Patents by Inventor Jeffrey S. McNeil

Jeffrey S. McNeil has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11710523
    Abstract: Apparatus having a controller configured to connect a string of series-connected memory cells (e.g., a NAND string) to a node, perform a sensing operation on a selected memory cell of the NAND string while the selected memory cell is connected to the node through a first field-effect transistor (FET) between the node and the NAND string and through a second FET between the first FET and the NAND string, connect a control gate of the first FET to receive a lower voltage level after performing the sensing operation, connect the control gate of the second FET to receive the lower voltage level after connecting the control gate of the first FET to receive the lower voltage level, and connect a control gate of the selected memory cell to receive the lower voltage level after connecting the control gate of the second FET to receive the lower voltage level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2023
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventor: Jeffrey S. McNeil
  • Publication number: 20230214133
    Abstract: A memory device comprises an array of memory cells organized into a plurality of wordlines, and a processing device to perform processing operations that receive a program command specifying a memory unit and data comprising first received data, where the plurality of wordlines includes one or more first active data wordlines and a group of consecutive retired wordlines. The processing operations also program the specified data to the memory unit by programming the first received data to the one or more first active data wordlines, identifying a first retired boundary wordline that is in the group of consecutive retired wordlines and is adjacent to one of the first active data wordlines, generating a first data pattern comprising a first plurality of threshold voltage levels, and programming the first data pattern to the first retired boundary wordline.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2022
    Publication date: July 6, 2023
    Inventors: Kishore Kumar Muchherla, Akira Goda, Jeffrey S. McNeil, Niccolo' Righetti, Silvia Beltrami, Violante Moschiano, Ugo Russo
  • Patent number: 11694763
    Abstract: A system includes a memory device having a plurality of groups of memory cells and a processing device communicatively coupled to the memory device. The processing device is be configured to read a first group of memory cells of the plurality to determine a calibrated read voltage associated with the group of memory cells. The processing device is further configured to determine, using the calibrated read voltage associated with the first group of memory cells, a bit error rate (BER) of a second group of memory cells of the plurality. Prior to causing the memory device to perform a copyback operation on the plurality of groups of memory cells, the processing device is further configured to determine whether to perform a subsequent read voltage calibration on at least the second group of the plurality based, at least partially, on a comparison between the determined BER and a threshold BER.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2023
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Kishore K. Muchherla, Niccolo' Righetti, Jeffrey S. McNeil, Jr., Akira Goda, Todd A. Marquart, Mark A. Helm, Gil Golov, Jeremy Binfet, Carmine Miccoli, Giuseppina Puzzilli
  • Publication number: 20230206992
    Abstract: Control logic in a memory device selects two or more blocks of a plurality of blocks to concurrently scan during a scan operation. The control logic can further cause a first voltage to be applied to a dummy word line of each block of the two or more blocks to selectively couple a string of memory cells in each block of the two or more blocks to a different sense amplifier of a set of sense amplifiers coupled with the plurality of blocks. The control logic can cause a second voltage to be applied to a selected word line of each block of the two or more blocks to read a bit stored at a respective memory cell of the string of memory cells in each block out to the set of sense amplifier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2022
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Inventors: Kishore Kumar Muchherla, Junwyn A. Lacsao, Jeffrey S. McNeil, Violante Moschiano, Paing Z. Htet, Sead Zildzic, Eric N. Lee
  • Publication number: 20230207019
    Abstract: Control logic in a memory device causes a boost voltage to be applied one or more times to a plurality of unselected wordlines of a block of the memory array, the block comprising a plurality of sub-blocks, and the boost voltage to boost a channel potential of each of the plurality of sub-blocks by an amount each time the boost voltage is applied. The control logic further selectively discharges the amount of boost voltage from one or more of the plurality of sub-blocks after each time the boost voltage is applied according to a data pattern representing a sequence of bits to be programmed to respective memory cells of the plurality of sub-blocks. Additionally, the control logic causes a single programming pulse to be applied to one or more selected wordlines of the block to program the respective memory cells of the plurality of sub-blocks according to the data pattern.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 14, 2022
