IP Library Granted Patent US 10,031,684
Granted Patent B2
US 10,031,684 · App. 15/788,679 · Granted Jul 24, 2018

Techniques for a write zero operation

Inventors: Shigeki Tomishima (Portland, OR); Kuljit S. Bains (Olympia, WA)
Assignee: Intel Corporation
G06F3/0619G06F3/068G06F3/0659G11C7/10
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,031,684
App. No.
15/788,679
Granted
Jul 24, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

Examples include techniques for a write zero operation. Example techniques include forwarding a write 0 command to a memory device to cause internal activations of column select lines of one or more blocks of memory to cause bit values or contents of the one or more blocks to have or store a value of 0.

Claims (51)

1. An apparatus comprising:

a controller for a memory device that includes logic, at least a portion of which comprises hardware, the logic to:

forward a write 0 command including a plurality of memory addresses for a block of memory of the memory device to cause all of the memory addresses of the plurality of memory addresses for the block of memory to have a value of 0;

cause all global input/output (GIOs) to the block of memory to have a GIO value of 0; and

cause an internal activation of all column select lines (CSLs) to the block of memory by the memory device, the internal activation of all CSLs to cause the GIO value of 0 to be written to a first portion of the plurality of memory addresses for the block of memory before a write line is internally activated by the memory device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising the logic to:

cause all /GIOs to the block of memory to have a /GIO value of 1 such that the internal activation of all CSLs to the block of memory cause the /GIO value of 1 to be written to a second portion of the plurality of memory addresses for the block of memory before the write line is internally activated by the memory device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , the block of memory comprises a bank of the memory device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising the memory device to include non-volatile memory or volatile memory, wherein the volatile memory includes dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and the non-volatile memory includes 3-dimensional cross-point memory, memory that uses chalcogenide phase change material, multi-threshold level NAND flash memory, NOR flash memory, single or multi-level phase change memory (PCM), resistive memory, ovonic memory, nanowire memory, ferroelectric transistor random access memory (FeTRAM), magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) memory that incorporates memristor technology, or spin transfer torque MRAM (STT-MRAM).

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , comprising one or more of:

one or more processors coupled to the controller;

a network interface communicatively coupled to the apparatus;

a battery coupled to the apparatus; or

a display communicatively coupled to the apparatus.

6. A method comprising:

forwarding, at a controller for a memory device, a write 0 command including a plurality of memory addresses for a block of memory of the memory device to cause all of the memory addresses of the plurality of memory addresses for the block of memory to have a value of 0;

causing all global input/output (GIOs) to the block of memory to have a GIO value of 0; and

causing an internal activation of all column select lines (CSLs) to the block of memory by the memory device, the internal activation of all CSLs to cause the GIO value of 0 to be written to a first portion of the plurality of memory addresses for the block of memory before a write line is internally activated by the memory device.

7. The method of claim 6 , comprising:

causing all /GIOs to the block of memory to have a /GIO value of 1 such that the internal activation of all CSLs to the block of memory cause the /GIO value of 1 to be written to a second portion of the plurality of memory addresses for the block of memory before the write line is internally activated by the memory device.

8. The method of claim 6 , the block of memory comprising a bank of the memory device.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a controller for a memory device that includes logic, at least a portion of which comprises hardware, the logic to:

forward a write 0 command including a plurality of memory addresses for a block of memory of the memory device to cause all memory addresses of the plurality of memory addresses to store a value of 0; and

cause internal activation of column select lines (CSLs) to one or more portions of the plurality of memory addresses, the internal activation of the CSLs to occur in a sequential manner until all columns of the one or more portions of the plurality of memory addresses have been activated and all of the memory addresses of the plurality of memory addresses for the block of memory store the value of 0.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , comprising the logic to cause the internal activation of CSLs to occur in the sequential manner based on use of a column count of the internally activated CSLs by the memory device.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , use of the column count to cause the internal activation of CSLs to occur in the sequential manner comprises the column count to cause sequential internal activation of CSLs to occur such that at least two CSLs are activated per iteration of the sequential internal activation of CSLs until all columns of the one or more portions of the plurality of memory addresses have been activated and all of the memory addresses of the plurality of memory addresses store the value of 0.

