# US 11,444,637 B2 · Self-adaptive low-density parity check hard decoder

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- Number: US 11,444,637 B2
- Document ID: US11444637B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/566,639
- Filed: 2019-09-10
- Published: 2021-03-11
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2019-09-10
- Assignees: SK hynix Inc.
- Applicants: SK hynix Inc.
- Inventors: Fan Zhang; Chenrong Xiong; Xuanxuan Lu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11444637B2

## CPC

- H03M 13/1105: {Decoding}
- G06F 3/0619: {in relation to data integrity, e.g. data losses, bit errors}
- G06F 3/0659: {Command handling arrangements, e.g. command buffers, queues, command scheduling}
- G06F 3/0679: {Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]}
- G06F 11/1004: {to protect a block of data words, e.g. CRC or checksum (G06F11/1076 takes precedence; security arrangements for protecting computers or computer systems against unauthorized activity G06F21/00)}
- G11C 11/5642: {Sensing or reading circuits; Data output circuits}
- G11C 16/0483: {comprising cells having several storage transistors connected in series}
- G11C 16/08: Address circuits; Decoders; Word-line control circuits
- G11C 16/26: Sensing or reading circuits; Data output circuits
- 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}
- H03M 13/353: {Adaptation to the channel}
- H03M 13/3715: {Adaptation to the number of estimated errors or to the channel state}
- H03M 13/3723: {using means or methods for the initialisation of the decoder}
- G11C 8/10: Decoders
- G11C 11/5621: {using charge storage in a floating gate}
- G11C 11/5671: {using charge trapping in an insulator}
- H03M: CODING; DECODING; CODE CONVERSION IN GENERAL (using fluidic means F15C4/00; optical analogue/digital converters G02F7/00; coding, decoding or code conversion, specially adapted for particular applications, see the relevant subclasses, e.g. G01D, G01R, G06F, G06T, G09G, G10L, G11B, G11C, H04B, H04L, H04M, H04N; ciphering or deciphering for cryptography or other purposes involving the need for secrecy G09C)
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B)

## Abstract

Disclosed are methods, systems and devices for decoding data read from a memory device, including receiving noisy data from a first memory location included in a word line zone of the memory device, identifying the word line zone and a prior successful decoder parameter associated with the word line zone, decoding the noisy data using the prior successful decoder parameter used in a prior successful decoding with respect to a second memory location included in the same word line zone, determining whether the decoding based on the prior successful decoder parameter has succeeded, maintaining, upon a determination that the decoding has succeeded, the prior successful decoder parameter as a decoder parameter for the first memory location, and decoding, upon a determination that the decoding operation has failed, the noisy data read from the first memory location by using another decoder parameter selected from a set of predefined decoder parameters.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of decoding data read from a memory device, comprising:
receiving noisy data from a first memory location included in a word line zone of the memory device, wherein the word line zone is one of a plurality of word line zones that are divided based on physical locations of the word lines in a memory chip die or a memory block;
identifying the word line zone and a prior successful decoder parameter associated with the identified word line zone, among a list of decoder parameters for the identified word line zone;
decoding the noisy data read from the first memory location using the prior successful decoder parameter used in a prior successful decoding with respect to a second memory location included in the same word line zone;
determining whether the decoding based on the prior successful decoder parameter has succeeded;
maintaining, upon a determination that the decoding has succeeded, the prior successful decoder parameter as a decoder parameter for the first memory location; and
decoding, upon a determination that the decoding operation has failed, the noisy data read from the first memory location by using the decoder parameters on the list of decoder parameters, other than the prior successful decoding parameter, one by one until the decoding succeeds or the list is exhausted.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the word line zone includes memory cells that are coupled to a set of word lines grouped together based on physical locations of word lines in the memory device.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the word line zone is determined based on operating conditions of the first and second memory locations of the memory device, including at least one of program/erase counts of the first and second memory locations, data retention and read disturbance of the first and second memory locations, and an operating temperature of the first and second memory locations.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the word line zone is determined based on at least one of die indices, block indices, or word line indices.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the decoder parameter includes at least one of log likelihood ratio (LLR) scaling, iteration control, initial LLR, LLR dampening scaling factor, or checksum thresholds.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the set of predefined decoder parameters is determined based on memory device operating conditions including at least one of program/erase counts, data retention and read disturbance of the data being decoded, or operating temperature of the memory device.

