Patents by Inventor Lee Nevill

Lee Nevill 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: 11887680
    Abstract: Over time, the number of write cycles required to successfully program a multi-level cell (MLC) is reduced. Since a hard-coded value does not change over the lifetime of the device, the device may perform too many verify steps at one stage of the device lifetime and wait too long to begin verification at another stage of the device lifetime, reducing performance of the device. As discussed herein, verification for higher voltage level programming is delayed until verification for lower voltage level programming reaches at least a threshold level of success instead of using a hard-coded number of verify steps to skip. As a result, the performance drawbacks associated with skipping a hard-coded number of verify cycles may not occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2024
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey S. McNeil, Jason Lee Nevill, Tommaso Vali
  • Patent number: 11823743
    Abstract: A variety of applications can include a memory device designed to perform sensing of a memory cell of a string of memory cells using a modified shielded bit line sensing operation. The modified shielded bit line sensing operation includes pre-charging a data line corresponding to the string with the string enabled to couple to the data line. The modified shielded bit line sensing operation can be implemented in a hybrid initialization routine for the memory device. The hybrid initialization routine can include a sensing read routine corresponding to an all data line configuration of data lines of the memory device and a modified sensing read routine corresponding to a shielded data line configuration of the data lines with selected strings enabled during pre-charging. A read retry routine associated with the modified sensing read routine can be added to the hybrid initialization routine. Additional devices, systems, and methods are discussed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2023
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Shannon Marissa Hansen, Fulvio Rori, Andrea D'Alessandro, Jason Lee Nevill, Chiara Cerafogli
  • Publication number: 20220359025
    Abstract: Over time, the number of write cycles required to successfully program a multi-level cell (MLC) is reduced. Since a hard-coded value does not change over the lifetime of the device, the device may perform too many verify steps at one stage of the device lifetime and wait too long to begin verification at another stage of the device lifetime, reducing performance of the device. As discussed herein, verification for higher voltage level programming is delayed until verification for lower voltage level programming reaches at least a threshold level of success instead of using a hard-coded number of verify steps to skip. As a result, the performance drawbacks associated with skipping a hard-coded number of verify cycles may not occur.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2022
    Publication date: November 10, 2022
    Inventors: Jeffrey S. McNeil, Jason Lee Nevill, Tommaso Vali
  • Patent number: 11482298
    Abstract: A method of operating a memory device comprises generating a target voltage using a pump circuit of the memory device, the target voltage to be applied to a word line or pillar of a memory cell of the memory device; providing an indication of current generated by the pump circuit after the pump circuit output reaches the target voltage; and determining when the current generated by the pump circuit is greater than a specified threshold current and generating a fault indication according to the determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Jason Lee Nevill, Preston Allen Thomson, Chi Ming Chu, Sheng-Huang Lee
  • Publication number: 20220277796
    Abstract: A variety of applications can include a memory device designed to perform sensing of a memory cell of a string of memory cells using a modified shielded bit line sensing operation. The modified shielded bit line sensing operation includes pre-charging a data line corresponding to the string with the string enabled to couple to the data line. The modified shielded bit line sensing operation can be implemented in a hybrid initialization routine for the memory device. The hybrid initialization routine can include a sensing read routine corresponding to an all data line configuration of data lines of the memory device and a modified sensing read routine corresponding to a shielded data line configuration of the data lines with selected strings enabled during pre-charging. A read retry routine associated with the modified sensing read routine can be added to the hybrid initialization routine. Additional devices, systems, and methods are discussed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2022
    Publication date: September 1, 2022
    Inventors: Shannon Marissa Hansen, Fulvio Rori, Andrea D'Alessandro, Jason Lee Nevill, Chiara Cerafogli
  • Patent number: 11417406
    Abstract: Over time, the number of write cycles required to successfully program a multi-level cell (MLC) is reduced. Since a hard-coded value does not change over the lifetime of the device, the device may perform too many verify steps at one stage of the device lifetime and wait too long to begin verification at another stage of the device lifetime, reducing performance of the device. As discussed herein, verification for higher voltage level programming is delayed until verification for lower voltage level programming reaches at least a threshold level of success instead of using a hard-coded number of verify steps to skip. As a result, the performance drawbacks associated with skipping a hard-coded number of verify cycles may not occur.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey S. McNeil, Jason Lee Nevill, Tommaso Vali
