IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,725,673
Granted Patent B2
US 12,725,673 · App. 18/811,652 · Granted Sep 1, 2026

Proactive history read adaptation without test read

Inventors: Fan Zhang (San Jose, CA); Meysam Asadi (San Jose, CA)
Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
G11C29/1201G11C29/12015G11C29/46
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 12,725,673
App. No.
18/811,652
Granted
Sep 1, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method and associated memory system for reading data from memory. The method and memory system perform read operations on the memory while recording as read retry (RR) biases a set of history entries of voltages used to read the memory; select from the set of history entries the RR biases for subsequent read operation of the memory without performing a test operation with any of the RR biases before the subsequent read operations; in the subsequent read operations, read the memory with one or more of the RR biases from the history entries; when a failed bit count is higher than a threshold for the subsequent read operations, evict a worst entry from the history entries and introduce a new history entry into the set of history entries; and update the RR biases based on the new history entry.

Claims (32)

1 . A method for reading data from memory, comprising:

performing read operations on the memory while recording as read retry (RR) biases a set of history entries of voltages used to read the memory;

selecting from the set of history entries the RR biases for subsequent read operations of the memory without performing a test operation with any of the RR biases before the subsequent read operations;

in the subsequent read operations, reading the memory with one or more of the RR biases from the history entries;

when a failed bit count is higher than a threshold for the subsequent read operations, evicting a worst entry based on the failed bit count from the history entries and introducing a new history entry into the set of history entries; and

updating the RR biases based on the new history entry.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising recording the set of history reads per die, or per block, or per word line group.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising randomly selecting the RR biases from the set of history reads to read the memory in the subsequent read operations.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting the RR biases from the set of history reads used to read the memory in the subsequent read operations such that each of the RR biases has an equal chance of usage.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining the new history entry based on a gradient of differences between voltage thresholds used to read a page of the memory for the history entry having a lowest failed bit count (FBC).

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the memory comprises a triple level cell (TLC), and the voltage thresholds are voltages associated with reading one or more of a most significant bit page, a center significant bit page, and a least significant bit page.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the voltage thresholds are voltages V2, V6 for reading the least significant bit page.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising determining the new history entry as (V2−delta*dFBC/dV2, V6−delta*dFBC/dV6), where dFBC/dV2 and dFBC/dV6 are numerical gradients in failed bit counts (FBCs) at the voltage thresholds V2 and V6, and delta is a constant defining a stepping size of the gradients.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the numerical gradients are calculated from differences in failed bit counts for data read at respective voltages offset from voltage thresholds V2 and V6.

10 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising performing the test operation of one or more the RR biases after the updating of the RR biases to adjust the voltages in the set of the history entries.

11 . A memory system, comprising:

a memory;

a controller coupled to the memory and configured to read data from the memory, wherein the controller is configured to:

perform read operations on the memory while recording as read retry (RR) biases a set of history entries of voltages used to read the memory;

select from the set of history entries the RR biases for subsequent read operations of the memory without performing a test operation with any of the RR biases before the subsequent read operations;

in the subsequent read operations, read the memory with one or more of the RR biases from the history entries;

when a failed bit count is higher than a threshold for the subsequent read operations, evict a worst entry based on the failed bit count from the history entries and introduce a new history entry into the set of history entries; and

update the RR biases based on the new history entry.

12 . The memory system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to record the set of history reads per die, or per block, or per word line group.

13 . The memory system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to randomly select the RR biases from the set of history reads to read the memory in the subsequent read operations.

14 . The memory system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to select the RR biases from the set of history reads used to read the memory in the subsequent read operations such that each of the RR biases has an equal chance of usage.

15 . The memory system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to determine the new history entry based on a gradient of differences between voltage thresholds used to read a page of the memory for the history entry having a lowest failed bit count (FBC).

16 . The memory system of claim 15 , wherein the memory comprises a triple level cell (TLC), and the voltage thresholds are voltages associated with reading one or more of a most significant bit page, a center significant bit page, and a least significant bit page.

17 . The memory system of claim 16 , wherein the voltage thresholds are voltages V2, V6 for reading the least significant bit page.

18 . The memory system of claim 17 , wherein the new history entry is determined as (V2−delta*dFBC/dV2, V6−delta*dFBC/dV6), where dFBC/dV2 and dFBC/dV6 are numerical gradients in failed bit counts (FBCs) at the voltage thresholds V2 and V6, and delta is a constant defining a stepping size of the gradients.

19 . The memory system of claim 18 , wherein the controller is configured to calculate the numerical gradients from differences in failed bit counts for data read at respective voltages offset from voltage thresholds V2 and V6.

20 . The memory system of claim 19 , wherein the controller is configured to perform the test operation of one or more the RR biases after the updating of the RR biases to adjust the voltages in the set of the history entries.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 17, 2025
From: SK HYNIX MEMORY SOLUTIONS AMERICA INC.
To: SK HYNIX INC.
Reel/Frame 070536/0574 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 21, 2024
From: ZHANG, FAN; ASADI, MEYSAM
To: SK HYNIX MEMORY SOLUTIONS AMERICA INC.
Reel/Frame 068745/0223 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20260057953A1 · Feb 26, 2026
References Cited (4)
US 9697905B2 · Sharon · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 11386972B2 · Li · 2022 [cited by examiner]
US 20230019347A1 · Choi et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]
US 20230071837A1 · Karakulak et al. · 2023 [cited by applicant]