IP Library Granted Patent US 10,388,351
Granted Patent B2
US 10,388,351 · App. 15/691,454 · Granted Aug 20, 2019

Wear leveling for random access and ferroelectric memory

Inventors: Richard E. Fackenthal (Carmichael, CA); Daniele Vimercati (El Dorado Hills, CA); Duane R. Mills (Shingle Springs, CA)
Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
G11C11/2253G06F11/1008G11C11/2275
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,388,351
App. No.
15/691,454
Filed
Aug 30, 2017
Granted
Aug 20, 2019
Kind
B2
Art Unit
2111
USPC
714/764
Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices related to wear leveling for random access and ferroelectric memory are described. Non-volatile memory devices, e.g., ferroelectric random access memory (FeRAM) may utilize wear leveling to extend life time of the memory devices by avoiding reliability issues due to a limited cycling capability. A wear-leveling pool, or number of cells used for a wear-leveling application, may be expanded by softening or avoiding restrictions on a source page and a destination page within a same section of memory array. In addition, error correction code may be applied when moving data from the source page to the destination page to avoid duplicating errors present in the source page.

Claims (84)

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a first set of latches, a first set of data from a first section of a memory array, wherein the first set of latches is associated with the first section of the memory array;

sending the first set of data to a second set of latches through an error correction circuit in a periphery outside of the memory array, wherein the second set of latches is associated with a second section of the memory array; and

storing the first set of data in the second section of the memory array.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving comprises:

activating a row of memory cells of the first section, wherein the row of memory cells corresponds to the first set of data;

sensing the first set of data from the activated row of memory cells using a first set of sense components associated with the first section; and

storing the first set of data in the first set of latches.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

deactivating the row of memory cells of the first section while holding the first set of data in the first set of latches.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

isolating memory cells of the second section of the memory array based at least in part on deactivating isolation devices associated with the second section; and

pre-writing a row of the isolated memory cells of the second section to a first logic state.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the first logic state corresponds to a logic state of one (1).

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the sending comprises:

transferring the first set of data from the first set of latches to the error correction circuit;

causing the error correction circuit to perform error correction operation on the first set of data; and

transferring the first set of data from the error correction circuit to the second set of latches.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

dividing the first set of data into a plurality of subsets of data; and

sending each subset of the plurality of subsets of data through the error correction circuit sequentially to the second set of latches.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein:

the sending the first set of data and the pre-writing the row of isolated memory cells of the second section occur concurrently.

9. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

closing the first set of latches without pre-charging the row of the first section of the memory array.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

pre-charging the pre-written row of the second section of the memory array with the first set of data in the second set of latches.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the pre-charging the pre-written row of the second section comprises:

writing a second logic state when the first set of data is different than the pre-written first logic state.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second logic state corresponds to a logic state of zero (0).

13. An electronic memory device, comprising:

a memory array comprising a plurality of sections of ferroelectric memory cells, each section of the plurality associated with a set of sense components and a set of latches;

an error correction circuit in a periphery outside of the memory array; and

a controller in electronic communication with the memory array, the set of sense components, the set of latches, and the error correction circuit, wherein the controller is operable to:

cause a first set of latches to receive, a first set of data from a first section of the memory array, wherein the first set of latches is associated with the first section of the memory array;

send the first set of data to a second set of latches through the error correction circuit, wherein the second set of latches is associated with a second section of the memory array; and

store the first set of data in the second section of the memory array.

14. The electronic memory device of claim 13 , wherein the controller is operable to:

activate a row of memory cells of the first section, wherein the row of memory cells corresponds to the first set of data;

sense the first set of data from the activated row of memory cells using a first set of sense components associated with the first section; and

store the first set of data in the first set of latches.

15. The electronic memory device of claim 14 , wherein the controller is operable to:

deactivate the row of memory cells of the first section while holding the first set of data in the first set of latches.

16. The electronic memory device of claim 15 , wherein the controller is operable to:

isolate memory cells of the second section of the memory array based at least in part on deactivating isolation devices associated with the second section; and

pre-write a row of the isolated memory cells of the second section to a first logic state.

