Patent · US Active

Estimation of memory cell read thresholds by sampling inside programming level distribution intervals

US8482978B1 · kind B1 · utility

12Cited by
375References
28Claims
0Family size

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Key dates

Filing dateJun 28, 2011
Grant dateJul 9, 2013
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 18, 2031

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C2211/5634
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method for data storage includes storing data in a group of analog memory cells by writing into the memory cells in the group respective storage values, which program each of the analog memory cells to a respective programming state selected from a predefined set of programming states, including at least first and second programming states, which are applied respectively to first and second subsets of the memory cells, whereby the storage values held in the memory cells in the first and second subsets are distributed in accordance with respective first and second distributions. A first median of the first distribution is estimated, and a read threshold, which differentiates between the first and second programming states, is calculated based on the estimated first median. The data is retrieved from the analog memory cells in the group by reading the storage values using the calculated read threshold.

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