IP Library › Granted Patent US 9,318,224
Granted Patent B2
US 9,318,224 · App. 14/091,382 · Granted Apr 19, 2016

Non-volatile memory device and operating method thereof

Inventor: Donghun Kwak (Hwaseong-Si, KR)
Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
G11C29/82G11C16/0483G11C16/344
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,318,224
App. No.
14/091,382
Granted
Apr 19, 2016
Kind
B2
Abstract

An operating method is for operating a memory controller which controls a non-volatile memory device. The non-volatile memory device includes a plurality of memory cells arranged in a direction perpendicular to a substrate. The operating method includes erasing the plurality of memory cells, reading memory cells connected with a first word line using a first word line voltage to search string address information corresponding to memory cells being at an off state, and programming memory cells corresponding to the string address information to a particular program state based on the string address information to store mapping information.

Claims (34)

1. An operating method of a memory controller which controls an operation of a non-volatile memory device, the non-volatile memory device including a plurality of memory cells arranged in a direction perpendicular to a substrate, the operating method comprising:

erasing the plurality of memory cells;

reading memory cells connected with a first word line using a first word line voltage to search string address information corresponding to memory cells being at an off state; and

programming memory cells corresponding to the string address information to a particular program state based on the string address information to store mapping information.

2. The operating method of claim 1 , wherein the mapping information and data of memory cells not corresponding to the string address information are encoded, and the encoded data is provided to the non-volatile memory device.

3. The operating method of claim 1 , wherein the mapping information is stored at the non-volatile memory device.

4. The operating method of claim 1 , wherein when all the memory cells are at an erase state, the first word line voltage is a threshold voltage for determining an erase state.

5. The operating method of claim 1 , wherein the first word line voltage is higher than a threshold voltage corresponding to a program state of the non-volatile memory device.

6. The operating method of claim 1 , wherein the particular program state has a threshold voltage higher than an uppermost program state of the non-volatile memory device.

7. The operating method of claim 1 , wherein the string address information is stored at one of the non-volatile memory device and the memory controller.

8. The operating method of claim 1 , wherein the memory cells are configured as NAND flash memory cell strings.

9. An operating method of a non-volatile memory device which comprises at least one cell string including a plurality of memory cells, a string select transistor and a ground select transistor arranged in a direction perpendicular to a substrate, the operating method comprising:

erasing the plurality of memory cells;

reading memory cells connected with a first word line using a first word line voltage;

searching string address information corresponding to memory cells being at an off state; and

storing mapping information indicating that memory cells corresponding to the string address information are programmed to a particular program state.

10. The operating method of claim 9 , further comprising:

programming an encoding result of the mapping information and an encoding result of data of memory cells not corresponding to the searched address, at a memory cell array.

11. The operating method of claim 9 , wherein the string select transistor is not electrically connected with a bit line.

12. The operating method of claim 9 , wherein the ground select transistor is not electrically connected with the substrate.

13. The operating method of claim 9 , wherein memory cells being at an off state are included in a string where a channel for electrically connecting the memory cells is not formed.

14. The operating method of claim 9 , wherein the program state has a threshold voltage higher than an uppermost program state of the non-volatile memory device.

15. The operating method of claim 9 , wherein the non-volatile memory device is a NAND flash memory.

16. An operating method of a memory system, the memory system including a memory controller and a non-volatile memory, the non-volatile memory including a three-dimensional memory cell array comprising cell strings extending perpendicularly relative to a substrate and word lines intersecting the cell strings, the method comprising:

identifying first string addresses corresponding to off-state cells among memory cells connected to a word line, and remaining second string addresses not corresponding to off-state cells among the memory cells connected to the word line;

mapping original data corresponding to the first string addresses to first program states; and

encoding the mapped data and data corresponding to the second string addresses.

17. The operating method of claim 16 , further comprising storing the mapped data prior to encoding the mapped data.

18. The operating method of claim 16 , further comprising providing the non-volatile memory with the encoded data.

19. The operating method of claim 16 , wherein identifying the first string addresses includes:

erasing the memory cells;

reading the memory cells connected to the word line using a first word line voltage;

searching string address information corresponding to memory cells which are read as being in an off state.

20. The operating method of claim 16 , wherein the memory cells are configured as NAND flash memory cell strings.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 27, 2013
From: KWAK, DONGHUN
To: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.
Reel/Frame 031686/0225 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2012-0140998 · Dec 6, 2012 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20140164685A1 · Jun 12, 2014