Abstract: A method is described. The method includes performing the following on a flash memory chip: measuring a temperature of the flash memory chip; and, changing a program step size voltage of the flash memory chip because the temperature of the flash memory chip has changed.

Abstract: Apparatus, systems, or methods for a memory array having a plurality of word lines. A word line includes at least one word line plate, and the word line plate comprises a first material with a first resistivity. An edge of the word line plate is recessed and filled with a second material having a second resistivity that is lower than the first resistivity. As a result, the total resistance of the word line may be reduced compared to a word line using only the first material with the first resistivity. Other embodiments may also be described and claimed.

Abstract: An apparatus and/or system is described including a memory device or a controller for the memory device to perform heating of the memory device. In embodiments, a controller is to receive a temperature of the memory device and determine that the temperature is below a threshold temperature. In embodiments, the controller activates a heater for one or more memory die to assist the memory device in moving the temperature towards the threshold temperature, to assist the memory device when reading data. In embodiments, the heater comprises a plurality of conductive channels included in the one or more memory die or other on-board heater. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.

Abstract: In one aspect of programmed state verification in accordance with the present description, the voltage levels on bitlines of non-target storage cells are each boosted by applying a non-zero offset or delta value, ?V, to the bitlines of non-target storage cells during a precharge subinterval. A bitline verification voltage applied to a bitline of a target storage cell causes the voltage of the bitline to ramp up from the boosted ?V value. As a result, starting from an initial value which is the higher or boosted ?V value, the bitline voltage ramps up more quickly during the precharge subinterval to the bitline verification voltage level to improve system performance. In addition, the bitline verification voltage applied to bitlines of target storage cells during the precharge subinterval, can be at a relatively high value to maintain the accuracy of program state verification.

Abstract: Examples herein relate to determining a number of defective bit lines in a memory region prior to applying a program or erase voltages. If a threshold number of bit lines that pass during a program or erase verify operation is used to determine if the program or erase operation passes or fails, the determined number of defective bit lines can be used to adjust the determined number of passes or fails. In some cases, examples described herein can avoid use of extra bit lines and look-up table circuitry to use in place of defective bit lines and save silicon space and cost associated with the use of extra bit-lines. In some examples, a starting magnitude of a program voltage signal can be determined by considering a number of defective bit lines. In some examples, identification of open or shorted bit lines can be used to identify read operations involving those open or shorted bit lines as weak in connection with performing soft bit read correction.

Abstract: Memory devices might be configured to perform methods including reading a first page of memory cells and flag data wherein the flag data indicates whether a second page of memory cells adjacent to the first page is programmed, and determining from the flag data whether to re-read the first page of memory cells with an adjusted read voltage; performing a sense operation on memory cells coupled to first data lines of a first array of memory cells and memory cells coupled to data lines of a second array of memory cells, and determining a program indication of memory cells coupled to second data lines from the sense operation performed on the memory cells coupled to the data lines of the second array of memory cells; and/or programming memory cells coupled to first data lines in a first array of memory cells, and programming memory cells coupled to second data lines in the first array of memory cells while programming memory cells coupled to data lines in a second array of memory cells with flag data indicative o

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses and methods may provide for technology that programs a first plurality of error correction codewords to a first set of pages in a block of non-volatile memory, wherein the first plurality of error correction codewords are programmed at a first density. The technology may also program a second plurality of error correction codewords to a second set of pages in the block, wherein the second plurality of error correction codewords are programmed at a second density. In one example, the first density and the second density are different from one another.

Abstract: Examples herein relate to determining a number of defective bit lines in a memory region prior to applying a program or erase voltages. If a threshold number of bit lines that pass during a program or erase verify operation is used to determine if the program or erase operation passes or fails, the determined number of defective bit lines can be used to adjust the determined number of passes or fails. In some cases, examples described herein can avoid use of extra bit lines and look-up table circuitry to use in place of defective bit lines and save silicon space and cost associated with the use of extra bit-lines. In some examples, a starting magnitude of a program voltage signal can be determined by considering a number of defective bit lines.

Abstract: Examples herein relate to determining a number of defective bit lines in a memory region prior to applying a program or erase voltages. If a threshold number of bit lines that pass during a program or erase verify operation is used to determine if the program or erase operation passes or fails, the determined number of defective bit lines can be used to adjust the determined number of passes or fails. In some cases, examples described herein can avoid use of extra bit lines and look-up table circuitry to use in place of defective bit lines and save silicon space and cost associated with the use of extra bit-lines. In some examples, a starting magnitude of a program voltage signal can be determined by considering a number of defective bit lines.

Abstract: Memories having a controller configured to perform methods during programming operations including apply a first voltage level to a data line selectively connected to a selected memory cell selected, apply a lower second voltage level to a select gate connected between the data line and the memory cell, decrease the voltage level applied to the data line from the first voltage level to a third voltage level while continuing to apply the second voltage level to the select gate, increase the voltage level applied to the select gate from the second voltage level to a fourth voltage level after the voltage level of the data line settles to the third voltage level, and apply a programming voltage to the memory cell after increasing the voltage level applied to the select gate to the fourth voltage level.

