Patent · US Active

Data hardening to compensate for loss of data retention characteristics in a non-volatile memory

US8799747B2 · kind B2 · utility

21Cited by
28References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 3, 2010
Grant dateAug 5, 2014
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 28, 2031

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C16/3431
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Method and apparatus for enhancing reliability and integrity of data stored in a non-volatile memory, such as in a solid-state drive (SSD) having an array of flash memory cells. In accordance with various embodiments, a controller is adapted to harden data stored in a first location of said memory in relation to a detected loss of retention characteristics of the first location. In some embodiments, the data are hardened by storing redundancy information associated with said data in a second location of said memory. The redundancy information can be a redundant set of the data or higher level error correct codes (ECC). The hardened data can be recovered to the host during a read operation by accessing the data stored in both the first and second locations.

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