IP Library Granted Patent US 9,721,643
Granted Patent B2
US 9,721,643 · App. 15/170,606 · Granted Aug 1, 2017

Row hammer monitoring based on stored row hammer threshold value

Inventors: Kuljit S Bains (Olympia, WA); John B Halbert (Beaverton, OR)
Assignee: Intel Corporation
G11C11/4078G06F13/1636G11C11/406G11C11/408G11C11/40611G11C29/50G11C29/50012G11C2029/0409
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,721,643
App. No.
15/170,606
Granted
Aug 1, 2017
Kind
B2
Abstract

Detection logic of a memory subsystem obtains a threshold for a memory device that indicates a number of accesses within a time window that causes risk of data corruption on a physically adjacent row. The detection logic obtains the threshold from a register that stores configuration information for the memory device, and can be a register on the memory device itself and/or can be an entry of a configuration storage device of a memory module to which the memory device belongs. The detection logic determines whether a number of accesses to a row of the memory device exceeds the threshold. In response to detecting the number of accesses exceeds the threshold, the detection logic can generate a trigger to cause the memory device to perform a refresh targeted to a physically adjacent victim row.

Claims (37)

1. An apparatus comprising:

a detection circuit to obtain a value, the value to indicate a maximum number of accesses to a target row of a memory within a time period; and

a memory controller to cause the memory to perform a refresh specific to a row physically adjacent to the target row based at least in part on a comparison between the value and a number of accesses to the target row within the time period.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one row physically adjacent to the target row comprises at least one victim row.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising the memory communicatively coupled with the detection circuit and the memory controller, the memory comprising multiple physical rows of memory cells.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the memory controller comprises the detection circuit.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the memory device comprises the detection circuit.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising

a network interface to store information to the memory; and

a display device configured to provide a user display based on data accessed from the memory.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a register to store configuration information for the memory, the register to store the value.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the number of accesses to the target row within the time period is based on identification by the detection circuit of an address associated with an activate command and maintenance of a count of a number of accesses to the address.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the comparison between the value and a number of accesses to the target row within the time period comprises a determination of whether the number of accesses to the target row within the time period reaches the value.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the comparison between the value and a number of accesses to the target row within the time period comprises a determination of whether the number of accesses to the target row within the time period exceeds the value.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the detection circuit comprises one or more of the circuitry comprises any or a combination of: software executed by one or more processors, hardware, or firmware and the memory controller comprises any or a combination of: software executed by one or more processors, hardware, or firmware.

12. A memory comprising:

a control circuit to cause a refresh specific to a row physically adjacent to a target row in response to receipt of a command to refresh,

the command to refresh based at least on a condition in which a number of accesses to the target row within a time period reaches or exceeds a value.

13. The memory of claim 12 , wherein the at least one row physically adjacent to the target row comprises at least one victim row.

14. The memory of claim 12 , wherein the memory comprises multiple physical rows of memory cells including the target row.

15. The memory of claim 12 , further comprising a register to store configuration information for the memory, the register to store the value and the value to indicate a maximum number of accesses to the target row of a memory within the time period.

16. The memory of claim 12 , wherein the condition in which a number of accesses to the target row within a time period reaches or exceeds a value is based on a count of a number of received activate commands during the time period.

17. The memory of claim 12 , wherein the control circuit comprises one or more of the circuitry comprises any or a combination of: software executed by one or more processors, hardware, or firmware.

18. At least one computer-readable storage medium, that when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

obtain a value, the value to indicate a maximum number of accesses to a target row of a memory within a time period; and

cause the memory to perform a refresh specific to a row physically adjacent to the target row based at least in part on a comparison between the value and a number of accesses to the target row within the time period.

19. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the at least one row physically adjacent to the target row comprises at least one victim row.

20. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the comparison between the value and a number of accesses to the target row within the time period comprises a determination of whether the number of accesses to the target row within the time period reaches the value.

21. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the comparison between the value and a number of accesses to the target row within the time period comprises a determination of whether the number of accesses to the target row within the time period exceeds the value.

22. The at least one computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the number of accesses to the target row within the time period is based on identification of an address associated with an activate command and a count of a number of accesses to the address.

23. A method comprising:

obtaining a value, the value to indicate a maximum number of accesses to a target row of a memory within a time period; and

causing the memory to perform a refresh specific to a row physically adjacent to the target row based at least in part on a comparison between the value and a number of accesses to the target row within the time period.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the at least one row physically adjacent to the target row comprises at least one victim row.

25. The method of claim 23 , wherein the number of accesses to the target row within the time period is based on identifying an address associated with an activate command and a maintaining a count of a number of accesses to the address.

26. The method of claim 23 , wherein the comparison between the value and a number of accesses to the target row within the time period comprises a determination of whether the number of accesses to the target row within the time period reaches the value.

27. The method of claim 23 , wherein the comparison between the value and a number of accesses to the target row within the time period comprises a determination of whether the number of accesses to the target row within the time period exceeds the value.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 12, 2017
From: BAINS, KULJIT S.; HALBERT, JOHN B.
To: INTEL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 042671/0518 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 2, 2016
From: BAINS, KULJIT S.; HALBERT, JOHN B.
To: INTEL CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 039309/0023 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 14108830 · Dec 17, 2013
Continuation In Part 13690523 · Nov 30, 2012
Related Publication 20160276015A1 · Sep 22, 2016