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US 2024/0404608 A1Published application
Non-volatile memory with decline state operation
AssigneeWestern Digital Technologies, Inc.
InventorsLiang Li, Ming Wang, Jiahui Yuan
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A non-volatile memory is configured to transition memory cells from programmed data states with the higher ranges of threshold voltages to programmed data states with the lower ranges of threshold voltages without the transitioning the memory cells to the erased data state.
Claims20
A non-volatile storage apparatus, comprising:
- a plurality of non-volatile memory cells, each of the memory cells are configured to store data in a set of data states, each of the data states correspond to a range of threshold voltages, the set of data states include an erased data state and programmed data states;
- and
- a control circuit connected to the memory cells, the control circuit is configured to transition a first memory cell of the plurality of non-volatile memory cells from a first programmed data state of the set of data states to a second programmed data state of the set of data states without transitioning the first memory cell to the erased data state, the second programmed data state corresponds to a lower ranger of threshold voltages than the first programmed data state.
A method, comprising:
- receiving new data to be programmed into a set of non-volatile memory cells already storing existing data in a set of data states, each of the data states correspond to a range of threshold voltages, the set of data states include an erased data state and programmed data states;
- comparing the new data to the existing data to identify a subset of memory cells in a programmed data state with a higher range of threshold voltages that need to transition to a programmed data state with a lower range of threshold voltages in order to store the new data;
- and
- transitioning the identified memory cells from the programmed data state with the higher range of threshold voltages to the programmed data state with the lower range of threshold voltages without the transitioning the identified memory cells to the erased data state.
1 more element
A non-volatile storage apparatus, comprising:
- a plurality of non-volatile memory cells, each of the memory cells are configured to separately store data in a set of data states, each of the data states correspond to a range of threshold voltages, the set of data states include an erased data state and programmed data states, the programmed data states comprise a first data state adjacent to the erased data state and a highest data state furthest from the erased data state in terms of threshold voltage, the highest data state has a highest range of threshold voltages of the set of data states;
- and
- means for transitioning memory cells from a programmed data state with a higher range of threshold voltages to a programmed data state with a lower range of threshold voltages without transitioning to the erased data state.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.