# US 11,442,641 B2 · Voltage based combining of block families for memory devices > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,442,641 B2 - Document ID: US11442641B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/098,861 - Filed: 2020-11-16 - Published: 2022-05-19 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2020-11-16 - Assignees: Micron Technology, Inc. - Applicants: Micron Technology, Inc. - Inventors: Michael Sheperek; Kishore Kumar Muchherla; Shane Nowell - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11442641B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/064: {Management of blocks} - G11C 7/04: with means for avoiding disturbances due to temperature effects - G06F 3/0604: {Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management} - G06F 3/0679: {Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]} - G11C 16/26: Sensing or reading circuits; Data output circuits - G11C 16/32: Timing circuits - G11C 16/34: Determination of programming status, e.g. threshold voltage, overprogramming or underprogramming, retention - G11C 16/3418: {Disturbance prevention or evaluation; Refreshing of disturbed memory data} - G11C 16/349: {Arrangements for evaluating degradation, retention or wearout, e.g. by counting erase cycles} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B) ## Abstract An example memory sub-system includes a memory device and a processing device, operatively coupled to the memory device. The processing device is configured to create a first block family comprising a first set of blocks that have been programmed within at least one of a first specified time window or a first specified temperature window, wherein each block associated with the first block family is associated with a first set of read level offsets; create, a second block family comprising a second set of blocks that have been programmed within at least one of a second specified time window following the first specified time window or a second specified temperature window, wherein each block associated with the second block family is associated with a second set of read level offsets; and responsive to a determining that a threshold criterion is satisfied, combine the first and second block family. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: a memory device; and a processing device, operatively coupled to the memory device, to perform operations comprising: creating a first block family comprising a first set of blocks that have been programmed within at least one of a first specified time window or a first specified temperature window, wherein each block associated with the first block family is associated with a first set of voltage level offsets; creating a second block family comprising a second set of blocks that have been programmed within at least one of a second specified time window following the first specified time window or a second specified temperature window, wherein each block associated with the second block family is associated with a second set of voltage level offsets; and responsive to a determining that a threshold criterion is satisfied, combining the first block family and the second block family, wherein determining that the threshold criterion is satisfied comprises determining that a difference in a voltage offset value associated with a die of the first block family and the same die of the second block family is below a voltage difference threshold for all dice of the memory device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein determining that the threshold criterion is satisfied further comprises: determining that a difference in a write temperature value associated with a die of the first block family and the same die of the second block family satisfies a write temperature threshold criterion for all dies of the memory device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein determining that the threshold criterion is satisfied further comprises: determining that write temperature values associated with the first block family and the second block family are within a predetermined temperature range. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein combining the first block family and the second block family is performed responsive to determining that a number of vacant records in a block family table is below a threshold number. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the second block family is created immediately after closing the first block family. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the processing device is to further perform operations comprising: removing a record associated with the second block family from a block family table. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the processing device is to further perform operations comprising: appending to first block family metadata of the first block family a record of the second set of blocks. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the processing device is to further perform operations comprising: selecting a most recently created block family among all block families and a second most recently created block family among all block families as combining candidates. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the processing device is to further perform operations comprising: responsive to failing to detect two block families satisfying the threshold criterion, modifying the threshold criterion. ### Claim 10 A method comprising: creating a first block family comprising a first set of blocks that have been programmed within a first specified time window, wherein each block associated with the first block family is associated with a first set of read level offsets; creating a second block family comprising a second set of blocks that have been programmed within a second specified time window following the first specified time window, wherein each block associated with the second block family is associated with a second set of read level offsets; and responsive to determining that a difference in a voltage offset value associated with a die of the first block family and the same die of the second block family is below a voltage difference threshold for all dies of the memory device, combining the first block family and the second block family. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein combining the first block family and the second block family is performed responsive to determining that a number of vacant records in a block family table is below a threshold number. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the second block family is created immediately after closing the first block family. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: removing a record associated with the second block family from a block family table. ### Claim 14 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processing device operatively coupled to a memory device, perform operations comprising: creating a first block family comprising a first set of blocks that have been programmed within at least one of a first specified time window or a first specified temperature window, wherein each block associated with the first block family is associated with a first set of voltage level offsets; creating a second block family comprising a second set of blocks that have been programmed within at least one of a second specified time window following the first specified time window or a second specified temperature window, wherein each block associated with the second block family is associated with a second set of voltage level offsets; and responsive to a determining that a threshold criterion is satisfied, combining the first block family and the second block family, wherein determining that the threshold criterion is satisfied comprises determining that a difference in a voltage offset value associated with a die of the first block family and the same die of the second block family is below a voltage difference threshold for all dice of the memory device. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein determining that the threshold criterion is satisfied further comprises: determining that a difference in a write temperature value associated with a die of the first block family and the same die of the second block family satisfies a write temperature threshold criterion for all dies of the memory device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein determining that the threshold criterion is satisfied further comprises: determining that write temperature values associated with the first block family and the second block family are within a predetermined temperature range. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein combining the first block family and the second block family is performed responsive to determining that a number of vacant records in a block family table is below a threshold number. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, responsive to failing to detect two block families satisfying the threshold criterion, modifying the threshold criterion. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the processing device is to further perform operations comprising: selecting a most recently created block family among all block families and a second most recently created block family among all block families as combining candidates. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the processing device is to further perform operations comprising: appending to first block family metadata of the first block family a record of the second set of blocks.