Memory block quality identification in a memory device
AssigneeMicron Technology, Inc.
InventorFrankie Roohparvar
Life of this patent
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Abstract
If a memory block in a flash memory device is found to have a defect, a memory block quality indication is generated in response to the type of memory defect. This indication is stored in the memory device. In one embodiment, the quality indication is stored in a predetermined location of the defective memory block. Using the quality indication, it can be determined if a system's error correction code scheme is capable of correcting data errors resulting from the defect.
Claims20
A method for implementing a memory block quality indication of a memory block in a system having an error correction code scheme, the method comprising:
- reading the memory block quality indication from a first memory block having a defect;
- and
- determining, in response to the error correction code scheme and the memory block quality indication, if the first memory block is in a usable condition.
An electronic system comprising:
- controller circuitry for generating memory signals and adapted to execute an error correction code scheme;
- and
- a non-volatile memory device coupled to the controller circuitry and operating in response to the memory signals, the device comprising:
- a memory array having a plurality of memory blocks for storing data, each memory block having a predetermined memory location for storing a memory block quality indication code that is usable by the error correction code scheme.
A non-volatile memory device comprising:
- a memory array having a plurality of memory blocks for storing data, each memory block assigned a quality indicator, indicating a defective memory block, that is usable by an error correction code scheme;
- and
- controller circuitry coupled to the memory array and adapted to perform program and erase operations on the memory array.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.