    Publication date: June 29, 2023
    Inventors: Lawrence Celso Miranda, Sheyang Ning, Jeffrey S. McNeil, Tomoko Ogura Iwasaki
  • Patent number: 11688479
    Abstract: A first group of memory cells of a memory device can be subjected to a particular quantity of program/erase cycles (PECs) in response to a programming operation performed on a second group of memory cells of the memory device. Subsequent to subjecting the first group of memory cells to the particular quantity of PECs, a data retention capability of the first group of memory cells can be assessed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Vamsi Pavan Rayaprolu, Giuseppina Puzzilli, Karl D. Schuh, Jeffrey S. McNeil, Jr., Kishore K. Muchherla, Ashutosh Malshe, Niccolo' Righetti
  • Publication number: 20230195385
    Abstract: A system can include a memory device and a processing device, operatively coupled with the memory device, to perform operations including receiving data to be stored on the memory device, storing a first copy of the data in a first set of memory cells of the memory device, and storing a second copy of the data in a second set of memory cells of the memory device. The operations can also include reading the first copy of the data and determining whether a threshold voltage of a cell in the first set of memory cells is within an overlapping range of voltage distributions, and reading the second copy of the data and determining whether the threshold voltage of a cell in the second set of memory cells is within an overlapping range of voltage distributions. They can also include using the second copy of the data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 10, 2022
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Inventors: Jeffrey S. McNeil, Kishore Kumar Muchherla, Sivagnanam Parthasarathy, Patrick Khayat, Sundararajan Sankaranarayanan, Jeremy Binfet, Akira Goda
  • Publication number: 20230195350
    Abstract: A first set of host data items are programmed to first memory pages residing at a first region of a memory sub-system. A second set of host data items are programmed to second memory pages residing at the first region. A determination is made that a sequence at which the first set of host data items and the second set of host data items are programmed does not correspond to a target sequence associated with the memory sub-system. One or more of the first set of host data items are copied from one or more first memory pages to a second region of the memory sub-system that is allocated to store host data items initially programmed to first memory pages at the memory sub-system. One or more of the second set of host data items are copied from one or more second memory pages to a third region of the memory sub-system to store host data items that are programmed to second pages at the memory sub-system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 7, 2022
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Inventors: Kishore Kumar Muchherla, Ashutosh Malshe, Peter Feeley, Jonathan S. Parry, Akira Goda, Jeffrey S. McNeil
  • Publication number: 20230197163
    Abstract: A system includes a memory device including a memory array and control logic, operatively coupled with the memory array, to perform operations including receiving a set of commands to concurrently program a set of cells of the memory array with dummy data, the set of cells corresponding to a group of retired wordlines of the plurality of wordlines, in response to receiving the set of commands, obtaining the dummy data, and concurrently programming the set of cells with the dummy data by causing a ganged programming pulse to be applied to the set of cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2022
    Publication date: June 22, 2023
    Inventors: Jeffrey S. McNeil, Kishore Kumar Muchherla, Sead Zildzic, Akira Goda, Jonathan S. Parry, Violante Moschiano
  • Publication number: 20230176741
    Abstract: Described are systems and methods for validating read level voltage in memory devices. An example memory device comprises: a memory array comprising a plurality of memory cells electrically coupled to a plurality of wordlines; and a controller coupled to the memory array, the controller to perform operations comprising: causing a read level voltage to be applied to a specified wordline of the plurality of wordlines; receiving an actual bit count reflecting a number of memory cells that have their respective threshold voltages below the read level voltage; and responsive to determining that a difference of an expected bit count and the actual bit count exceeds a predetermined threshold value, adjusting the read level voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2022
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Inventors: Jeffrey S. McNeil, Eric N. Lee, Vamsi Pavan Rayaprolu, Sivagnanam Parthasarathy, Kishore Kumar Muchherla, Patrick R. Khayat, Violante Moschiano
  • Patent number: 11663104
