Phase change random access memory device and related methods of operation
AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
InventorsHye-jin Kim, Kwang-jin Lee, Du-eung Kim
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Abstract
A method of operating a phase change random access memory (PRAM) device includes performing a program operation to store data in selected PRAM cells of the device, wherein the program operation comprises a plurality of sequential program loops. The method further comprises suspending the program operation in the middle of the program operation, and after suspending the program operation, resuming the program operation in response to a resume command.
Claims18
A method of operating a memory device comprising a memory cell array including a plurality of memory cells arranged in a plurality of memory blocks, the method comprising:
- programming all memory cells of one memory block among the plurality of memory blocks to program the memory cells with a predetermined logical state data by performing a program operation comprising a plurality of successive subset programs applied to respective subsets of the memory cells,
- suspending the program operation;
- after suspending the program operation, performing a read operation to read a data stored in at least one memory cell;
- and
- after performing the read operation, resuming the program operation.
A memory device comprising:
- a memory cell array including a plurality of memory cells arranged in a plurality of memory blocks;
- and
- a control unit configured to receive a program command causing execution of a program operation directed to all memory cells of one memory block in the plurality of memory blocks, the program operation comprising a plurality of successive subset programs applied to respective subsets of the selected memory cells, and the control unit comprising a register configured to store a control data value, the control unit being further configured to execute a suspend command to suspending the program operation during the plurality of successive subset programs, execute a read command after suspending the program operation to read a data stored in at least one memory cell, and execute a resume command resuming execution of the program operation after executing the read command.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.