Abstract: Systems, apparatuses and methods may provide for technology that reads a lower page, one or more intermediate pages and a last page from a set of multi-level non-volatile memory (NVM) cells, wherein one or more of a lower read time associated with the lower page or a last read time associated with the last page is substantially similar to an intermediate read time associated with the one or more intermediate pages.

Abstract: One-sided soft reads can enable improved error-correction over regular reads without significantly increasing the latency for reads. In one example, a flash storage device includes an array of storage cells and a controller to access the array of storage cells. The controller is to perform at least one read of a storage cell to cause a read strobe to be applied at an expected read reference voltage and also cause one or more additional read strobes to be applied at voltages on only one side of the expected read reference voltage (e.g., which in some cases involves applying the additional one or more read strobes at a voltage with a slightly lower or higher magnitude than the magnitude of the expected read reference voltage). The controller can then provide a logic value and one or more bits indicating confidence or reliability of the logic value's accuracy based on an electrical response of the storage cell to the read strobe and the one or more additional read strobes.

Abstract: An apparatus and/or system is described including a memory device or a controller to perform programming and verification operations including application of a shared voltage level to verify two program voltage levels of a multi-level cell device. For example, in embodiments, the control circuitry performs a program operation to program a memory cell and performs a verification operation by applying a single or shared verify voltage level to verify that the memory cell is programmed to a corresponding program voltage level. In embodiments, the program voltage level is one of two consecutive program voltage levels of a plurality of program voltage levels to be verified by application of the shared verify voltage. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.

Abstract: Reduction of program disturb degradation in a flash memory cell array is facilitated by selectively switching wordline voltage levels in a sequence that reduces the likelihood of trapping electrons in memory cell channels. During a program verify operation for a memory cell in a memory cell string, a flash memory system switches wordline voltage levels from high-to-low for interface wordlines, prior to switching wordline voltages from high-to-low for other wordlines in a memory cell string. Selectively switching wordlines in a sequence in the memory cell string enables electrons to migrate to ground or to a source voltage through upper and lower select gates.

Abstract: Memories having a controller configured to perform methods during programming operations including applying a first voltage level to first and second data lines while applying a second, lower, voltage level to first and second select gates connected between the data lines and respective strings of memory cells; decreasing a voltage level of the first data line to a third voltage level; increasing a voltage level of the first select gate to a fourth voltage level; applying a fifth voltage level, higher than the first voltage level, to first and second access lines coupled to memory cells of the strings of memory cells; and increasing a voltage level of the first access line to a sixth voltage level.

Abstract: Methods, and apparatuses to erase and or soft program a block of NAND memory may include performing an erase cycle on a block of NAND memory comprising two or more sub-blocks, verifying the two or more sub-blocks until a sub-block fails to verify, stopping the verification in response to the failed verify, performing another erase cycle on the block of NAND memory, and re-starting to verify the two or more sub-blocks at the sub-block that failed to verify.

Abstract: The inhibit voltage is a voltage applied to wordlines adjacent to a program wordline having a memory cell to write during the program operation. The inhibit voltage for a program operation can be ramped up during the program pulse. Instead of applying a constant high inhibit voltage that results in the initial boosted channel potential reducing drastically due to leakage, a system can start the inhibit voltage lower and ramp the inhibit voltage up during the program pulse. The ramping up can be a continuous ramp or in finite discrete steps during the program pulse. Such ramping of inhibit voltage can provide better tradeoff between program disturb and inhibit disturb.

Abstract: Reduction of program disturb degradation in a flash memory cell array is facilitated by selectively switching wordline voltage levels in a sequence that reduces the likelihood of trapping electrons in memory cell channels. During a program verify operation for a memory cell in a memory cell string, a flash memory system switches wordline voltage levels from high-to-low for interface wordlines, prior to switching wordline voltages from high-to-low for other wordlines in a memory cell string. Selectively switching wordlines in a sequence in the memory cell string enables electrons to migrate to ground or to a source voltage through upper and lower select gates.

Abstract: A non-volatile memory unit receives a request from a controller to read encoded data stored in a non-volatile memory of the non-volatile memory unit. In response to determining by logic included in the non-volatile memory unit that the controller is estimated to be able to successfully decode the encoded data more than a predetermined percentage of times, the encoded data is transferred from the non-volatile memory unit to the controller.

Abstract: A system for facilitating multiple concurrent page reads in a memory array is provided. Memory cells that have multiple programming states (e.g., store multiple bits per cell) rely on various control gate and wordline voltages levels to read the memory cells. Therefore, to concurrently read multiple pages of memory cells, where each page includes one or more different programming levels, a memory controller includes first wordline control logic that includes a first voltage regulator and includes second wordline control logic that includes a second voltage regulator, according to one embodiment. The two voltage regulators enable the memory controller to concurrently address and access multiple pages of memory at different programming levels, in response to memory read requests, according to one embodiment.