level and a respective number of PECs.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of vertically stacked memory cells is a block of the memory device.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory cell of the set of vertically stacked memory cells that is non-programmable is a memory cell at a top of the set of vertically stacked memory cells.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

performing a read operation on the set of vertically stacked memory cells.

8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

responsive to determining that each memory cell of the set of vertically stacked memory cells is programmable, performing, using the default program verify level, the program operation on the set of vertically stacked memory cells.

9 . A system comprising:

a memory device; and

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

receiving a request to perform a program operation on a set of vertically stacked memory cells of the memory device, wherein each memory cell of the set of vertically stacked memory cells is addressable by a respective wordline;

determining whether at least one memory cell of the set of vertically stacked memory cells is non-programmable due to degradation;

responsive to determining that at least one memory cell of the set of vertically stacked memory cells is non-programmable due to degradation, determining, based on a logical state of remaining memory cell to be programmed cells of the set of vertically stacked memory cells that are programmable and a number of program erase cycles (PECs) associated with the memory device, a program verify level adjustment value;

adjusting a default program verify level by the program verify level adjustment value to generate an adjusted program verify level; and

performing, using the adjusted program verify level, the program operation on the set of vertically stacked memory cells.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein determining that at least one memory cell of the set of vertically stacked memory cells is non-programmable comprises:

identifying whether a wordline associated with the at least one memory cell of the set of vertically stacked memory cells is defective.

11 . The system of claim 9 , wherein performing the program operation on the set of vertically stacked memory cells comprises:

applying the adjusted program verify level during a program verify phase of the program operation.

12 . The system of claim 9 , wherein determining the program verify level adjustment value further comprises:

for a given memory cell of the set of vertically stacked memory cells, identifying, from a plurality of entries in a program verify level adjustment data structure, an entry associated with a programming level of the given memory cell and the number of PECs, the entry comprising the program verify level adjustment value, wherein each entry of the plurality of entries comprises a respective program verify level adjustment value associated with a different programming level and a respective number of PECs.

13 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the set of vertically stacked memory cells is a block of the memory device.

14 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the at least one memory cell of the set of vertically stacked memory cells that is non-programmable is a memory cell at a top of the set of vertically stacked memory cells.

15 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the processing device is to perform further operations comprising:

performing a read operation on the set of vertically stacked memory cells.

16 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the processing device is to perform further operations comprising:

responsive to determining that each memory cell of the set of vertically stacked memory cells is programmable, performing, using the default program verify level, the program operation on the set of vertically stacked memory cells.

17 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including instructions that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving a request to perform a program operation on a first block of a memory device, wherein the first block includes a non-programmable top deck due to degradation of at least one memory cell of a top deck of the first block and a programmable bottom deck; and

performing, using an adjusted program verify level, the program operation on the first block, wherein the adjusted program verify level is determined based on a logical state of a given memory cell of the programmable bottom deck and a number of program erase cycles (PECs) of the memory device.

18 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein performing the program operations comprises:

determining the number of program erase cycles (PECs) of the memory device; and

for the given memory cell of the first block, identifying, from a plurality of entries in a program verify level adjustment data structure, an entry associated with a programming level of the given memory cell and the number of PECs, the entry comprising a program verify level adjustment value, wherein each entry of the plurality of entries comprises a respective program verify level adjustment value associated with a different programming level and a respective number of PECs.

19 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the instructions cause the processing device to perform operations further comprising:

responsive to receiving a request to perform a read operation on the first block, performing a read operation on the first block.

20 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the instructions cause the processing device to perform operations further comprising:

receiving a request to perform a program operation on a second block of the memory device, wherein the second block includes a programmable top deck and a programmable bottom deck; and

performing, using a default program verify level, the program operation on the second block.