Immunity of phase change material to disturb in the amorphous phase
View Patent ↗Disturb from the reset to the set state may be reduced by creating an amorphous phase that is substantially free of crystal nuclei when programming the reset state in a phase change memory. In some embodiments, this can be achieved by using a current or a voltage to program that exceeds the threshold voltage of the phase change memory element, but does not exceed a safe current voltage which would cause a disturb.
1. A method comprising:
upon determining that data stored in a phase change memory array is in the wrong state, transferring the data to another array; and
correcting the data in said another array.
2. The method of claim 1 including transferring the incorrect data to said external array together with error correction code bits.
3. A phase change memory comprising:
an array of cells; and
a controller coupled to said array of cells to determine if data stored in the cells is in the wrong state, transferring the data to another array; and, if so, to correct the data external of the array, instead of correcting the data in the array.
4. The memory of claim 3 to transfer the data to a register for correction.
5. The memory of claim 4 including transferring the incorrect data to an external register together with error correction code bits.