Patent · US Expired

Memory system

US6064591A · kind A · utility

89Cited by
36References
29Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 9, 1998
Grant dateMay 16, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 9, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C2211/5644
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A memory system according to the present invention includes a memory portion including a memory cell for storing n-level data (n is an integer equal to or larger than 3, for example, 4) data, wherein the memory cell is operated as an n-level data storing memory cell when the number of times of write-erase sequence is smaller than a predetermined number of times, and the memory cell is operated as an m-level (m is an integer smaller than n, for example, 3) data storing memory cell when the number of times of write-erase sequence has exceeded the predetermined number of times. The number of information items (values) which can be stored in one memory cell is decreased with respect to a predetermined number of times of write-erase sequence. Thus, a memory system including a multi-level data storing memory cell and exhibiting improved durability against write-erase sequence operations is provided.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.