IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,572,456
Granted Patent B2
US 12,572,456 · App. 18/634,559 · Granted Mar 10, 2026

Memory module including memory devices to which unit ID is assigned and storage device including the same

Inventors: Ki-Heung Kim (Suwon-si, KR); Taeyoung Oh (Suwon-si, KR); Taekwoon Kim (Suwon-si, KR); Jinseong Yun (Suwon-si, KR); Yoonjae Jeong (Suwon-si, KR); Hyongryol Hwang (Suwon-si, KR)
Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
G06F12/0223G06F2212/202
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,572,456
App. No.
18/634,559
Granted
Mar 10, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method of operating a memory configured to communicate with a memory controller, the method includes: temporarily storing a unique identification (ID) for each of a plurality of memory devices included in the memory to each of the plurality of memory devices; selecting a target memory device from among the plurality of memory devices; and permanently or substantially permanently programming, in the target memory device, a unique ID corresponding to the target memory device.

Claims (51)

1 . A method of operating a memory module configured to communicate with a memory controller, the method comprising:

temporarily storing a unique identification (ID) for each of a plurality of memory devices included in the memory module, in a mode register of each of the plurality of memory devices;

selecting a target memory device from among the plurality of memory devices; and

permanently programming, in an ID storage region of the target memory device, the unique ID, which is temporarily stored in the target memory device, corresponding to the target memory device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the ID storage region comprises a plurality of fuse cells, and

wherein the unique ID, which corresponds to the target memory device, is programmed in the plurality of fuse cells.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the permanently programming the unique ID, which corresponds to the target memory device, in the target memory device comprises:

receiving, by the memory module, address information on a target fuse cell among the plurality of fuse cells included in the ID storage region of the target memory device; and

performing a program operation on the target fuse cell.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the receiving the address information on the target fuse cell comprises:

receiving a plurality of mode register write commands; and

checking a row address, a column address, and a bank address for the target fuse cell included in the plurality of mode register write commands.

5 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

checking whether there is a fuse cell, on which the program operation is to be performed, among the plurality of fuse cells included in the ID storage region; and

selecting a next target fuse cell from among the plurality of fuse cells, which are included in the ID storage region, when there is the fuse cell on which the program operation is to be performed.

6 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising receiving a security key from the memory controller before performing the program operation on the target fuse cell.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising selecting a next target fuse cell from among the plurality of fuse cells included in the ID storage region of the target memory device after performing the program operation on the target fuse cell,

wherein the target fuse cell and the next target fuse cell are protected by the same security key.

8 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the permanently programming the unique ID, which corresponds to the target memory device, in the target memory device comprises:

selecting a target fuse cell from among the plurality of fuse cells included in the ID storage region based on the unique ID temporarily stored in the mode register of the target memory device; and

performing a program operation on the target fuse cell.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the memory controller is configured to select at least two target memory devices from among the plurality of memory devices, and

wherein at least two unique IDs, which respectively correspond to the selected at least two target memory devices, are permanently programmed at the same time.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the memory controller is configured to set a temporary unique ID for each of the plurality of memory devices through a per-DRAM addressability (PDA) mode.

11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising checking the unique ID, which corresponds to the target memory device, permanently programmed in the target memory device, through a loopback operation by the memory controller.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the memory controller and the memory module are configured to communicate with each other through a sideband bus.

13 . A memory module configured to communicate with a memory controller, the memory module comprising a plurality of memory devices,

wherein each of the plurality of memory devices comprises:

a memory cell array comprising a plurality of memory cells;

a command decoder configured to decode a command received from the memory controller;

a mode register configured to temporarily store information on a unique identification (ID) received from the memory controller; and

an ID storage region configured to store the information on the unique ID,

wherein the unique ID for each of the plurality of memory devices is stored in the mode register of each of the plurality of memory devices through a per-DRAM addressability (PDA) mode, and

wherein the unique ID for a target memory device, among the plurality of memory devices, which is temporarily stored in the mode register of the target memory device, is programmed in the ID storage region of the target memory device through an one-time programmable (OTP) mode.

14 . The memory module of claim 13 , wherein among a plurality of fuse cells included in the ID storage region of the target memory device, a target fuse cell is selected based on address information included in a plurality of mode register write commands received from the memory controller.

15 . The memory module of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of fuse cells included in the ID storage region of the target memory device comprise a first target fuse cell and a second target fuse cell, and

wherein a first program operation on the first target fuse cell and a second program operation on the second target fuse cell are sequentially performed.

16 . The memory module of claim 14 , wherein the memory module is configured to transmit the information on the unique ID stored in the ID storage region of the target memory device to the memory controller through a loopback operation.

17 . A storage device comprising:

a memory module;

a memory controller configured to control an operation of the memory module and configured to communicate with the memory module through a first bus; and

a baseboard management controller configured to communicate with the memory module through a second bus and configured to monitor information on the memory module,

wherein the memory module comprises a plurality of memory devices,

wherein each of the plurality of memory devices comprises:

a memory cell array comprising a plurality of memory cells;

a command decoder configured to decode a command received from the memory controller;

a mode register configured to temporarily store information on a unique ID identification (ID) received from the memory controller; and

an ID storage region configured to store the information on the unique ID, and

wherein the unique ID for each of the plurality of memory devices is stored in the mode register of each of the plurality of memory devices through a per-DRAM addressability (PDA) mode, and

wherein the unique ID for a target memory device, among the plurality of memory devices, which is temporarily stored in the mode register of the target memory device, is programmed in the ID storage region of the target memory device through a test mode register set (TMRS) mode.

18 . The storage device of claim 17 , wherein the memory controller is configured to select a target fuse cell from among a plurality of fuse cells included in the ID storage region of the target memory device, based on address information included in a plurality of mode register write commands received from the memory controller.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 11, 2024
From: KIM, KI-HEUNG; OH, TAEYOUNG; KIM, TAEKWOON; YUN, JINSEONG; JEONG, YOONJAE; HWANG, HYONGRYOL
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 067693/0523 →
Priority Claims (2)
KR 10-2023-0048926 · Apr 13, 2023 · national
KR 10-2023-0096872 · Jul 25, 2023 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240345944A1 · Oct 17, 2024
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