# US 12,119,062 B2 · Managing compensation for cell-to-cell coupling and lateral migration in memory devices based on a sensitivity metric > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,119,062 B2 - Document ID: US12119062B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/884,113 - Filed: 2022-08-09 - Published: 2024-02-15 - Granted: 2024-10-15 - Earliest claimed: 2022-08-09 - Assignees: Micron Technology, Inc. - Applicants: Micron Technology, Inc. - Inventors: Mustafa N. Kaynak; Patrick R. Khayat; Sivagnanam Parthasarathy - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12119062B2 ## CPC - G11C 16/08: Address circuits; Decoders; Word-line control circuits - G06F 3/0604: {Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management} - G06F 3/0655: {Vertical data movement, i.e. input-output transfer; data movement between one or more hosts and one or more storage devices} - G06F 3/0679: {Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]} - G11C 11/5628: {Programming or writing circuits; Data input circuits} - G11C 16/10: Programming or data input circuits - G11C 16/3427: {Circuits or methods to prevent or reduce disturbance of the state of a memory cell when neighbouring cells are read or written} - G11C 16/3459: {Circuits or methods to verify correct programming of nonvolatile memory cells} - G11C 11/5642: {Sensing or reading circuits; Data output circuits} - G11C 16/0483: {comprising cells having several storage transistors connected in series} - G11C 2211/5621: Multilevel programming verification - G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B) - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) ## Abstract Embodiments disclosed can include determining, for a wordline of the plurality of wordlines, a respective value of a sensitivity metric that reflects a sensitivity of a threshold voltage of a memory cell associated with the wordline to a change in a threshold voltage of an adjacent memory cell. Embodiments can also include determining, for the wordline, that the respective value of the sensitivity metric satisfies a threshold criterion. Embodiments can further include responsive to determining that the respective value of the sensitivity metric satisfies the threshold criterion, associating the wordline with a first wordline group, wherein the first wordline group comprises one or more wordlines, and wherein each wordline of the one or more wordlines is associated with a respective value of the sensitivity metric that satisfies the threshold criterion. Embodiments can include performing, on a specified memory cell connected to the wordline associated with the first wordline group, a compensatory operation. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: a memory device comprising a plurality of memory cells each associated with a corresponding wordline of a plurality of wordlines located on a die of the memory device; and a processing device, operatively coupled with the memory device, to perform operations comprising: determining, for a wordline of the plurality of wordlines, a respective value of a sensitivity metric that reflects a sensitivity of a threshold voltage of a memory cell associated with the wordline to a change in a threshold voltage of an adjacent memory cell; determining, for the wordline, that the respective value of the sensitivity metric satisfies a threshold criterion; responsive to determining that the respective value of the sensitivity metric satisfies the threshold criterion, associating the wordline with a first wordline group, wherein the first wordline group comprises one or more wordlines, and wherein each wordline of the one or more wordlines is associated with a respective value of the sensitivity metric that satisfies the threshold criterion; and performing, on a specified memory cell connected to the wordline associated with the first wordline group, a compensatory operation to adjust one or more voltages applied to the specified memory cell. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: storing, on the memory device, a record referencing the one or more wordlines associated with the first wordline group, wherein the record indicates, for each wordline in the first wordline group, a corresponding location on the die of the memory device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: determining, for the wordline, that the respective value of the sensitivity metric does not satisfy the threshold criterion; and responsive to determining that the respective value of the sensitivity metric does not satisfy the threshold criterion, associating the wordline with a second wordline group, wherein the second wordline group comprises one or more wordlines, and wherein each wordline of the one or more wordlines is associated with a respective value of the sensitivity metric that does not satisfy the threshold criterion. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein performing the compensatory operation comprises: receiving a request to perform a memory access operation on the specified memory cell; determining, based on a record that references the one or more wordlines in the first wordline group, that the specified memory cell is associated with a wordline of the one or more wordlines in the first wordline group; and applying an adjustment to the one or more voltages applied to the specified memory cell responsive to determining that the specified memory cell is associated with the wordline of the one or more wordlines in the first wordline group. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the adjustment to the one or more voltages applied to the specified memory cell compensates for a programming level of an aggressor memory cell, wherein the aggressor memory cell is adjacent to the specified memory cell. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The system of claim 4, wherein the adjustment to the one or more voltages applied to the specified memory cell comprises an adjustment to a program verify (PV) voltage with respect to the specified memory cell. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein determining the respective value of the sensitivity metric comprises: determining a difference between the threshold voltage of the memory cell associated with the wordline corresponding to a first programming level of the threshold voltage of the adjacent memory cell and the threshold voltage of the memory cell associated with the wordline corresponding to a second programming level of the threshold voltage of the adjacent memory cell, wherein the first programming level is a maximum programming level and the second programming level is a minimum programming level of the adjacent memory cell. ### Claim 8 A method comprising: determining, by a processing device operatively coupled with a memory device comprising a plurality of memory cells each associated with a corresponding wordline of a plurality of wordlines located on a die of the memory device, for a wordline of the plurality of wordlines, a respective value of a sensitivity metric that reflects a sensitivity of a threshold voltage of a memory cell associated with the wordline to a change in a threshold voltage of an adjacent memory cell; determining, for the wordline, that the respective value of the sensitivity metric satisfies a threshold criterion; responsive to determining that the respective value of the sensitivity metric satisfies the threshold criterion, associating the wordline with a first wordline group, wherein the first wordline group comprises one or more wordlines, and wherein each wordline of the one or more wordlines is associated with a respective value of the sensitivity metric that satisfies the threshold criterion; and performing, on a specified memory cell connected to the wordline associated with the first wordline group, a compensatory operation to adjust one or more voltages applied to the specified memory cell. