Memory controller, storage apparatus, information processing system, and method for controlling nonvolatile memory

A memory controller comprising:

• write control circuitry that writes first write data in a nonvolatile memory including a memory cell from second write data, the memory cell having an unstable state period after the writing of the first write data;
• determination circuitry that makes a determination as to whether a state of the memory cell after writing the first write data is stable;
• and verification/writing circuitry that performs verification where read data is compared with second write data involved in the writing of the first write data, and performs rewriting of the first write data based on a result of the verification, the read data being read from the memory cell where the first write data is written,
• wherein the nonvolatile memory is accessed on a page-by-page basis, using a page address, the write control circuitry continuously writes data of a plurality of pages, the verification/writing circuitry performs the verification on a page-by-page basis in order in which the data of the plurality of pages is written, and when a number of pages of the written data of the plurality of pages is greater than or equal to a number of pages with a stabilized state, the determination circuitry determines that a state of corresponding memory cells is stable upon the verification, and when the number of pages of the written data of the plurality of pages is less than the number of pages with a stabilized state, the determination circuitry waits for a predetermined stabilization time to have elapsed, and then determines that the state of the corresponding memory cells is stable, the number of pages with a stabilized state being a number of pages where a write time is reached, the write time corresponding to the predetermined stabilization time after writing data in the nonvolatile memory.

A storage apparatus comprising:

• a nonvolatile memory including a memory cell, the memory cell having an unstable state period after a writing of first write data;
• determination circuitry that makes a determination as to whether a state of the memory cell after the writing of the first write data is stable in the nonvolatile memory;
• verification circuitry that performs verification by comparing read data with second write data involved in the writing of the first write data, the read data being read from the memory cell where the first write data is written;
• and write control circuitry that performs writing of the first write data and rewriting of the first write data based on a result of the verification,
• wherein the nonvolatile memory is accessed on a page-by-page basis, using a page address, the write control circuitry continuously writes data of a plurality of pages, the verification circuitry performs the verification on a page-by-page basis in order in which the data of the plurality of pages is written, and when a number of pages of the written data of the plurality of pages is greater than or equal to a number of pages with a stabilized state, the determination circuitry determines that a state of corresponding memory cells is stable upon the verification, and when the number of pages of the written data of the plurality of pages is less than the number of pages with a stabilized state, the determination circuitry waits for a predetermined stabilization time to have elapsed, and then determines that the state of the corresponding memory cells is stable, the number of pages with a stabilized state being a number of pages where a write time is reached, the write time corresponding to the predetermined stabilization time after writing data in the nonvolatile memory.

An information processing system comprising:

• a nonvolatile memory including a memory cell, the memory cell having an unstable state period after a writing of first write data;
• a memory controller that controls the nonvolatile memory;
• and a host computer that accesses the nonvolatile memory through the memory controller, wherein the memory controller includes:
• determination circuitry that makes a determination as to whether a state of the memory cell after the writing of the first write data is stable in the nonvolatile memory;
• verification circuitry that performs verification by comparing read data with second write data involved in the writing of the first write data, the read data being read from the memory cell where the first write data is written;
• and write control circuitry that performs writing of the first write data and rewriting of the first write data based on a result of the comparison,
• wherein the nonvolatile memory is accessed on a page-by-page basis, using a page address, the write control circuitry continuously writes data of a plurality of pages, the verification circuitry performs the verification on a page-by-page basis in order in which the data of the plurality of pages is written, and when a number of pages of the written data of the plurality of pages is greater than or equal to a number of pages with a stabilized state, the determination circuitry determines that a state of corresponding memory cells is stable upon the verification, and when the number of pages of the written data of the plurality of pages is less than the number of pages with a stabilized state, the determination circuitry waits for a predetermined stabilization time to have elapsed, and then determines that the state of the corresponding memory cells is stable, the number of pages with a stabilized state being a number of pages where a write time is reached, the write time corresponding to the predetermined stabilization time after writing data in the nonvolatile memory.

A method for controlling a nonvolatile memory, the method comprising:

• a determining step of making a determination as to whether a state of a memory cell after a writing of first write data is stable in the nonvolatile memory including the memory cell by a determination circuitry, the memory cell having an unstable state period after the writing of the first write data;
• a verifying step of performing verification by comparing read data with second write data involved in the writing of the first write data by a verification circuitry, the read data being read from the memory cell where the first write data is written;
• and a write controlling step of performing writing of the first write data and rewriting of the first write data based on a result of the comparison by a write control circuitry,
• wherein the nonvolatile memory is accessed on a page-by-page basis, using a page address, the write control circuitry continuously writes data of a plurality of pages, the verification circuitry performs the verification on a page-by-page basis in order in which the data of the plurality of pages is written, and when a number of pages of the written data of the plurality of pages is greater than or equal to a number of pages with a stabilized state, the determination circuitry determines that the state of corresponding memory cells is stable upon the verification, and when the number of pages of the written data of the plurality of pages is less than the number of pages with a stabilized state, the determination circuitry waits for a predetermined stabilization time to have elapsed, and then determines that the state of the corresponding memory cells is stable, the number of pages with a stabilized state being a number of pages where a write time is reached, the write time corresponding to the predetermined stabilization time after writing data in the nonvolatile memory.