Refresh operations that change address mappings in a non-volatile memory
AssigneeMulti Level Memory Technology
InventorSau Ching Wong
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A multi-bit-per-cell non-volatile memory performs refresh operations that move data to different physical storage locations. The movement of data may extend the life of a non-volatile memory by avoiding repetitive erasing and writing of the same data value in the same memory cell. A memory mapping circuit in the memory adjusts for different storage configuration that the refresh operations create. In a particular embodiment, a refresh operation swaps the physical locations of two data blocks, and alternates between two mappings of physical addresses to logical addresses.
Claims8
A method for operating a non-volatile memory, comprising:
- performing a first refresh operation that reads data from a first location having first physical address in the non-volatile memory and writes the data to a second location having a second physical address in the memory;
- operating the memory using a first address mapping that maps a logical address corresponding to the data to the second physical address;
- performing a second refresh operation that reads the data from the second location in the non-volatile memory and writes the data to the first location in the memory;
- and
- operating the memory using a second address mapping that maps the logical address corresponding to the data to the second physical address.
A method for operating a non-volatile memory, comprising:
- performing a series of refresh operations wherein the refresh operations in the series alternate between a first type of refresh operation and a second type of refresh operation, wherein the first type of refresh operation that reads data from a first location having first physical address in the non-volatile memory and writes the data to a second location having a second physical address in the memory, and the second type of refresh operation reads the data from the second location in the non-volatile memory and writes the data to the first location in the memory;
- operating the memory using a first address mapping that maps a logical address corresponding to the data to the second physical address;
- and
- operating the memory using a second address mapping that maps the logical address corresponding to the data to the second physical address.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.