    Abstract: A method includes writing received data sequentially to a particular location of a cyclic buffer of a memory device according to a first set of threshold voltage distributions. The method further includes performing a touch up operation on the particular location by adjusting the first set of threshold voltage distributions of the data to a second set of threshold voltage distributions in response to a determination that a trigger event has occurred. The second set of threshold voltage distributions can have a larger read window between adjacent threshold voltage distributions of the second set than that of the first set of threshold voltage distributions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 10, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey S. McNeil, Jr., Niccolo′ Righetti, Kishore K. Muchherla, Akira Goda, Todd A. Marquart, Mark A. Helm, Gil Golov, Jeremy Binfet, Carmine Miccoli, Giuseppina Puzzilli
  • Publication number: 20230145358
    Abstract: A method includes receiving, by control logic of a memory device, a copyback clear command from a processing device; causing, in response to the copyback clear command, a page buffer to perform a dual-strobe read operation on first memory cells configured as single-level cells, the dual-strobe read operation including a soft strobe at a first threshold voltage and a hard strobe at a second threshold voltage that are sensed between threshold voltage distributions of the first memory cells; causing the page buffer to determine a number of one bit values within the threshold voltage distributions detected in a threshold voltage range between the first/second threshold voltages; and causing, in response to the number of one bit values not satisfying a threshold criterion, a copyback of data in the first memory cells to second memory cells configured as high-level cells without intervention from the processing device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2022
    Publication date: May 11, 2023
    Inventors: Jeffrey S. McNeil, Sivagnanam Parthasarathy, Kishore Kumar Muchherla, Patrick R. Khayat, Sead Zildzic, Violante Moschiano, James Fitzpatrick
  • Publication number: 20230137866
    Abstract: A memory device comprising an array of memory cells organized into a set of sub-blocks and a set of wordlines. Control logic is operatively coupled with the array of memory cells, the control logic to perform operations including: receiving a program command from a processing device, the program command including information indicative of a physical address associated with a retired wordline of the set of wordlines; in response to detecting the information within the program command, generating dummy data that is one of pseudo-random data, all one values, or all zero values; and causing the dummy data to be programmed to memory cells of multiple sub-blocks of the set of sub-blocks that are selectively connected to the retired wordline.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2022
    Publication date: May 4, 2023
    Inventors: Jeremy Binfet, Violante Moschiano, James Fitzpatrick, Kishore Kumar Muccherla, Jeffrey S. McNeil, Phong Sy Nguyen
  • Publication number: 20230085178
    Abstract: A system includes a memory device including a plurality of groups of memory cells and a processing device that is operatively coupled to the memory device. The processing device is to receive a request to determine a reliability of the plurality of groups of memory cells. The processing device is further to perform, in response to receipt of the request, a scan operation on a sample portion of the plurality of groups of memory cells to determine a reliability of the sample portion that is representative of the reliability of the plurality of groups of memory cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2022
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Inventors: Vamsi Pavan Rayaprolu, Karl D. Schuh, Jeffrey S. McNeil Jr., Kishore K. Muchherla, Ashutosh Malshe, Jiangang Wu
  • Patent number: 11605434
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for overwriting at a memory system are described. A memory system may be configured to overwrite portions of a memory array with new data, which may be associated with omitting an erase operation. For example, write operations may be performed in accordance with a first demarcation configuration to store information at a portion of a memory array. A portion of a memory system may then determine to overwrite the portion of the memory array with different or updated information, which may include performing write operations in accordance with a second demarcation configuration. The second demarcation configuration may be associated with different cell characteristics for a one or more logic states, such as different distributions of stored charge or other cell property, different demarcation characteristics, different write operations, among other differences, which may support performing an overwrite operation without first performing an erase operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Jonathan S. Parry, Jeffrey S. McNeil, Giuseppe Cariello, Kishore Kumar Muchherla, Reshmi Basu
  • Publication number: 20230068702
