Method of altering distribution of a chosen characteristic of a plurality of memory cells forming a memory device
US8488369B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 10, 2011 |
| Grant date | Jul 16, 2013 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 6, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11C11/412
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method is provided for altering distribution of a chosen characteristic of a plurality of memory cells forming a memory device. The method comprises identifying a subset of the memory cells whose value of the chosen characteristic is within a predetermined end region of the distribution, and then performing a burn-in process during which one or more operating parameters of the memory device are set to induce aging of the memory cells. During the burn-in process, for each memory cell in the subset, the value stored in that memory cell is fixed to a selected value which exposes that memory cell to a stress condition. In contrast, for each memory cell not in the subset, the value stored in that memory cell is alternated during the burn-in process in order to alleviate exposure of that memory cell to the stress condition. Such an approach allows a tightening of the distribution of the chosen characteristic, thus improving the worst case memory cells.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.