IP Library Granted Patent US 11,036,410
Granted Patent B2
US 11,036,410 · App. 15/952,569 · Granted Jun 15, 2021

Clock characteristic determination

Inventors: Peter Mayer (Neubiberg, DE); Martin Brox (Munich, DE); Wolfgang Anton Spirkl (Germering, DE); Marcos Alvarez Gonzalez (Munich, DE); Casto Salobrena Garcia (Munich, DE); Andreas Schneider (Maisach, DE)
Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
G06F3/0632G06F1/04G06F3/0613G06F3/0673
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,036,410
App. No.
15/952,569
Granted
Jun 15, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method includes varying a number of clock characteristics of each a plurality of memory devices of a memory concurrently, determining a fitness of the memory for each variation of the number of clock characteristics, selecting a particular variation of the number of clock characteristics based on the determined fitness of the memory for the particular variation, changing a setting in each of the plurality of memory devices corresponding to the particular variation to generate an additional variation of the number of clock characteristics, and determining a fitness of the memory for the additional variation.

Claims (44)

1. A method, comprising:

concurrently varying, by respective biasing circuitries of a plurality of memory devices of a memory system, a number of clock characteristics of internal clocks of the plurality of memory devices, wherein the internal clocks are based at least in part on a clock external to the plurality of memory devices, and

wherein the number of clock characteristics include a clock frequency and a strobe offset;

determining a first fitness of the memory system for each variation of the number of clock characteristics;

selecting a particular variation of the number of clock characteristics based on the first fitness of the memory system for the particular variation;

changing a setting of the internal clocks corresponding to the particular variation to generate an additional variation of the number of clock characteristics; and

determining a second fitness of the memory system for the additional variation.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second fitnesses are expressed as a respective quantity of pass points for the memory system for a respective clock frequency and strobe offset pair.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second fitnesses are expressed as a respective size of a data eye for the memory system for a respective clock frequency and strobe offset pair.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein varying the number of clock characteristics comprises applying a number of clock settings to the internal clocks of the plurality of memory devices.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein varying the number of clock characteristics comprises applying a number of current settings to phase locked loops of the plurality of memory devices.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating a respective shmoo diagram for each respective variation of the number of clock characteristics.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein generating the respective shmoo diagram comprises determining a quantity of failed bits for the memory for each entry of the respective shmoo diagram.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein each entry of the respective shmoo diagram corresponds to the strobe offset and the clock frequency.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the additional variation of the number of clock characteristics is a mutation of the particular variation of the number of clock characteristics.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the particular variation of the number of clock characteristics is a first particular variation of the number of clock characteristics, and

wherein the method further comprises:

selecting a second particular variation of the number of clock characteristics based on the second fitness of the memory system for the second particular variation of the number of clock characteristics; and

replacing the setting corresponding to the first particular variation of the number of clock characteristics with a setting corresponding to the second particular variation of the number of clock characteristics.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the additional variation of the number of clock characteristics is a first additional variation of the number of clock characteristics, and

wherein the method further comprises replacing a setting corresponding to the second particular variation of the number of clock characteristics with a setting corresponding to the first particular variation of the number of clock characteristics to generate a second additional variation of the number of clock characteristics.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of memory devices configured to apply respective groups of settings to respective internal clocks of the plurality of memory devices concurrently, wherein the respective groups of settings include a clock frequency and a strobe offset; and

a processor coupled to the plurality of memory devices,

wherein the internal clocks of the plurality of memory devices are based at least in part on a clock of the processor, and

wherein the processor is configured to:

provide the respective groups of settings selected from a plurality of groups of settings;

determine, for each of the respective groups of settings applied to the plurality of memory devices, a respective fitness of the plurality of memory devices; and

select a particular one of the respective groups of settings based on the corresponding determined respective fitness.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of memory devices are configured to change a setting of one of the respective groups of settings to a randomly selected setting.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of memory devices are configured to change a setting of a first one of the respective groups of settings to a setting of a second one of the respective groups of settings.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of memory devices are configured to change a different setting of the second one of the respective groups of settings to a different setting of the first one of the respective groups of settings.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of memory devices; and

a processor coupled to the plurality of memory devices and configured to:

execute a genetic algorithm to yield a respective generation of current settings based on application of a genetic operator on a respective preceding generation of current settings; and

execute the genetic algorithm until a variation of a respective fitness of the plurality of memory devices based on the respective generation of current settings relative to a respective preceding fitness of the plurality of memory devices based on the respective preceding generation of current settings is a particular amount;

wherein each of the plurality of memory devices is configured to:

receive each respective generation of current settings from the processor; and

perform a respective set of operations in response to receiving each respective generation of current settings; and

wherein the processor is further configured to determine the respective fitness of the plurality of memory devices for each respective set of operations.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the genetic operator is a mutation or a crossover.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute the genetic algorithm to yield at least one of a child or a mutation of the preceding generation of current settings as the respective generation of current settings.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the processor is configured to generate current settings for a respective previous generation based at least in part on a particular group of current settings determined to have a best fitness.

Assignments (5)
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 050709/0965 →
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. 8 TO PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded May 7, 2018
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 046084/0955 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 13, 2018
From: MAYER, PETER; BROX, MARTIN; SPIRKL, WOLFGANG ANTON; ALVAREZ GONZALEZ, MARCOS; SALOBRENA GARCIA, CASTO; SCHNEIDER, ANDREAS
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 045534/0229 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190317683A1 · Oct 17, 2019