IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,984,180
Granted Patent B2
US 11,984,180 · App. 17/807,314 · Granted May 14, 2024

Enabling or disabling on-die error-correcting code for a memory built-in self-test

Inventor: Scott E. Schaefer (Boise, ID)
Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
G11C29/42G11C29/10G11C29/4401G11C29/46
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,984,180
App. No.
17/807,314
Granted
May 14, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

Implementations described herein relate to enabling or disabling on-die error-correcting code for a memory built-in self-test. A memory device may read one or more bits, associated with a memory built-in self-test, that are stored in a mode register of the memory device. The memory device may identify, based on the one or more bits, whether the memory built-in self-test is to be performed with on-die error-correcting code (ECC) disabled or with on-die ECC enabled. The memory device may perform the memory built-in self-test, and selectively test for one or more single-bit errors, based on identifying whether the memory built-in self-test is to be performed with the on-die ECC disabled or with the on-die ECC enabled.

Claims (47)

1. A memory device, comprising:

one or more components configured to:

read one or more bits, associated with a memory built-in self-test, that are stored in a mode register of the memory device;

identify, based on the one or more bits, whether the memory built-in self-test is to be performed with on-die error-correcting code (ECC) disabled or with on-die ECC enabled,

wherein a single-bit error is capable of being detected by the memory built-in self-test when the on-die ECC is disabled but is not capable of being detected by the memory built-in self-test when the on-die ECC is enabled; and

perform the memory built-in self-test, and selectively test for one or more single-bit errors, based on identifying whether the memory built-in self-test is to be performed with the on-die ECC disabled or with the on-die ECC enabled.

2. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein a first state of the one or more bits indicates that the memory built-in self-test is to be performed with the on-die ECC disabled, and a second state of the one or more bits indicates that the memory built-in self-test is to be performed with the on-die ECC enabled.

3. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more bits indicate that the memory built-in self-test is to be performed, and wherein the one or more components, to identify whether the memory built-in self-test is to be performed with the on-die ECC disabled or with the on-die ECC enabled, are configured to automatically identify, based on the one or more bits indicating that the memory built-in self-test is to be performed, that the memory built-in self-test is to be performed with the on-die ECC disabled.

4. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more components, to perform the memory built-in self-test and selectively test for the one or more single-bit errors, are configured to perform the memory built-in self-test and test for the one or more single-bit errors based on identifying that the memory built-in self-test is to be performed with the on-die ECC disabled.

5. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more components, to perform the memory built-in self-test and selectively test for the one or more single-bit errors, are configured to perform the memory built-in self-test without testing for the one or more single-bit errors based on identifying that the memory built-in self-test is to be performed with the on-die ECC enabled.

6. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein a single-bit error indicates a change in a bit of the memory device from a first state to a second state, and a multiple-bit error indicates a change in multiple bits, of a set of bits of the memory device, from the first state to the second state.

7. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more components are further configured to:

identify one or more single-bit errors or one or more multiple-bit errors based on performing the memory built-in self-test; and

initiate a repair procedure for repairing the one or more single-bit errors or the one or more multiple-bit errors.

8. The memory device of claim 7 , wherein the one or more components, to initiate the repair procedure for repairing the one or more single-bit errors or the one or more multiple-bit errors, are configured to initiate the repair procedure based on a value of the one or more bits that are stored in the mode register of the memory device.

9. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more components, to perform the memory built-in self-test, are configured to perform the memory built-in self-test, and selectively test for the one or more single-bit errors, for all memory sections of a plurality of memory sections associated with the memory device.

10. The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more components, to perform the memory built-in self-test, are configured to perform the memory built-in self-test, and selectively test for the one or more single-bit errors, for one or more memory sections, but fewer than all memory sections, of a plurality of memory sections associated with the memory device.

11. The memory device of claim 10 , wherein the one or more components are further configured to read a bit that is stored in a section identifier mode register of the memory device,

wherein a first value of the bit indicates that a memory section, of the plurality of memory sections and corresponding to the bit, is to be tested, and

wherein a second value of the bit indicates that the memory section is not to be tested.

