IP Library Granted Patent US 10,878,917
Granted Patent B2
US 10,878,917 · App. 16/557,886 · Granted Dec 29, 2020

Memory system

Inventor: Yoshikazu Takeyama (Fujisawa Kanagawa, JP)
Assignee: Toshiba Memory Corporation
G11C16/16G06F12/0246G06F13/1668G11C11/409G11C11/4076G06F2212/7211
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,878,917
App. No.
16/557,886
Granted
Dec 29, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A memory system includes a semiconductor storage device and a memory controller for the semiconductor storage device. The semiconductor storage device includes a plurality of blocks including a plurality of memory cell transistors. The plurality of blocks includes a first block and a second block. The memory cell transistor in the first block stores data having a first number of bits during a first period and stores data having a second number of bits larger than the first number during a second period that begins after the first period ends.

Claims (52)

1. A memory system comprising:

a semiconductor storage device including a plurality of blocks, each block including a plurality of memory cell transistors; and

a memory controller for the semiconductor storage device,

wherein the plurality of blocks include a first block and a second block, and the memory cell transistor in the first block stores data having a first number of bits during a first period and stores data having a second number of bits larger than the first number during a second period that begins after the first period ends,

wherein, upon receiving a first data set from an external host device, the memory controller causes the semiconductor storage device to execute a write operation in a first write mode, according to which the first number of bits is stored per memory cell transistor, to write the first data set into the first block, and

wherein the memory controller causes the semiconductor storage device to execute a read operation of the first data set written into the first block in the first write mode, and causes the semiconductor storage device to execute a write operation in a second write mode, according to which the second number of bits is stored per memory cell transistor, to write the first data set read by executing the read operation into the second block.

2. The memory system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the memory controller executes the write operation on the first block during the first period, executes an erasing operation on the first block between the first period and the second period, and executes the write operation in the second write mode on the first block during the second period.

3. The memory system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the memory controller causes the semiconductor storage device to execute each of the read operation on the first data set and the write operation in the second write mode on the first data set independently of any instruction received from the host device.

4. The memory system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the first and second write modes are different write modes selected from a write mode causing the memory cell transistor to store 1-bit data, a write mode causing the memory cell transistor to store 2-bit data, a write mode causing the memory cell transistor to store 3-bit data, and a write mode causing the memory cell transistor to store 4-bit data, and the first write mode causes the memory cell transistor to store less number of bits per memory transistor than the second write mode.

5. The memory system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a table storing information on a number of times the write operation is executed in the first write mode, and a number of times the write operation is executed in the second write mode, for each of the plurality of blocks,

wherein the memory controller is configured to execute a wear leveling control based on the information stored in the table.

6. The memory system according to claim 5 ,

wherein the memory controller is configured to execute the wear leveling control so that the number of times the write operation is executed in the first write mode is larger than the number of times the write operation is executed in the second write mode in each of the plurality of blocks.

7. The memory system according to claim 6 , wherein

the first number of bits is 1, and the second number of bits is 2, and

the memory controller is configured to execute the wear leveling control so that a ratio of the number of times the write operation is executed in the first write mode to the number of times the write operation is executed in the second write mode is approximately 2:1 in each of the plurality of blocks.

8. The memory system according to claim 6 , wherein

the first number of bits is 1, and the second number of bits is 3, and

the memory controller is configured to execute the wear leveling control so that a ratio of the number of times the write operation is executed in the first write mode to the number of times the write operation is executed in the second write mode is approximately 3:1 in each of the plurality of blocks.

9. The memory system according to claim 6 , wherein

the first number of bits is 1, and the second number of bits is 4, and

the memory controller is configured to execute the wear leveling control so that a ratio of the number of times the write operation is executed in the first write mode to the number of times the write operation is executed in the second write mode is approximately 4:1 in each of the plurality of blocks.

10. The memory system according to claim 6 , wherein

wherein the first number of bits is 2 bits, and the second number of bits is 3, and

the memory controller is configured to execute the wear leveling control so that a ratio of the number of times the write operation is executed in the first write mode to the number of times the write operation is executed in the second write mode is approximately 3:2 in each of the plurality of blocks.

11. The memory system according to claim 6 , wherein

the first number of bits is 2, and the second number of bits is 4, and

the memory controller is configured to execute the wear leveling control so that a ratio of the number of times the write operation is executed in the first write mode to the number of times the write operation is executed in the second write mode is approximately 2:1.

12. The memory system according to claim 6 , wherein

the first number is 3 bits and the second number is 4 bits, and

the memory controller is configured to execute the wear leveling control so that a ratio of the number of times the write operation is executed in the first write mode to the number of times the write operation is executed in the second write mode is approximately 4:3 in each of the plurality of blocks.

13. The memory system according to claim 1 ,

wherein the memory cell transistor stores data having a third number of bits larger than the second number during a third period that begins after the second period ends, and stores data having a fourth number of bits larger than the third number during a fourth period that begins after the third period ends.

14. A method of performing a write in a memory system comprising a semiconductor storage device including a plurality of blocks, each including a plurality of memory cell transistors, wherein the plurality of blocks includes a first block and a second block, said method comprising:

storing, during a first period, in a memory cell transistor of the first block, data having a first number of bits; and

storing, during a second period that begins after the first period ends, in the memory cell transistor of the first block, data having a second number of bits that is larger than the first number,

wherein, upon receiving a first data set from an external host device, the semiconductor storage device executes a write operation in a first write mode, according to which the first number of bits is stored per memory cell transistor, to write the first data set into the first block, and

wherein the semiconductor storage device executes a read operation of the first data set written into the first block in the first write mode, and executes a write operation in a second write mode, according to which the second number of bits is stored per memory cell transistor, to write the first data set read by executing the read operation into the second block.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein:

the semiconductor storage device executes the write operation on the first block during the first period;

the semiconductor storage device executes an erasing operation on the first block between the first period and the second period; and

the semiconductor storage device executes the write operation in the second write mode on the first block during the second period.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the read operation on the first data set and the write operation in the second write mode on the first data set are executed independently of any instruction received from the host device.

17. The method according to claim 15 ,

wherein the first and second write modes are different write modes selected from a write mode causing the memory cell transistor to store 1-bit data, a write mode causing the memory cell transistor to store 2-bit data, a write mode causing the memory cell transistor to store 3-bit data, and a write mode causing the memory cell transistor to store 4-bit data, and the first write mode causes the memory cell transistor to store less number of bits per memory transistor than the second write mode.

18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

storing, in a table, information on a number of times the write operation is executed in the first write mode, and a number of times the write operation is executed in the second write mode, for each of the plurality of blocks; and

executing a wear leveling control based on the information stored in the table.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME AND ADDRESS Recorded Jan 31, 2022
From: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
To: KIOXIA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 058905/0582 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 16, 2020
From: TAKEYAMA, YOSHIKAZU
To: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 052129/0782 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2018-207754 · Nov 2, 2018 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200143891A1 · May 7, 2020