IP Library Granted Patent US 10,297,309
Granted Patent B1
US 10,297,309 · App. 16/015,441 · Granted May 21, 2019

Methods for independent memory bank maintenance and memory devices and systems employing the same

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,297,309
App. No.
16/015,441
Granted
May 21, 2019
Kind
B1
Abstract

Memory devices, systems including memory devices, and methods of operating memory devices in which multiple counters are provided to permit memory refresh commands greater freedom in targeting subsets of the memory device for data refresh operations. In one embodiment, a memory device is provided, comprising a plurality of memory banks, and circuitry configured to (i) store a plurality of values, each of the plurality of values corresponding to one of the plurality of memory banks; (ii) refresh first data stored in a first one of the plurality of memory banks; and (iii) update a first one of the plurality of values corresponding to the first one of the plurality of memory banks based at least in part on refreshing the first data.

Claims (18)

1. A memory device, comprising:

a plurality of memory banks; and

circuitry configured to:

refresh first data stored in a first memory bank of the plurality of memory banks, and

subsequent to refreshing the first data, and before refreshing data stored in all of the other memory banks of the plurality of memory banks, refresh second data in the first memory bank of the plurality of memory banks.

2. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the first data corresponds to a first row of the first memory bank of the plurality of memory banks.

3. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the second data corresponds to a second row of the first memory bank of the plurality of memory banks.

4. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

subsequent to refreshing the second data, refreshing third data in a second memory bank of the plurality of memory banks.

5. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein a single semiconductor die comprises the plurality of memory banks and the circuitry.

6. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of memory banks comprise dynamic random access memory (DRAM) banks, ferroelectric random access memory (FeRAM) banks, magnetoresistive memory (MRAM) banks, phase change memory (PCM) banks, or a combination thereof.

7. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

store a plurality of values, each value of the plurality of values corresponding to one memory bank of the plurality of memory banks; and

update a first value of the plurality of values corresponding to the first memory bank of the plurality of memory banks based at least in part on refreshing the first data.

8. The memory device of claim 7 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to:

update the first value of the plurality of values based at least in part on refreshing the second data.

9. The memory device of claim 7 , wherein each of the plurality of values corresponds to a row address in a corresponding memory bank of the plurality of memory banks.

10. The memory device of claim 9 , wherein the circuitry is configured to update the first value of the plurality of values by replacing the row address of the refreshed first data with another row address of the corresponding memory bank of the plurality of memory banks.

Assignments (3)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 11, 2019
From: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 050713/0001 →
SUPPLEMENT NO. 9 TO PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 9, 2018
From: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
To: MORGAN STANLEY SENIOR FUNDING, INC., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 047282/0463 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 22, 2018
From: RAAD, GEORGE B.; PARRY, JONATHAN S.; REHMEYER, JAMES S.; COWLES, TIMOTHY B.
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 046175/0491 →