12. A system, comprising:

a host device configured to:

obtain an indication of whether a memory built-in self-test for a memory device is to be performed with on-die error-correcting code (ECC) disabled or with on-die ECC enabled,

wherein a single-bit error is capable of being detected by the memory built-in self-test when the on-die ECC is disabled but is not capable of being detected by the memory built-in self-test when the on-die ECC is enabled; and

transmit, to the memory device, a mode register write command to write one or more bits, that indicate whether the memory built-in self-test is to be performed with the on-die ECC disabled or with the on-die ECC enabled, to a mode register of the memory device; and

the memory device, wherein the memory device is configured to:

read the one or more bits from the mode register of the memory device; and

perform the memory built-in self-test, and selectively test for one or more single-bit errors, based on identifying whether the memory built-in self-test is to be performed with the on-die ECC disabled or with the on-die ECC enabled.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the host device, to obtain the indication of whether the memory built-in self-test is to be performed with the on-die ECC disabled or with the on-die ECC enabled, is configured to obtain an indication that the on-die ECC is to be automatically disabled while the memory built-in self-test is being performed.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the host device, to transmit the mode register write command, is configured to transmit a mode register write command to write one or more bits, to the mode register of the memory device, and each time that the memory built-in self-test is performed, that indicate that the memory built-in self-test is to be performed with the on-die ECC disabled.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the host device, to obtain the indication of whether the memory built-in self-test is to be performed with the on-die ECC disabled or with the on-die ECC enabled, is configured to obtain the indication based on a memory device type associated with the memory device or an amount of testing resources that are capable of being used by the memory device.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the host device, to obtain the indication of whether the memory built-in self-test is to be performed with the on-die ECC disabled or with the on-die ECC enabled, is configured to obtain the indication based on whether the memory built-in self-test has previously been performed with the on-die ECC enabled.

17. The system of claim 12 , wherein a first state of the one or more bits indicates that the memory built-in self-test is to be performed with the on-die ECC disabled, and a second state of the one or more bits indicates that the memory built-in self-test is to be performed with the on-die ECC enabled.

18. The system of claim 12 , wherein the memory device, to perform the memory built-in self-test and selectively test for the one or more single-bit errors, is configured to perform the memory built-in self-test and test for the one or more single-bit errors based on identifying that the memory built-in self-test is to be performed with the on-die ECC disabled.

19. The system of claim 12 , wherein the memory device, to perform the memory built-in self-test and selectively test for the one or more single-bit errors, is configured to perform the memory built-in self-test without testing for the one or more single-bit errors based on identifying that the memory built-in self-test is to be performed with the on-die ECC enabled.

20. The system of claim 12 , wherein the memory device, to perform the memory built-in self-test, is configured to perform the memory built-in self-test, and selectively test for the one or more single-bit errors, for all memory sections of a plurality of memory sections associated with the memory device.

21. The system of claim 12 , wherein the memory device, to perform the memory built-in self-test, is configured to perform the memory built-in self-test, and selectively test for the one or more single-bit errors, for one or more memory sections, but fewer than all memory sections, of a plurality of memory sections associated with the memory device.

22. A method, comprising:

determining whether a memory built-in self-test for a memory device is to be performed with on-die error-correcting code (ECC) disabled or with on-die ECC enabled; and

performing the memory built-in self-test for the memory device based on determining whether the memory built-in self-test is to be performed with the on-die ECC disabled or with the on-die ECC enabled, wherein

the memory built-in self-test is configured to test for one or more single-bit errors when the memory built-in self-test is performed with the on-die ECC disabled; and

the memory built-in self-test is configured to test for one or more multiple-bit errors, and not to test for the one or more single-bit errors, when the memory built-in self-test is performed with the on-die ECC enabled.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein determining whether the memory built-in self-test is to be performed with the on-die ECC disabled or with the on-die ECC enabled comprises determining that the memory built-in self-test is always to be performed with the on-die ECC disabled.

24. The method of claim 22 , wherein determining whether the memory built-in self-test is to be performed with the on-die ECC disabled or with the on-die ECC enabled comprises reading one or more bits, that are stored in a mode register of the memory device, that indicate whether the memory built-in self-test is to be performed with the on-die ECC disabled or with the on-die ECC enabled.

25. The method of claim 24 , wherein performing the memory built-in self-test comprises:

performing the memory built-in self-test and testing for the one or more single-bit errors based on the one or more bits indicating that the memory built-in self-test is to be performed with the on-die ECC disabled; or

performing the memory built-in self-test without testing for the one or more single-bit errors based on the one or more bits indicating that the memory built-in self-test is to be performed with the on-die ECC enabled.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 16, 2022
From: SCHAEFER, SCOTT E.
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 060230/0348 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63365631 · Jun 1, 2022
Related Publication 20230395177A1 · Dec 7, 2023