# US 12,603,139 B2 · Non-volatile memory with high performance read > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,603,139 B2 - Document ID: US12603139B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/362,509 - Filed: 2023-07-31 - Published: 2025-02-06 - Granted: 2026-04-14 - Earliest claimed: 2023-07-31 - Assignees: SanDisk Technologies LLC - Applicants: Sandisk Technologies, Inc. - Inventors: Jiahui Yuan; Jiacen Guo; Deepanshu Dutta - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12603139B2 ## CPC - 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 16/08: Address circuits; Decoders; Word-line control circuits - G11C 16/26: Sensing or reading circuits; Data output circuits - G11C 16/32: Timing 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: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B) ## Abstract When performing a read process, a non-volatile memory first performs a pre-read sensing of the condition of memory cells connected to neighbor word lines. While applying a first word line voltage associated with a first programmed data state to the selected word line, the memory system performs two sensing operations for the first programmed data state on selected memory cells that have neighbor memory cells on the neighbor word lines in a first condition and perform two sensing operations for the first programmed data state on selected memory cells that have neighbor memory cells on the neighbor word lines in a second condition. Based on that sensing, the data being stored in the set of selected memory cells is determined. In some embodiments, at least one of the two sensing operations for each condition includes sensing soft bit information that improves the data decoding process. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A non-volatile storage apparatus, comprising: a non-volatile memory structure including non-volatile memory cells and word lines connected to the non-volatile memory cells; and a control circuit connected to the non-volatile memory structure, the control circuit is configured to: classify each selected non-volatile memory cell of a set of selected non-volatile memory cells connected to a selected word line into a category of a set of two or more categories based on condition of two respective neighbor non-volatile memory cells, apply a first word line voltage to the selected word line, and perform two sensing operations for each category of the set of two or more categories while applying the first word line voltage to the selected word line in order to read the set of selected non-volatile memory cells such that each selected non-volatile memory cell is sensed two different times, selected non-volatile memory cells classified into a same category are sensed at a same time and selected non-volatile memory cells classified into different categories are sensed at one or more different times in response to the first word line voltage applied to the selected word line, the two sensing operations for each category include a sensing operation for a hard bit of data and a sensing operation for a soft bit of data. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The non-volatile storage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to: perform a pre-read sensing operation to determine conditions of neighbor memory cells connected to neighbor word lines, the neighbor word lines are adjacent to the selected word line, the control circuit is configured to classify each selected non-volatile memory cell of the set of selected non-volatile memory cells into a category of the set of two or more categories based on condition of two respective neighbor non-volatile memory cells sensed during the pre-read sensing operation. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The non-volatile storage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to: perform a single pre-read sensing operation to determine conditions of neighbor memory cells connected to two neighbor word lines, the neighbor word lines are adjacent to the selected word line, the control circuit is configured to classify each selected non-volatile memory cell of the set of selected non-volatile memory cells into a category of the set of two or more categories based on condition of two respective neighbor non-volatile memory cells sensed during the single pre-read sensing operation. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The non-volatile storage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to: perform a single pre-read sensing operation to determine conditions of neighbor memory cells connected to two neighbor word lines, the neighbor word lines are adjacent to the selected word line, the single pre-read sensing operation identifies whether each neighbor memory cell is in a low threshold voltage data state or a high threshold voltage data state, the control circuit is configured to classify selected non-volatile memory cells of the set of selected non-volatile memory cells into a first category if two respective neighbor memory cells are identified to be in the low threshold voltage data state, the control circuit is configured to classify selected non-volatile memory cells of the set of selected non-volatile memory cells into a second category if at least one respective neighbor memory cell is identified to be in the high threshold voltage data state. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The non-volatile storage apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the set of two or more categories comprises a first category and a second category; and the control circuit is configured to perform two sensing operations for each category of the set of two or more categories in response to the first word line voltage applied to the selected word line by first performing a first sensing operation at a first time for the first category, a second sensing operation at a second time that is after the first time for the first category, a third sensing operation at a third time that is after the second time for the second category, and a fourth sensing operation at a fourth time that is after the third time for the second category. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The non-volatile storage apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the set of two or more categories comprises a first category and a second category; and the control circuit is configured to perform two sensing operations for each category of the set of two or more categories in response to the first word line voltage applied to the selected word line by first performing a first sensing operation at a first time for the first category, a second sensing operation at a second time that is after the first time for the first category and the second category, and a third sensing operation at a third time that is after the second time for the second category. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The non-volatile storage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to: determine data being stored in the set of selected memory cells based on the two sensing operations for each category. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The non-volatile storage apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the control circuit includes a memory controller; the two sensing operations for each category identifies two bits of data per memory cell per programmed data state, at least one bit of each two bits of data per memory cell per programmed data state is a soft bit; and the memory controller is configured to determine data being stored in the set of selected memory cells based on the two bits of data per memory cell per programmed data state. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The non-volatile storage apparatus of claim 1, wherein: the set of selected memory cells each store multiple bits of data in multiple pages; and the control circuit is configured to perform the two sensing operations for each category of the set of two or more categories for each of multiple programmed data states to determine data being stored in one page of the set of selected memory cells. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The non-volatile storage apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is further configured to: perform at least three sensing operations while applying the first word line voltage to the selected word line, the performing at least three sensing operations includes the performing of the two or more sensing operations for each category of the set of two or more categories. ### Claim 11 A non-volatile storage apparatus, comprising: a non-volatile memory structure including non-volatile memory cells and word lines connected to the non-volatile memory cells; and a control circuit connected to the non-volatile memory structure, the control circuit is configured to: perform a pre-read sensing operation to determine conditions of neighbor memory cells connected to neighbor word lines, the neighbor word lines are adjacent to a selected word line, a set of selected memory cells are connected to the selected word line, apply a first word line voltage associated with a first programmed data state to the selected word line, while applying the first word line voltage, perform two sensing operations for the first programmed data state on selected memory cells that have neighbor memory cells on the neighbor word lines in a first condition, the two sensing operations include a sensing operation for a hard bit of data and a sensing operation for a soft bit of data for selected memory cells that have neighbor memory cells on the neighbor word lines in the first condition, while applying the first word line voltage, perform two sensing operations for the first programmed data state on selected memory cells that have neighbor memory cells on the neighbor word lines in a second condition, the two sensing operations include a sensing operation for a hard bit of data and a sensing operation for a soft bit of data for selected memory cells that have neighbor memory cells on the neighbor word lines in the first condition, and determine data being stored in the set of selected memory cells based on the two sensing operations for the first programmed data state on selected memory cells that have neighbor memory cells on the neighbor word lines in the first condition and the two sensing operations for the first programmed data state on selected memory cells that have neighbor memory cells on the neighbor word lines in the second condition. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The non-volatile storage apparatus of claim 11, wherein: the first condition comprises two respective neighbor memory cells in low threshold voltage data states; and the second condition comprises at least one respective neighbor memory cell in a high threshold voltage data state. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The non-volatile storage apparatus of claim 11, wherein the control circuit is configured to: perform a single pre-read sensing operation to determine conditions of neighbor memory cells connected to two neighbor word lines, the single pre-read sensing operation identifies whether each neighbor memory cell is in a low threshold voltage data state or a high threshold voltage data state, the first condition comprises two respective neighbor memory cells in low threshold voltage data states, the second condition comprises at least one respective neighbor memory cell in a high threshold voltage data state. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The non-volatile storage apparatus of claim 11, wherein: the control circuit is configured to perform two sensing operations for the first programmed data state on selected memory cells that have neighbor memory cells on the neighbor word lines in the first condition and perform two sensing operations for the first programmed data state on selected memory cells that have neighbor memory cells on the neighbor word lines in the second condition by first performing a first sensing operation at a first time for the selected memory cells that have neighbor memory cells in the first condition, second performing a second sensing at a second time after the first time for the selected memory cells that have neighbor memory cells in the first condition and for the selected memory cells that have neighbor memory cells in the second condition, and a third sensing operation at a third time that is after the second time for the selected memory cells that have neighbor memory cells on the neighbor word lines in the second condition. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The non-volatile storage apparatus of claim 11, wherein: the control circuit is further configured to perform a pre-read sensing operation to determine conditions of neighbor memory cells connected to neighbor word lines by performing sensing operations for two neighbor memory cells. ### Claim 16 A method, comprising: performing a sensing operation for memory cells connected to one or more neighbor word lines, the neighbor word lines are adjacent to a selected word line for reading; classifying each selected memory cell of a set of selected memory cells connected to the selected word line into a category of a set of two or more categories based on the sensing operation for memory cells connected to one or more neighbor word lines; applying a first word line voltage associated with a first programmed data state to the selected word line; performing at least three sensing operations while applying the first word line voltage including performing two or more sensing operations for each category for the first programmed data state; and determining data being stored in the set of selected memory cells based on the two or more sensing operations for each category for the first programmed data state. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein: the performing the sensing operation for memory cells connected to one or more neighbor word lines comprises performing a single pre-read sensing operation to determine conditions of neighbor memory cells connected to two neighbor word lines, the single pre-read sensing operation identifies whether each neighbor memory cell is in a low threshold voltage data state or a high threshold voltage data state; and the classifying comprises classifying selected non-volatile memory cells of the set of selected non-volatile memory cells into a first category if two respective neighbor memory cells are identified to be in low threshold voltage data states and classifying selected non-volatile memory cells of the set of selected non-volatile memory cells into the second condition if at least one respective neighbor memory cell is identified to be in a high threshold voltage data state. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein: the two sensing operations for each category include a sensing operation for a hard bit of data and a sensing operation for a soft bit of data for selected memory cells. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein: the performing the sensing operation for memory cells connected to one or more neighbor word lines compromise performing the sensing operation for memory cells connected to two neighbor word lines.