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US 10,872,670 B2Granted
Methods for determining data states of memory cells
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorsUgo Russo, Violante Moschiano, William C. Filipiak, Andrea D'Alessandro
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods of operating a memory, and apparatus configured to perform similar methods, include determining a voltage level of a stepped sense operation that activates a memory cell of the memory during a programming operation for the memory cell, and determining a voltage level of a ramped sense operation that activates the memory cell during a read operation for the memory cell.
Claims20
A method of operating a memory, comprising:
- programming a first memory cell of the memory, wherein the first memory cell has a particular position relative to a respective string driver for the first memory cell;
- determining a voltage level of a stepped sense operation that activates the first memory cell;
- determining a voltage level of a ramped sense operation that activates the first memory cell;
- determining a difference between the voltage level of the ramped sense operation that activates the first memory cell and the voltage level of the stepped sense operation that activates the first memory cell;
- and
- determining a correction factor for a ramped sense operation of a second memory cell of the memory responsive to at least the difference between the voltage level of the ramped sense operation that activates the first memory cell and the voltage level of the stepped sense operation that activates the first memory cell.
3 more elements
A method of operating a memory, comprising:
- programming a plurality of memory cells of a memory to have respective data states of a plurality of data states, wherein each memory cell of the plurality of memory cells has a respective position relative to a respective string driver for that memory cell;
- for each memory cell of the plurality of memory cells:
- determining a respective voltage level of a stepped sense operation that activates that memory cell;
- determining a respective voltage level of a ramped sense operation that activates that memory cell;
- determining a respective difference between the respective voltage level of the ramped sense operation that activates that memory cell and the respective voltage level of the stepped sense operation that activates that memory cell;
- and
- determining a correction factor for a subsequent ramped sense operation of a memory cell of the memory, having a particular position relative to a respective string driver for that memory cell, responsive to at least the respective difference for each memory cell of the plurality of memory cells having the particular position relative to its respective string driver.
4 more elements
A method of operating a memory, comprising:
- programming a first memory cell of the memory, wherein the first memory cell has a particular position relative to a respective string driver for the first memory cell;
- after programming the first memory cell, determining a voltage level of a stepped sense operation that activates the first memory cell comprising sensing a state of a data line connected to the first memory cell using a first sense circuit;
- after programming the first memory cell, determining a voltage level of a ramped sense operation that activates the first memory cell comprising sensing a state of the data line connected to the first memory cell using a second sense circuit different than the first sense circuit;
- determining a difference between the voltage level of the ramped sense operation that activates the first memory cell and the voltage level of the stepped sense operation that activates the first memory cell;
- and
- determining a correction factor for a ramped sense operation of a second memory cell of the memory responsive to at least the difference between the voltage level of the ramped sense operation that activates the first memory cell and the voltage level of the stepped sense operation that activates the first memory cell.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.