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: storing, on the memory device, a record referencing the one or more wordlines associated with the first wordline group, wherein the record indicates, for each wordline in the first wordline group, a corresponding location on the die of the memory device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: determining, for the wordline, that the respective value of the sensitivity metric does not satisfy the threshold criterion; and responsive to determining that the respective value of the sensitivity metric does not satisfy the threshold criterion, associating the wordline with a second wordline group, wherein the second wordline group comprises one or more wordlines, and wherein each wordline of the one or more wordlines is associated with a respective value of the sensitivity metric that does not satisfy the threshold criterion. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein performing the compensatory operation comprises: receiving a request to perform a memory access operation on the specified memory cell; determining, based on a record that references the one or more wordlines in the first wordline group, that the specified memory cell is associated with a wordline of the one or more wordlines in the first wordline group; and applying an adjustment to the one or more voltages applied to the specified memory cell responsive to determining that the specified memory cell is associated with the wordline of the one or more wordlines in the first wordline group. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the adjustment to the one or more voltages applied to the specified memory cell compensates for a programming level of an aggressor memory cell, wherein the aggressor memory cell is adjacent to the specified memory cell. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the adjustment to the one or more voltages applied to the specified memory cell comprises an adjustment to a program verify (PV) voltage with respect to the specified memory cell. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein determining the respective value of the sensitivity metric comprises: determining a difference between the threshold voltage of the memory cell associated with the wordline corresponding to a first programming level of the threshold voltage of the adjacent memory cell and the threshold voltage of the memory cell associated with the wordline corresponding to a second programming level of the threshold voltage of the adjacent memory cell, wherein the first programming level is a maximum programming level and the second programming level is a minimum programming level of the adjacent memory cell. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform operations comprising: determining, for a wordline of a plurality of wordlines, a respective value of a sensitivity metric that reflects a sensitivity of a threshold voltage of a memory cell associated with the wordline to a change in a threshold voltage of an adjacent memory cell; determining, for the wordline, that the respective value of the sensitivity metric satisfies a threshold criterion; responsive to determining that the respective value of the sensitivity metric satisfies the threshold criterion, associating the wordline with a first wordline group, wherein the first wordline group comprises one or more wordlines, and wherein each wordline of the one or more wordlines is associated with a respective value of the sensitivity metric that satisfies the threshold criterion; storing, on a memory device, a record referencing the one or more wordlines associated with the first wordline group, wherein the record indicates, for each wordline in the first wordline group, a corresponding location on a die of the memory device; and performing, on a specified memory cell connected to the wordline associated with the first wordline group, a compensatory operation to adjust one or more voltages applied to the specified memory cell. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein to perform the compensatory operation, the processing device is to perform operations further comprising: receiving a request to perform a memory access operation on the specified memory cell; determining, based on the record, that the specified memory cell is associated with a wordline of the one or more wordlines in the first wordline group; and applying an adjustment to the one or more voltages applied to the specified memory cell responsive to determining that the specified memory cell is associated with the wordline of the one or more wordlines in the first wordline group. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the adjustment to the one or more voltages applied to the specified memory cell compensates for a programming level of an aggressor memory cell, wherein the aggressor memory cell is adjacent to the specified memory cell. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the processing device is to perform operations further comprising: determining, for the wordline, that the respective value of the sensitivity metric does not satisfy the threshold criterion; and responsive to determining that the respective value of the sensitivity metric does not satisfy the threshold criterion, associating the wordline with a second wordline group, wherein the second wordline group comprises one or more wordlines, and wherein each wordline of the one or more wordlines is associated with a respective value of the sensitivity metric that does not satisfy the threshold criterion. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein, to determine the respective value of the sensitivity metric, the processing device is to perform operations further comprising: determining a difference between the threshold voltage of the memory cell associated with the wordline corresponding to a first programming level of the adjacent memory cell and the threshold voltage of the memory cell associated with the wordline corresponding to a second programming level of the adjacent memory cell, wherein the first programming level is a maximum programming level and the second programming level is a minimum programming level of the adjacent memory cell. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the adjustment to the one or more voltages applied to the specified memory cell comprises an adjustment to a program verify (PV) voltage with respect to the specified memory cell.