    Abstract: Control logic in a memory device receives a request to read data from a memory array of a memory device, the request comprising an indication of a segment of the memory array where the data is stored, and determines whether a write temperature associated with the data is stored in a flag byte corresponding to the segment of the memory array. Responsive to determining that the write temperature associated with the data is stored in the flag byte, the control logic determines a cross-temperature for the data based on the write temperature and a read temperature at a time when the request to read the data is received, determines a program/erase cycle count associated with the segment of the memory array, and determines, based on the cross-temperature and the program/erase cycle count, whether to perform a corrective action to calibrate a read voltage level to be applied to the memory array to read the data from the segment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2022
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Inventors: Kishore Kumar Muchherla, Violante Moschiano, Akira Goda, Jeffrey S. McNeil, Jung Sheng Hoei, Sivagnanam Parthasarathy, James Fitzpatrick, Patrick R. Khayat
  • Publication number: 20230062445
    Abstract: Processing logic in a memory device receives a command to execute a set of read operations having read voltage levels corresponding to a programming distribution associated with the memory device. A set of memory bit counts is determined, where each memory bit count corresponds to a respective bin of a set of bins associated with the multiple read voltage levels of the set of read operations. A valley center bin having a minimum memory bit count of the set of memory bit counts is determined. The processing logic determines that the minimum memory bit count of the valley center bin satisfies a condition and an adjusted read voltage level associated with the valley center bin is identified in response to the condition being satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2022
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Inventors: Eric N. Lee, Violante Moschiano, Jeffrey S. McNeil, James Fitzpatrick, Sivagnanam Parthasarathy, Kishore Kumar Muchherla, Patrick R. Khayat
  • Publication number: 20230060440
    Abstract: Control logic in a memory device determines to initiate a string read operation on a first memory string of a plurality of memory strings in a block of a memory array of the memory device, the block comprising a plurality of wordlines, wherein each of the plurality of memory strings comprises a plurality of memory cells associated with the plurality of wordlines, and wherein the first memory string is designated as a sacrificial string. The control logic further causes a read voltage to be applied to each of the plurality of wordlines of the memory array concurrently and senses a level of current flowing through the first memory string designated as the sacrificial string while the read voltage is applied to each of the plurality of wordline. In addition, the control logic identifies, based on the level of current flowing through the first memory string designated as the sacrificial string, whether a threshold level of read disturb has occurred on the block.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 29, 2022
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Inventors: Kishore Kumar Muchherla, Violante Moschiano, Akira Goda, Jeffrey S. McNeil, Eric N. Lee
  • Publication number: 20230060859
    Abstract: Methods, systems, and devices for overwriting at a memory system are described. A memory system may be configured to overwrite portions of a memory array with new data, which may be associated with omitting an erase operation. For example, write operations may be performed in accordance with a first demarcation configuration to store information at a portion of a memory array. A portion of a memory system may then determine to overwrite the portion of the memory array with different or updated information, which may include performing write operations in accordance with a second demarcation configuration. The second demarcation configuration may be associated with different cell characteristics for a one or more logic states, such as different distributions of stored charge or other cell property, different demarcation characteristics, different write operations, among other differences, which may support performing an overwrite operation without first performing an erase operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2021
    Publication date: March 2, 2023
    Inventors: Jonathan S. Parry, Jeffrey S. McNeil, Giuseppe Cariello, Kishore Kumar Muchherla, Reshmi Basu
  • Publication number: 20230044883
    Abstract: A memory component comprises a cyclic buffer partition portion and a snapshot partition portion. In response to receiving a signal that a trigger event has occurred, a processing device included in the memory component performs an error correction operation on a portion of data stored in the cyclic buffer partition portion, copies the data stored in the cyclic buffer partition portion to the snapshot partition portion in response to the error correction operation being successful, and sends the data stored in the cyclic buffer partition portion to a processing device operatively coupled to the memory component in response to the error correction operation not being successful.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 21, 2022
    Publication date: February 9, 2023
    Inventors: Kishore K. Muchherla, Niccolo' Righetti, Jeffrey S. McNeil, JR., Akira Goda, Todd A. Marquart, Mark A. Helm, Gil Golov, Jeremy Binfet, Carmine Miccoli, Giuseppina Puzzilli