# US 2020/0401482 A1 · Memory controller and method of operating the same

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2020/0401482 A1
- Document ID: US20200401482A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/012,805
- Filed: 2020-09-04
- Published: 2020-12-24
- Earliest claimed: 2018-01-31
- Assignees: SK hynix Inc.
- Applicants: SK hynix Inc.
- Inventors: Yeong Dong GIM
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200401482A1

## CPC

- G06F 11/1068: {in sector programmable memories, e.g. flash disk (G06F11/1072 takes precedence)}
- G06F 11/1048: {using arrangements adapted for a specific error detection or correction feature}
- G11C 11/5642: {Sensing or reading circuits; Data output circuits}
- G11C 11/5671: {using charge trapping in an insulator}
- G11C 16/26: Sensing or reading circuits; Data output 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 29/021: {in voltage or current generators}
- G11C 29/028: {with adaption or trimming of parameters}
- G11C 29/52: Protection of memory contents; Detection of errors in memory contents
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B)

## Abstract

Provided herein may be a memory controller and an operating method thereof. The memory controller may include: a read fail control circuit configured to perform, when the read operation fails, an assist read operation of determining optimal read voltages to be used to read the selected memory cells, and determine whether a threshold voltage distribution of the selected memory cells is an abnormal distribution based on read-related information obtained by the read operation and the assist read operation; and an error correction code (ECC) engine configured to perform an ECC decoding operation on hard decision data obtained by reading the selected memory cells using the optimal read voltages based on whether the threshold voltage distribution of the selected memory cells is the abnormal distribution.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An operating method of a memory system, comprising:
performing a read operation on memory cells having a threshold voltage distribution in response to a read request; and
outputting a signal indicating a failure of the read operation, without performing a soft decoding operation corresponding to the read operation, based on an abnormality of the threshold voltage distribution,
wherein the read operation comprises:
performing a default read operation with a default read voltage on the memory cells;
in response to a failure of the default read operation, searching a new read voltage by evaluating a shift of the threshold voltage distribution of the memory cells using a predetermined algorithm, the predetermined algorithm comprising performing one or more read operations with one or more predetermined read voltages, which are different from the default read voltage, on the memory cells; and
determining the abnormality of the threshold voltage distribution based on the default read voltage and the new read voltage.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The operating method according to claim 1, wherein the abnormality of the threshold voltage distribution is determined based on whether the new read voltage falls within a voltage range defined by the default read voltage and a predetermined voltage value.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The operating method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined algorithm further comprises counting a number of memory cells included in a threshold voltage interval defined by the one or more read operations.

### Claim 4

An operating method of a memory system, comprising:
performing a read operation on memory cells having a threshold voltage distribution in response to a read request; and
outputting a signal indicating a failure of the read operation, without performing a soft decoding operation corresponding to the read operation, based on an abnormality of the threshold voltage distribution,
wherein the read operation comprises:
performing a default read operation with default read voltages on the memory cells;
in response to a failure of the default read operation, searching new read voltages by evaluating a shift of the threshold voltage distribution of the memory cells using a predetermined algorithm, the predetermined algorithm comprising performing one or more read operations with one or more predetermined read voltages, which are different from the default read voltages, on the memory cells; and
determining the abnormality of the threshold voltage distribution based on the new read voltages.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The operating method according to claim 4, wherein the abnormality of the threshold voltage distribution is determined based on a width of an interval defined by the new read voltages.

### Claim 6

A memory system, comprising:
a memory device including memory cells having a threshold voltage distribution; and
a controller configured to:
control the memory device to perform a default read operation with default read voltages on the memory cells in response to a read request from a host;
in response to a failure of the default read operation, search new read voltages by evaluating a shift of the threshold voltage distribution of the memory cells by controlling the memory device to perform one or more read operations with one or more predetermined read voltages, which are different from the default read voltages, on the memory cells;
determine an abnormality of the threshold voltage distribution based on the new read voltages; and
output a signal indicating a failure of an operation according to the read request, without performing a soft decoding operation corresponding to the read operation, based on the abnormality of the threshold voltage distribution.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The memory system according to claim 6, wherein the abnormality of the threshold voltage distribution is determined based on a width of an interval defined by the new read voltages.

### Claim 8

A memory system, comprising:
a memory device including memory cells having a threshold voltage distribution; and
a controller configured to:
control the memory device to perform a default read operation with a default read voltage on the memory cells in response to a read request from a host;
in response to a failure of the default read operation, search a new read voltage by evaluating a shift of the threshold voltage distribution of the memory cells by controlling the memory device to perform one or more read operations with one or more predetermined read voltages, which are different from the default read voltage, on the memory cells; and
determine an abnormality of the threshold voltage distribution based on the default read voltage and the new read voltage; and
output a signal indicating a failure of an operation according to the read request, without performing a soft decoding operation corresponding to the read operation, based on the abnormality of the threshold voltage distribution.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The memory system according to claim 8, wherein the abnormality of the threshold voltage distribution is determined based on whether the new read voltage falls within a voltage range defined by the default read voltage and a predetermined voltage value.

### Claim 10

An operating method of a memory system, comprising:
performing a read operation on memory cells having a threshold voltage distribution in response to a read request; and
outputting a response signal based on a result of the read operation,
wherein the read operation comprises:
performing a default read operation with a default read voltage on the memory cells;
in response to a failure of the default read operation, searching a new read voltage by evaluating a shift of the threshold voltage distribution of the memory cells;
determining an abnormality of the threshold voltage distribution based on a difference between the default read voltage and the new read voltage; and
determining whether to use read data by the new read voltage in an error correction decoding operation based on the determination of the abnormality.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The operating method according to claim 10, wherein the searching the new read voltage is performed using a predetermined algorithm, the predetermined algorithm comprising performing one or more read operations with one or more predetermined read voltages, which are different from the default read voltage, on the memory cells.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The operating method according to claim 10, wherein the abnormality of the threshold voltage distribution is determined based on whether the new read voltage falls within a voltage range defined by the default read voltage and a predetermined voltage value.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The operating method according to claim 10, wherein the predetermined algorithm further comprises counting a number of memory cells included in a threshold voltage interval defined by the one or more read operations.

### Claim 14

A memory system, comprising:
a memory device including memory cells having a threshold voltage distribution; and
a controller configured to:
control the memory device to perform a default read operation with default read voltages on the memory cells in response to a read request from a host;
in response to a failure of the default read operation, search new read voltages by evaluating a shift of the threshold voltage distribution of the memory cells by controlling the memory device to perform one or more read operations with one or more predetermined read voltages, which are different from the default read voltages, on the memory cells;
determine an abnormality of the threshold voltage distribution based on a difference between the default read voltage and the new read voltage; and
determine whether to use a read result by the new read voltage in an error correction decoding operation based on the determination of the abnormality.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The memory system according to claim 14, wherein the abnormality of the threshold voltage distribution is determined based on whether the new read voltage falls within a voltage range defined by the default read voltage and a predetermined voltage value.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The memory system according to claim 14, wherein the predetermined algorithm further comprises counting a number of memory cells included in a threshold voltage interval defined by the one or more read operations.