17. The electronic memory device of claim 16 , wherein the controller is operable to:

transfer the first set of data from the first set of latches to the error correction circuit;

cause the error correction circuit to perform error correction operation on the first set of data; and

transfer the first set of data from the error correction circuit to the second set of latches.

18. The electronic memory device of claim 17 , wherein the controller is operable to:

divide the first set of data into a plurality of subsets of data; and

send each subset of the plurality of subsets of data through the error correction circuit sequentially to the second set of latches.

19. The electronic memory device of claim 17 , wherein the controller is operable to:

concurrently send the first set of data and pre-write the row of isolated memory cells of the second section.

20. The electronic memory device of claim 17 , wherein the controller is operable to:

close the first set of latches without pre-charging the row of the first section of the memory array.

21. The electronic memory device of claim 20 , wherein the controller is operable to:

pre-charge the pre-written row of the second section of the memory array with the first set of data in the second set of latches.

22. A method, comprising:

activating a row of memory cells corresponding to a first set of data, to receive the first set of data at a first set of latches, wherein the first set of latches is associated with a first section of a memory array, the first section comprising the row of memory cells;

deactivating the row of memory cells of the first section while holding the first set of data in the first set of latches;

pre-writing a row of memory cells of a second section of the memory array with a first logic state after isolating memory cells of the second section based at least in part on deactivating isolation devices associated with the second section;

sending the first set of data to a second set of latches through an error correction circuit in a periphery outside of the memory array, wherein the second set of latches is associated with the second section;

closing the first set of latches without pre-charging the row of memory cells of the first section; and

pre-charging the pre-written row of memory cells of the second section with the first set of data in the second set of latches.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the activating comprises:

sensing the first set of data from the activated row of memory cells using a first set of sense components associated with the first section; and

storing the first set of data in the first set of latches.

24. The method of claim 22 , wherein the sending comprises:

dividing the first set of data into a plurality of subsets of data;

transferring each subset of the plurality sequentially to the error correction circuit;

causing the error correction circuit to perform error correction operation on each subset of the plurality; and

transferring each subset of the plurality from the error correction circuit to the second set of latches.

25. An electronic memory device, comprising:

a memory array comprising a plurality of sections of ferroelectric memory cells, each section of the plurality associated with a set of sense components and a set of latches;

an error correction circuit in a periphery outside of the memory array; and

a controller in electronic communication with the memory array, the set of sense components, the set of latches, and the error correction circuit, wherein the controller is operable to:

activate a row of memory cells corresponding to a first set of data, to receive the first set of data at a first set of latches, wherein the first set of latches is associated with a first section of the memory array, the first section comprising the row of memory cells;

deactivate the row of memory cells of the first section while holding the first set of data in the first set of latches;

pre-write a row of memory cells of a second section of the memory array with a first logic state after isolating memory cells of the second section based at least in part on deactivating isolation devices associated with the second section;

send the first set of data to a second set of latches through the error correction circuit, wherein the second set of latches is associated with the second section;

close the first set of latches without pre-charging the row of memory cells of the first section; and

pre-charge the pre-written row of memory cells of the second section with the first set of data in the second set of latches.

Assignments (7)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Nov 12, 2019
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.; MICRON SEMICONDUCTOR PRODUCTS, INC.
Reel/Frame 051028/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 10, 2019
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 050709/0838 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 20, 2018
From: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 046597/0333 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 13, 2018
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.; MICRON SEMICONDUCTOR PRODUCTS, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 047540/0001 →
SUPPLEMENT NO. 6 TO PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 1, 2017
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 044348/0253 →
SUPPLEMENT NO. 6 TO PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 1, 2017
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 044653/0333 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 20, 2017
From: FACKENTHAL, RICHARD E.; VIMERCATI, DANIELE; MILLS, DUANE R.
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 043643/0696 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190066752A1 · Feb 28, 2019