IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,026,488
Granted Patent B2
US 10,026,488 · App. 15/240,188 · Granted Jul 17, 2018

Non-volatile memory with read disturb detection for open blocks

Inventors: Phil Reusswig (Mountain View, CA); Joanna Lai (San Jose, CA); Deepak Raghu (San Jose, CA); Grishma Shah (Milpitas, CA); Nian Niles Yang (Mountain View, CA)
Assignee: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
G11C16/3431G06F3/064G06F3/0619G06F3/0653G06F3/0685G06F11/1068G11C16/22G11C16/26G11C29/52
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,026,488
App. No.
15/240,188
Granted
Jul 17, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A non-volatile memory system includes technology for detecting read disturb in open blocks. In one embodiment, the system determines whether a particular block of non-volatile memory cells has been subjected to a minimum number of open block read operations and performs sensing operations for memory cells connected to an open word line of the particular block. The number of errors in the sensed data is determined. If the number of errors is greater than a limit, then the system takes an action to mitigate the read disturb.

Claims (42)

1. A non-volatile storage apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of non-volatile memory cells; and

a control circuit in communication with the memory cells, the control circuit configured to determine that a block of non-volatile memory cells has been subjected to a minimum number of open block read operations, the control circuit further configured to sense memory cells connected to an open word line of the block and to determine a number of errors based on the sensing in response to the block having been subjected to the minimum number of open block read operations, the control circuit configured to scrub data of the block if the number of errors exceeds a limit.

2. A non-volatile storage apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:

the control circuit is configured to determine that the particular block is an open block.

3. A non-volatile storage apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:

the control circuit is configured to determine a number of errors based on the sensing by determining how many memory cells connected to the open word line are not in an erased condition.

4. A non-volatile storage apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:

the control circuit is configured to determine whether the particular block of non-volatile memory cells has been subjected to a minimum number of open block read operations in response to performing a read operation for the particular block.

5. A non-volatile storage apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:

the control circuit is configured to sense information for memory cells connected to an open word line of the particular block by performing a read operation for an open word line that is adjacent a boundary word line.

6. A non-volatile storage apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:

the control circuit maintains different open block read counters for different blocks.

7. A non-volatile storage apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:

the control circuit maintains a read counter for the particular block; and

the control circuit is configured to determine whether the particular block has been subjected to the minimum number of open block read operations by comparing the read counter to a read counter threshold and determining if the particular block is an open block if the read counter is greater than the read counter threshold.

8. A non-volatile storage apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein:

the plurality of non-volatile memory cells are positioned on a first integrated circuit; and

the control circuit includes a Controller on a second integrated circuit, the Controller is configured to determine whether the particular block has been subjected to the minimum number of open block read operations.

9. A method of operating non-volatile storage, comprising:

determining that a particular block of non-volatile memory cells is an open block and has been subjected to a minimum number of read operations;

causing sensing of memory cells connected to an open word line of the particular block;

determining a number of unerased memory cells based on the reading; and

scrubbing data for the particular block if the number of unerased memory cells is greater than a limit.

10. A method according to claim 9 , wherein:

the determining the number of unerased memory cells based on the reading includes determining a number of memory cells having a threshold voltage greater than a compare value.

11. A method according to claim 9 , wherein:

the determining that the particular block of non-volatile memory cells is an open block includes determining that the particular block has at least one word line for which no memory cells connected to the one word line have been subjected to programming since a previous block erase.

12. A method according to claim 9 , wherein the scrubbing data comprises:

causing reading all of the data for the particular block, including subjecting the data to an error correction process; and

causing re-programming of the data read for the particular block to a new block.

13. A method according to claim 9 , further comprising:

causing reading of data from a plurality of memory cells in the particular block of non-volatile memory cells, the determining that the particular block is an open block and has been subjected to the minimum number of read operations is performed in response to the reading.

14. A method according to claim 13 , further comprising:

incrementing an open block read counter if the particular block of memory cells is an open block, the determining that the particular block has been subjected to the minimum number of read operations includes comparing the open block read counter to the threshold.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

an electrical interface to one or more non-volatile memory circuits; and

one or more processors connected to the interface and adapted to be in communication with the one or more non-volatile memory circuits, the one or more processors are configured to determine that a particular block of non-volatile memory cells in the one or more non-volatile memory circuits is an open block and has been subjected to a minimum number of read operations since a count started, the one or more processors are configured to cause sensing of memory cells connected to an open word line of the particular block, the one or more processors are configured to calculate a number of error conditions in the sensed memory cells, the one or more processors are configured to scrub data for the particular block if the number of error conditions is greater than a limit.

16. An apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein:

the open word line of the particular block is adjacent a closed word line of the particular block;

the one or more processors are configured to calculate the number of error conditions in the sensed memory cells by determining how many of the memory cells connected to the open word line have a threshold voltage greater than a compare voltage; and

the one or more processors are configured to scrub data for the particular block by re-programming all programmed data for the particular block.

Assignments (4)
PARTIAL RELEASE OF SECURITY INTERESTS Recorded Apr 25, 2025
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS AGENT
To: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 071382/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 25, 2025
From: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 071050/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 31, 2024
From: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
To: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 069796/0423 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 18, 2016
From: REUSSWIG, PHIL; LAI, JOANNA; RAGHU, DEEPAK; SHAH, GRISHMA; YANG, NIAN NILES
To: SANDISK TECHNOLOGIES LLC
Reel/Frame 039476/0993 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20180053562A1 · Feb 22, 2018
Cited By (1)
US 12,613,799