Secondary memory element for non-volatile memory
View Patent ↗Embodiments for providing improved reliability or extended life for a non-volatile memory component may comprise a secondary non-volatile memory component to store error correction information, for example.
1. A method, comprising:
storing data in at least one block of a plurality of blocks of storage locations in a first non-volatile memory component; and
storing error correction information for the data stored in the at least one block of the plurality of blocks of storage locations in a second non-volatile memory component, the first non-volatile memory component to perform at least one write operation with at least one corresponding block erase operation, the second non-volatile memory component to perform at least one single-bit write operation without requiring at least one corresponding block erase operation.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said storing the data in the at least one block of the plurality of blocks of storage locations in the first non-volatile memory component comprises storing the data in a NAND Flash memory component.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said storing the error correction information in the second non-volatile memory component comprises storing the error correction information in a phase-change memory component.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising performing an error correction operation based, at least in part, on the error correction information stored in the second non-volatile memory component, the error correction operation to be performed using, at least in part, a microcontroller coupled to the first and second non-volatile memory components.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
storing wear-leveling information for the plurality of blocks of storage locations in the second non-volatile memory component; and
performing a wear-leveling operation based, at least in part, on the wear-leveling information stored in the second non-volatile memory component, the wear-leveling operation to be performed, at least in part, by a microcontroller coupled to the first and second non-volatile memory components.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said performing the wear-leveling operation comprises performing a static wear-leveling operation, wherein the wear-leveling information comprises information signifying ages for the plurality of blocks of storage locations.
7. An apparatus, comprising:
a first non-volatile memory component comprising a plurality of blocks of storage locations; and
a second non-volatile memory component to store error correction information for the plurality of blocks of storage locations of the first memory component, the first non-volatile memory component to perform at least one write operation with at least one corresponding block erase operation, the second non-volatile memory component to perform at least one single-bit write operation without requiring at least one corresponding block erase operation.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first non-volatile memory component comprises a NAND Flash memory component.
9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the second non-volatile memory component comprises a phase-change memory component.
10. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising a microcontroller coupled to the first and second non-volatile memory components.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 , the second non-volatile memory component to store wear-leveling information for the plurality of blocks of storage locations, and the microcontroller to perform a wear-leveling operation based, at least in part, on the wear-leveling information stored in the second non-volatile memory component.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 , the wear-leveling operation comprising a static wear-leveling operation, and the wear-leveling information comprising information signifying ages for the plurality of blocks of storage locations.
13. The apparatus of claim 10 , the microcontroller to perform an error correcting operation based, at least in part, on the error correction information stored in the second non-volatile memory component.
14. An apparatus, comprising:
first means for storing information comprising at least one block of a plurality of blocks of non-volatile storage locations; and
means for storing error correction information related to the at least one block of the plurality of blocks of non-volatile storage locations, wherein the first means for storing to perform at least one write operation with at least one corresponding block erase operation, the means for storing error correction information to perform at least one single-bit write operation without requiring at least one corresponding block erase operation.
15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein said first means for storing information in at least one block of the plurality of blocks of non-volatile storage locations comprises a NAND flash memory component.
16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein said means for storing error correction information comprises a phase-change memory component.
17. The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising means for performing an error correction operation based, at least in part, on the error correction information.
18. The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising:
means for storing wear-leveling information related to the plurality of blocks of non-volatile storage locations; and
means for performing a wear-leveling operation based, at least in part, on the wear-leveling information.
19. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein said means for performing the wear-leveling operation comprises means for performing a static wear-leveling operation, wherein the wear-leveling information comprises information signifying ages for the plurality of blocks of non-volatile storage locations.
20. The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein said means for storing error correction information comprises said means for storing wear-leveling information.