IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,487,755
Granted Patent B2
US 12,487,755 · App. 18/421,352 · Granted Dec 2, 2025

Storage device for performing a state shaping operation on data based on a speed characteristic of a memory cell and operation method thereof

Inventors: Woohyun Kang (Suwon-si, KR); Garam Kim (Suwon-si, KR); Jisoo Kim (Suwon-si, KR); Sangkwon Moon (Suwon-si, KR); Hyunkyo Oh (Suwon-si, KR); Jin Gu Jeong (Suwon-si, KR); Youngjun Hwang (Suwon-si, KR)
Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
G06F3/0619G06F3/0653G06F3/0679
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,487,755
App. No.
18/421,352
Granted
Dec 2, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A storage device according to an embodiment includes a memory device configured to apply a first program voltage and a first verification voltage to a first word line and output, based on a program state of each of a plurality of memory cells connected to the first word line, a speed information representing a speed characteristic of each of the plurality of memory cells; and a memory controller configured to determine at least one memory cell to be programmed into a predetermined program state; determine, among the at least one memory cell, at least one target memory cell having a first speed characteristic based on the speed information; and perform a state-shaping operation to convert a data corresponding to the predetermined program state for the at least one target memory cell into a value corresponding to a program state different from the predetermined program state.

Claims (38)

1 . A storage device comprising:

a memory device configured to select a first word line among a plurality of word lines; apply a first program voltage and a first verification voltage to the first word line; and output, based on a program state of each of a plurality of memory cells connected to the first word line that is read based on the first verification voltage, a speed information representing a speed characteristic of each of the plurality of memory cells; and

a memory controller configured to determine, among the plurality of memory cells, at least one memory cell to be programmed into a predetermined program state among a plurality of program states; determine, among the at least one memory cell, at least one target memory cell having a first speed characteristic based on the speed information; and perform a state-shaping operation to convert a data corresponding to the predetermined program state for the at least one target memory cell into a value corresponding to a program state that is different from the predetermined program state,

wherein the memory controller is configured to, based on a number of memory cells to be programmed into the predetermined program state and having the first speed characteristic exceeding a predetermined number, determine, among the number of memory cells, the at least one target memory cell of the predetermined number or less.

2 . The storage device of claim 1 , wherein the memory controller is configured to perform the state-shaping operation to convert the data corresponding to the predetermined program state into a value corresponding to a lower program state than the predetermined program state.

3 . The storage device of claim 2 , wherein the predetermined program state is a higher program state than a reference program state, and the lower program state is a program state lower than the reference program state, the reference program state being determined according to an external input or a predetermined reference.

4 . The storage device of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined program state includes a plurality of predetermined program states, and a number of a target memory cell in a higher program state among the plurality of predetermined program states is greater than a number of a target memory cell in a lower program state among the plurality of predetermined program states.

5 . The storage device of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined program state is a highest program state among the plurality of program states.

6 . The storage device of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of program states includes a plurality of lower program states than the predetermined program state, and

wherein a number of memory cells having the first speed characteristic and programmed into each of the plurality of lower program states increases equally according to the state-shaping operation.

7 . The storage device of claim 2 , wherein the plurality of program states includes a plurality of lower program states than the predetermined program state, and

wherein a number of memory cells having the first speed characteristic and programmed into each of the plurality of lower program states increases randomly according to the state-shaping operation.

8 . The storage device of claim 1 , wherein based on the first program voltage being applied to the first word line, the at least one target memory cell has a threshold voltage equal to or higher than the first verification voltage.

9 . The storage device of claim 1 , wherein the memory controller is configured to not perform the state-shaping operation for a memory cell, among the plurality of memory cells, of which a speed characteristic is different from the first speed characteristic.

10 . An operation method of a storage device comprising:

selecting a first word line among a plurality of word lines;

generating a speed information representing a speed characteristic of each of a plurality of memory cells connected to the first word line;

determining at least one memory cell among the plurality of memory cells that is programmed into a predetermined program state among a plurality of program states;

determining a first memory cell having a first speed characteristic among the at least one memory cell, based on the speed information; and

performing a state-shaping operation to convert a data corresponding to the predetermined program state for the first memory cell into a value corresponding to a program state different from the predetermined program state,

wherein the determining the first memory cell comprises, based on a number of memory cells to be programmed into the predetermined program state and having the first speed characteristic exceeding a predetermined number, determining, among the number of memory cells, the first memory cell of the predetermined number or less.

11 . The operation method of the storage device of claim 10 , wherein the generating the speed information includes:

applying a first program voltage and a first verification voltage to the first word line; and

reading a program state of each of the plurality of memory cells based on the first verification voltage, and generating the speed information based on the read program state.

12 . The operation method of the storage device of claim 10 , wherein the first memory cell has a higher threshold voltage among the at least one memory cell.

13 . The operation method of the storage device of claim 10 , wherein the performing the state-shaping operation includes:

generating a state-shaped data having a value corresponding to a lower program state than the predetermined program state.

14 . The operation method of the storage device of claim 13 , wherein the predetermined program state is a higher program state than a reference program state, and the lower program state is a program state lower than the reference program state, the reference program state being determined according to an external input or a predetermined reference.

15 . The operation method of the storage device of claim 13 , wherein the predetermined program state is a highest program state among the plurality of program states.

16 . The operation method of the storage device of claim 13 , further comprising:

inversely transforming the state-shaped data; and

transmitting data generated through the inversely transforming the state-shaped data to an outside of a memory controller of the storage device.

17 . A computing system comprising:

a host device configured to output a command requesting a program operation of a memory device; and

a memory controller configured to receive, from the memory device, a speed information indicating whether a plurality of memory cells connected to a select word line are fast cells or slow cells; determine a target memory cell, among the fast cells, that is to be programmed into a predetermined program state among a plurality of program states; and perform, based on the command, a state-shaping operation on a data corresponding to the predetermined program state for the target memory cell,

wherein the memory controller is configured to, based on a number of fast cells to be programmed into the predetermined program state exceeding a predetermined number, determine, among the number of fast cells, the target memory cell of the predetermined number or less.

18 . The computing system of claim 17 , wherein the speed information is received from the memory device based on a first program loop on the select word line, the speed information being based on a program state of each of the plurality of memory cells that is read based on the first program loop.

19 . The computing system of claim 17 , wherein the predetermined program state is a higher program state than a reference program state that is determined according to an external input or a predetermined reference, or the predetermined program state is a highest program state among the plurality of program states.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 24, 2024
From: KANG, WOOHYUN; KIM, GARAM; KIM, JISOO; MOON, SANGKWON; OH, HYUNKYO; JEONG, JIN GU; HWANG, YOUNGJUN
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 066233/0207 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2023-0107658 · Aug 17, 2023 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250060885A1 · Feb 20, 2025
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