# US 11,443,812 B2 · Setting an initial erase voltage using feedback from previous operations > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,443,812 B2 - Document ID: US11443812B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/127,358 - Filed: 2020-12-18 - Published: 2022-06-23 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2020-12-18 - Assignees: Micron Technology, Inc. - Applicants: Micron Technology, Inc. - Inventors: Scott A. Stoller; Pitamber Shukla; Priya Venkataraman; Giuseppina Puzzilli; Niccolo′ Righetti - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11443812B2 ## CPC - G11C 16/16: for erasing blocks, e.g. arrays, words, groups - G11C 16/0483: {comprising cells having several storage transistors connected in series} - G11C 16/3445: {Circuits or methods to verify correct erasure of nonvolatile memory cells} - G11C 16/349: {Arrangements for evaluating degradation, retention or wearout, e.g. by counting erase cycles} - G11C 16/3495: {Circuits or methods to detect or delay wearout of nonvolatile EPROM or EEPROM memory devices, e.g. by counting numbers of erase or reprogram cycles, by using multiple memory areas serially or cyclically} - G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B) ## Abstract A method is described that includes performing a first erase operation on a set of memory cells of a memory device using an erase voltage, which is set to a first voltage value and adjusting the erase voltage to a second voltage value based on feedback from performance of at least the first erase operation. The method further includes performing a second erase operation on the set of memory cells using the erase voltage, which is set to the second voltage value. In this configuration, the erase voltage set to the second voltage value is an initial voltage applied to the set of memory cells to perform erase operations such that each subsequent erase operation on the set of memory cells following the first erase operation uses an erase voltage that is equal to or greater than the second voltage value when erasing the first set of memory cells. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: performing, by a memory subsystem controller, a first attempt of an erase operation on a set of memory cells of a memory device using an erase voltage, which is set to a first voltage value; adjusting, by the memory subsystem controller, the erase voltage to a second voltage value based on feedback from performance of at least the first attempt of the erase operation; and performing, by the memory subsystem controller, a second attempt of the erase operation on the set of memory cells using the erase voltage, which is set to the second voltage value, wherein the erase voltage set to the second voltage value is an initial voltage applied to the set of memory cells to perform at least one subsequent erase operation such that each of the at least one subsequent erase operation on the set of memory cells uses an erase voltage value that is equal to or greater than the second voltage value when erasing the set of memory cells. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the erase voltage includes: performing a verification operation on the set memory cells following the first attempt of the erase operation to determine whether the first attempt of the erase operation was successful; and incrementing, in response to determining that the first attempt of the erase operation was unsuccessful, the erase voltage by an increment value to set the erase voltage to the second voltage value. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the increment value is one of 0.01 volts, 0.522 volts, and 0.275 volts. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the second attempt of the erase operation is performed when the first attempt of the erase operation was unsuccessful. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, further comprising: performing, by the memory subsystem controller, a third attempt of the erase operation on the set of memory cells using the erase voltage, which is set to the second voltage value, wherein the third attempt of the erase operation is performed following the second attempt of the erase operation and is performed in a separate erase operation independent of success of the first attempt of the erase operation and the second attempt of the erase operation, and wherein the second erase voltage value is an initial voltage applied to the set of memory cells to perform the third attempt of the erase operation to attempt to erase the first set of memory cells. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the erase voltage includes: determining a number of program and erase operations performed on the memory device; determining that the number of program and erase operations has satisfied a first threshold value; and setting, in response to determining that the number of program and erase operations has satisfied the first threshold value, the erase voltage to the second voltage value, wherein the erase voltage set with the second voltage value is used as an initial voltage to perform erase operations until a second threshold value is satisfied. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the erase voltage is associated with the set of memory cells based on use of the set of memory cells and another erase voltage is associated with another set of memory cells in the memory device based on use of the another set of memory cells. ### Claim 8 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to: perform a first attempt of an erase operation on a set of memory cells of a memory device using an erase voltage, which is set to a first voltage value; adjust the erase voltage to a second voltage value based on feedback from performance of at least the first attempt of the erase operation; and perform a second attempt of the erase operation on the set of memory cells using the erase voltage, which is set to the second voltage value, wherein the erase voltage set to the second voltage value is an initial voltage applied to the set of memory cells to perform at least one subsequent erase operation such that each of the at least one subsequent erase operation on the set of memory cells uses an erase voltage value that is equal to or greater than the second voltage value when erasing the set of memory cells. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein adjusting the erase voltage includes: performing a verification operation on the set memory cells following the first attempt of the erase operation to determine whether the first attempt of the erase operation was successful; and incrementing, in response to determining that the first attempt of the erase operation was unsuccessful, the erase voltage value by an increment value to set the erase voltage to the second voltage value. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the increment value is one of 0.01 volts, 0.522 volts, and 0.275 volts. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the second attempt of the erase operation is performed when the first attempt of the erase operation was unsuccessful. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the processing device is further caused to: perform a third attempt of the erase operation on the set of memory cells using wherein the erase voltage, which is set to the second voltage value, wherein the third attempt of the erase operation is performed following the second attempt of the erase operation and is performed in a separate erase operation independent of success of the first attempt of the erase operation and the second attempt of the erase operation, and wherein the second erase voltage value is an initial voltage applied to the set of memory cells to perform the third attempt of the erase operation to attempt to erase the first set of memory cells. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein adjusting the erase voltage includes: determining a number of program and erase operations performed on the memory device; determining that the number of program and erase operations has satisfied a first threshold value; and setting, in response to determining that the number of program and erase operations has satisfied the first threshold value, the erase voltage to the second voltage value, wherein the erase voltage set with the second voltage value is used as an initial voltage to perform erase operations until a second threshold value is satisfied. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the erase voltage is associated with the set of memory cells based on use of the set of memory cells and another erase voltage is associated with another set of memory cells in the memory device based on use of the another set of memory cells. ### Claim 15 A system comprising: a memory device; and a processing device, operatively coupled with the memory device, to: perform a first attempt of an erase operation on a set of memory cells of a memory device using an erase voltage, which is set to a first voltage value; adjust the erase voltage to a second voltage value based on feedback from unsuccessful performance of the first attempt of the erase operation; perform a second attempt of the erase operation on the set of memory cells using the erase voltage, which is set to the second voltage value, wherein the second attempt of the erase operation successfully erases the set of memory cells; and perform a third attempt of the erase operation on the set of memory cells using the erase voltage, which is set to the second voltage value, wherein the erase voltage set to the second voltage value is an initial voltage applied to the set of memory cells to perform the third attempt of the erase operation. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein adjusting the erase voltage includes: performing a verification operation on the set memory cells following the first attempt of the erase operation to determine whether the first attempt of the erase operation was successful; and incrementing, in response to determining that the first attempt of the erase operation was unsuccessful, the erase voltage by an increment value to set the erase voltage to the second voltage value. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the increment value is one of 0.01 volts, 0.522 volts, and 0.275 volts. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the second attempt of the erase operation is performed when the first attempt of the erase operation was unsuccessful. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The system of claim 18, wherein the first attempt of the erase operation and the second attempt of the erase operation are triggered by a first event and the third attempt of the erase operation is triggered by a second event that is independent from the first event. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The system of claim 15, wherein the erase voltage is associated with the set of memory cells based on use of the set of memory cells and another erase voltage is associated with another set of memory cells in the memory device based on use of the another set of memory cells.