  • Patent number: 11355200
    Abstract: A variety of applications can include a memory device designed to perform sensing of a memory cell of a string of memory cells using a modified shielded bit line sensing operation. The modified shielded bit line sensing operation includes pre-charging a data line corresponding to the string with the string enabled to couple to the data line. The modified shielded bit line sensing operation can be implemented in a hybrid initialization routine for the memory device. The hybrid initialization routine can include a sensing read routine corresponding to an all data line configuration of data lines of the memory device and a modified sensing read routine corresponding to a shielded data line configuration of the data lines with selected strings enabled during pre-charging. A read retry routine associated with the modified sensing read routine can be added to the hybrid initialization routine. Additional devices, systems, and methods are discussed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Shannon Marissa Hansen, Fulvio Rori, Andrea D'Alessandro, Jason Lee Nevill, Chiara Cerafogli
  • Publication number: 20220059173
    Abstract: A variety of applications can include a memory device designed to perform sensing of a memory cell of a string of memory cells using a modified shielded bit line sensing operation. The modified shielded bit line sensing operation includes pre-charging a data line corresponding to the string with the string enabled to couple to the data line. The modified shielded bit line sensing operation can be implemented in a hybrid initialization routine for the memory device. The hybrid initialization routine can include a sensing read routine corresponding to an all data line configuration of data lines of the memory device and a modified sensing read routine corresponding to a shielded data line configuration of the data lines with selected strings enabled during pre-charging. A read retry routine associated with the modified sensing read routine can be added to the hybrid initialization routine. Additional devices, systems, and methods are discussed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 18, 2020
    Publication date: February 24, 2022
    Inventors: Shannon Marissa Hansen, Fulvio Rori, Andrea D'Alessandro, Jason Lee Nevill, Chiara Cerafogli
  • Publication number: 20210398599
    Abstract: Over time, the number of write cycles required to successfully program a multi-level cell (MLC) is reduced. Since a hard-coded value does not change over the lifetime of the device, the device may perform too many verify steps at one stage of the device lifetime and wait too long to begin verification at another stage of the device lifetime, reducing performance of the device. As discussed herein, verification for higher voltage level programming is delayed until verification for lower voltage level programming reaches at least a threshold level of success instead of using a hard-coded number of verify steps to skip. As a result, the performance drawbacks associated with skipping a hard-coded number of verify cycles may not occur.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2020
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Inventors: Jeffrey S. McNeil, Jason Lee Nevill, Tommaso Vali
  • Publication number: 20210375387
    Abstract: A method of operating a memory device comprises generating a target voltage using a pump circuit of the memory device, the target voltage to be applied to a word line or pillar of a memory cell of the memory device; providing an indication of current generated by the pump circuit after the pump circuit output reaches the target voltage; and determining when the current generated by the pump circuit is greater than a specified threshold current and generating a fault indication according to the determination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2020
    Publication date: December 2, 2021
    Inventors: Jason Lee Nevill, Preston Allen Thomson, Chi Ming Chu, Sheng-Huang Lee
  • Patent number: 8312349
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes methods, devices, and systems for error detection/correction based memory management. One embodiment includes performing a read operation with respect to a particular group of memory cells of a memory device and, if the read operation results in an uncorrectable error, determining whether to retire the particular group of memory cells in response to a status of an indicator corresponding to the particular group of memory cells, wherein the status of the indicator indicates whether the particular group of memory cells has a previous uncorrectable error associated therewith.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Cory Reche, Lee Nevill, Tim Martin
  • Publication number: 20110099458
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes methods, devices, and systems for error detection/correction based memory management. One embodiment includes performing a read operation with respect to a particular group of memory cells of a memory device and, if the read operation results in an uncorrectable error, determining whether to retire the particular group of memory cells in response to a status of an indicator corresponding to the particular group of memory cells, wherein the status of the indicator indicates whether the particular group of memory cells has a previous uncorrectable error associated therewith.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2009
    Publication date: April 28, 2011
    Applicant: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Cory Reche, Lee Nevill, Tim Martin