SLC-MLC wear balancing
US9176862B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Dec 29, 2011 |
| Grant date | Nov 3, 2015 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 23, 2032 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11C2211/5641
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and system for SLC-MLC Wear Balancing in a flash memory device is disclosed. The flash memory device includes a single level cell (SLC) portion and a multi-level cell (MLC) portion. The age of the SLC portion and the MLC portion may differ, leading potentially to one portion wearing out before the other. In order to avoid this, a controller is configured to receive an age indicator from one or both of the SLC portion and the MLC portion, determine, based on the age indicator, whether to modify operation of the SLC portion and/or the MLC portion, and in response to determining to modifying operation, modify the operation of the at least one of the SLC portion or the MLC portion. The modification of the operation may thus balance wear between the SLC and MLC portions, thereby potentially extending the life of the flash memory device.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.