12. The apparatus of claim 10 , comprising the one or more portions of the plurality of memory addresses includes a first portion and a second portion.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , comprising the column count of the internally activated CSLs is based on:

a first column count to cause internal activation of CSLs to memory addresses of the first portion in the sequential manner until all columns of the first portion have been activated and the memory addresses of the first portion store the value of 0; and

a second column count, initiated after all columns of the first portion have been activated, to cause internal activation of CSLs to memory addresses of the second portion in the sequential manner until all columns of the first portion have been activated and the memory addresses of the second portion store the value of 0.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , comprising the column count to cause internal activation of CSLs to the first and second portions of memory addresses in the sequential manner such that columns of the first and second portions of memory addresses are activated substantially simultaneously in the sequential manner until all columns of the first and second portions of memory addresses have been activated and the memory addresses of the first and second portions store the value of 0.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , use of the column count to cause the internal activation of CSLs such that columns of the first and second portions of memory addresses are activated substantially simultaneously in the sequential manner further comprises sequential internal activation of CSLs to occur at the first and second portions of memory addresses such that at least two CSLs are activated substantially simultaneously at the first portion of memory addresses with at least two CSLs at the second portion of memory addresses per iteration of the sequential internal activation of CSLs.

16. The apparatus of claim 9 , the one or more portions of memory addresses comprising memory addresses to one or more banks of the memory device.

17. The apparatus of claim 9 , comprising the memory device to include non-volatile memory or volatile memory, wherein the volatile memory includes dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and the non-volatile memory includes 3-dimensional cross-point memory, memory that uses chalcogenide phase change material, multi-threshold level NAND flash memory, NOR flash memory, single or multi-level phase change memory (PCM), resistive memory, ovonic memory, nanowire memory, ferroelectric transistor random access memory (FeTRAM), magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM) memory that incorporates memristor technology, or spin transfer torque MRAM (STT-MRAM).

18. The apparatus of claim 9 , comprising one or more of:

one or more processors coupled to the controller;

a network interface communicatively coupled to the apparatus;

a battery coupled to the apparatus; or

a display communicatively coupled to the apparatus.

19. A method comprising:

forwarding, at a controller for a memory device, a write 0 command including a plurality of memory addresses for a block of memory of the memory device to cause all memory addresses of the plurality of memory addresses to store a value of 0; and

causing internal activation of column select lines (CSLs) to one or more portions of the plurality of memory addresses, the internal activation of the CSLs to occur in a sequential manner until all columns of the one or more portions of the plurality of memory addresses have been activated and all of the memory addresses of the plurality of memory addresses for the block of memory store the value of 0.

20. The method of claim 19 , comprising causing the internal activation of CSLs to occur in the sequential manner based on use of a column count of the internally activated CSLs by the memory device.

21. The method of claim 20 , use of the column count to cause the internal activation of CSLs to occur in the sequential manner comprises the column count causing sequential internal activation of CSLs to occur such that at least two CSLs are activated per iteration of the sequential internal activation of CSLs until all columns of the one or more portions of the plurality of memory addresses have been activated and all of the memory addresses of the plurality of memory addresses store the value of 0.

22. The method of claim 20 , comprising the one or more portions of the plurality of memory addresses includes a first portion and a second portion.

23. The method of claim 22 , comprising the column count of the internally activated CSLs is based on:

a first column count to cause internal activation of CSLs to memory addresses of the first portion in the sequential manner until all columns of the first portion have been activated and the memory addresses of the first portion store the value of 0; and

a second column count, initiated after all columns of the first portion have been activated, to cause internal activation of CSLs to memory addresses of the second portion in the sequential manner until all columns of the first portion have been activated and the memory addresses of the second portion store the value of 0.

24. The method of claim 22 , comprising the column count to cause internal activation of CSLs to the first and second portions of memory addresses in the sequential manner such that columns of the first and second portions of memory addresses are activated substantially simultaneously in the sequential manner until all columns of the first and second portions of memory addresses have been activated and the memory addresses of the first and second portions store the value of 0.

25. The method of claim 24 , use of the column count to cause the internal activation of CSLs such that columns of the first and second portions of memory addresses are activated substantially simultaneously in the sequential manner further comprises sequential internal activation of CSLs to occur at the first and second portions of memory addresses such that at least two CSLs are activated substantially simultaneously at the first portion of memory addresses with at least two CSLs at the second portion of memory addresses per iteration of the sequential internal activation of CSLs.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 6, 2020
From: INTEL CORPORATION
To: SONY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 054340/0280 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 15277182 · Sep 27, 2016
Provisional Application 62303662 · Mar 4, 2016
Related Publication 20180136861A1 · May 17, 2018