### Claim 7

A method of setting a decoder parameter for decoding data read from a memory device, comprising:
dividing the memory device into a plurality of word line zones based on physical locations of word lines in a memory chip die or a memory block;
obtaining a list of decoder parameter settings produced for correcting erroneous symbols in data read from memory locations included in the word line zone of the memory device;
decoding, upon receipt of a read command requesting a read operation on a memory cell included in the word line zone, the data read from the memory cell using a first decoder parameter setting associated with the word line zone of the memory device, among the list of decoder parameter settings for the word line zone;
determining whether the first decoder parameter setting has succeeded in decoding noisy data read from the memory cell of the word line zone of the memory device;
storing, upon a determination that a successful decoding is achieved, the first decoder parameter setting that resulted in successful decoding; or
decoding, upon a determination that the decoding has failed, the noisy data read from the memory cell of the word line zone by the decoder parameter settings on the list of decoder parameter settings, other than the first decoder parameter setting, one by one until the decoding succeeds or the list is exhausted.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the word line zone includes memory cells that are coupled to a set of word lines grouped together based on physical locations of word lines in the memory device.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the word line zone is determined based on operating conditions of the first and second memory locations of the memory device, including at least one of program/erase counts of the first and second memory locations, data retention and read disturbance of the first and second memory locations, and an operating temperature of the first and second memory locations.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the physical location zone is determined based on at least one of die indices, block indices, or word line indices.

### Claim 11 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the decoder parameter includes at least one of log likelihood ratio (LLR) scaling, iteration control, initial LLR, LLR dampening scaling factor, or checksum thresholds.

### Claim 12 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein the list of decoder parameter settings is determined based on memory device operating conditions including at least one of program/erase counts, data retention and read disturbance of the data being decoded, or operating temperature of the memory device.

### Claim 13 (depends on 7)

The method of claim 7, wherein determining whether a decoder parameter setting used has succeeded in decoding noisy data read from the memory cell included in the physical location zone of the memory device includes selecting a decoder parameter one at a time until the decoding succeeds.

### Claim 14

A system, comprising:
a non-transitory computer readable medium to store instructions thereon; and
a processor in communication with the non-transitory computer readable medium, wherein the instructions upon execution by the processor cause the processor to:
receive noisy data from a first memory location included in a word line zone of a memory device, wherein the word line zone is one of a plurality of word line zones that are divided based on physical locations of the word lines in a memory chip die or a memory block;
identify the word line zone and a prior successful decoder parameter associated with the identified word line zone, among a list of decoder parameters for the identified word line zone;
decode the noisy data read from the first memory location using the prior successful decoder parameter used in a prior successful decoding with respect to a second memory location included in the same word line zone;
determine whether the decoding using the prior successful decoder parameter has succeeded;
maintain, upon a determination that the decoding has succeeded, the prior successful decoder parameter as a decoder parameter for the first memory location; and
decode, upon a determination that the decoding operation has failed, the noisy data read from the first memory location by using the decoder parameters on the list of decoder parameters, other than the prior successful decoding parameter, one by one until the decoding succeeds or the list is exhausted.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the word line zone includes memory cells that are coupled to a set of word lines grouped together based on physical locations of word lines in the memory device.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the word line zone is determined based on operating conditions of the first and second memory locations of the memory device, including at least one of program/erase counts of the first and second memory locations, data retention and read disturbance of the first and second memory locations, and an operating temperature of the first and second memory locations.

### Claim 17 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the word line zone is determined based on at least one of die indices, block indices, or word line indices.

### Claim 18 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the decoder parameter includes at least one of log likelihood ratio (LLR) scaling, iteration control, initial LLR, LLR dampening scaling factor, or checksum thresholds.

### Claim 19 (depends on 14)

The system of claim 14, wherein the set of predefined decoder parameters is determined based on memory device operating conditions including at least one of program/erase counts, data retention and read disturbance of the data being decoded, or operating temperature of the memory device.