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US 10,854,303 B2Granted
Apparatus and methods for determining data states of memory cells
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorsTommaso Vali, Ramin Ghodsi
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Methods of operating a memory, as well as memory configured to perform such methods, might include determining a plurality of read voltages for a read operation during a precharge phase of the read operation, determining a pass voltage for the read operation during the precharge phase of the read operation, applying the pass voltage to each unselected access line of a plurality of access lines, and, for each read voltage of the plurality of read voltages, applying that read voltage to a selected access line of the plurality of access lines and sensing a data state of a memory cell connected to the selected access line.
Claims20
A method of operating a memory, comprising:
- determining a plurality of read voltages for a read operation during a precharge phase of the read operation;
- determining a pass voltage for the read operation during the precharge phase of the read operation;
- applying the pass voltage to each unselected access line of a plurality of access lines;
- and
- for each read voltage of the plurality of read voltages, applying that read voltage to a selected access line of the plurality of access lines and sensing a data state of a memory cell connected to the selected access line.
2 more elements
A memory, comprising:
- an array of memory cells;
- a plurality of access lines, each access line of the plurality of access lines connected to a respective memory cell of each string of series-connected memory cells of a plurality of strings of series-connected memory cells of the array of memory cells;
- and
- a controller for access of the array of memory cells, wherein the controller, during a read operating on the plurality of strings of series-connected memory cells, is configured to cause the memory to:
- determine a plurality of read voltages for the read operation during a precharge phase of the read operation;
- determine a pass voltage for the read operation during the precharge phase of the read operation;
- apply the pass voltage to each unselected access line of the plurality of access lines for the read operation;
- and
- for each read voltage of the plurality of read voltages, apply that read voltage to a selected access line of the plurality of access lines for the read operation, and sense a data state of a memory cell connected to the selected access line.
6 more elements
A memory, comprising:
- an array of memory cells;
- a plurality of access lines, each access line of the plurality of access lines connected to a respective memory cell of each string of series-connected memory cells of a plurality of strings of series-connected memory cells of the array of memory cells;
- a plurality of data lines, each data line of the plurality of data lines selectively connected to a respective string of series-connected memory cells of the plurality of strings of series-connected memory cells;
- and
- a controller for access of the array of memory cells, wherein the controller, during a read operating on the plurality of strings of series-connected memory cells, is configured to cause the memory to:
- determine a plurality of read voltages for the read operation during a precharge phase of the read operation;
- determine a pass voltage for the read operation during the precharge phase of the read operation, wherein the controller being configured to cause the memory to determine the pass voltage for the read operation during the precharge phase comprises the controller being configured to cause the memory to:
- sense a state of each data line of the plurality of data lines while increasing a voltage level applied to each access line of the plurality of access lines and while each string of series-connected memory cells of the plurality of strings of series-connected memory cells is connected to its respective data line of the plurality of data lines;
- and
- determine the pass voltage to be a particular voltage level at which the state of each data line of the plurality of data lines has changed;
- apply the pass voltage to each unselected access line of the plurality of access lines for the read operation;
- and
- for each read voltage of the plurality of read voltages, apply that read voltage to a selected access line of the plurality of access lines for the read operation, and sense a data state of a memory cell connected to the selected access line.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.