Sub-threshold voltage leakage current tracking
View Patent ↗An apparatus has an array of memory cells and a controller coupled to the array. The controller is configured to track a sub-threshold leakage current through a number of memory cells of the array and determine a threshold voltage based on the sub-threshold leakage current.
1. A method, comprising:
determining a sub-threshold leakage current through a first number of memory cells, wherein the first number of memory cells comprises a first page of memory cells of a wear leveled group of pages of memory cells;
determining a threshold voltage based on the sub-threshold leakage current; and
reading at least a second number of memory cells using the threshold voltage, the second number of memory cells comprises a number of second pages of memory cells of the wear leveled group of pages of memory cells.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising reading the first number of memory cells using the threshold voltage.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sub-threshold leakage current is a sum of sub-threshold leakage currents through each of the first number of memory cells.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the threshold voltage based on the sub-threshold leakage current, comprises determining a threshold voltage of the first number of memory cells based on the current and adding a particular voltage to threshold voltage.
5. A method, comprising:
determining a sub-threshold leakage current through a first number of memory cells;
determining a threshold voltage based on the sub-threshold leakage current;
reading at least a second number of memory cells using the threshold voltage; and
storing the threshold voltage in volatile memory.
6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising reading the threshold voltage from volatile memory before reading at least the second number of memory cells.
7. A method, comprising:
determining a sub-threshold leakage current through a first number of memory cells;
determining a threshold voltage based on the sub-threshold leakage current;
reading at least a second number of memory cells using the threshold voltage; and
storing the threshold voltage in non-volatile memory.
8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising reading the threshold voltage from the non-volatile memory using a ramp voltage before reading at least the second number of memory cells.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein reading the threshold voltage from the non-volatile memory using the ramp voltage comprises determining a configuration pattern based on which memory cells of a number of memory cells in the non-volatile memory experiences a switching event in response to the ramp voltage.
10. A method, comprising:
determining a sub-threshold leakage current through a first number of memory cells,
wherein the first number of memory cells are all programmed to a set state;
determining a threshold voltage based on the sub-threshold leakage current; and
reading at least a second number of memory cells using the threshold voltage.
11. A method, comprising:
determining a sub-threshold leakage current through a first number of memory cells;
determining a threshold voltage based on the sub-threshold leakage current; and
reading at least a second number of memory cells using the threshold voltage, wherein:
the first number of memory cells are a portion of a group of tracking memory cells comprising a third number of memory cells; and
the first number of memory cells are programmed to a set state and the third number of memory cells are programmed to a reset state.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
programming the first number of memory cells to the reset state;
programming the third number of memory cells to the set state; and
reading at least the second number of memory cells using a sensing voltage determined from sub-threshold leakage current through the third number of memory cells.
13. A method, comprising:
determining a sub-threshold leakage current through a first number of memory cells;
determining a threshold voltage based on the sub-threshold leakage current;
reading at least a second number of memory cells using the threshold voltage; and
writing the first number of memory cells each time the second number of memory cells are written.