Patents by Inventor Michael G. Miller

Michael G. Miller 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: 10770156
    Abstract: A memory device comprising a main memory and a controller operably connected to the main memory is provided. The main memory can comprise a plurality of memory addresses, each corresponding to a single one of a plurality of word lines. Each memory address can be included in a tracked subset of the plurality of memory addresses. Each tracked subset can include memory addresses corresponding to more than one of the plurality of word lines. The controller is configured to track a number of read operations for each tracked subset, and to scan, in response to the number of read operations for a first tracked subset exceeding a first threshold value, a portion of data corresponding to each word line of the first tracked subset to determine an error count corresponding to each word line of the first tracked subset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 8, 2020
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Renato C. Padilla, Jung Sheng Hoei, Michael G. Miller, Roland J. Awusie, Sampath K. Ratnam, Kishore Kumar Muchherla, Gary F. Besinga, Ashutosh Malshe, Harish R. Singidi
  • Patent number: 10755792
    Abstract: Disclosed in some examples, are methods, systems, and machine readable mediums which compensate for read-disturb effects by shifting the read voltages used to read the value in a NAND cell based upon a read counter. For example, the NAND memory device may have a read counter that corresponds to a group of NAND cells (e.g., a page, a block, a superblock). Anytime a NAND cell in the group is read, the read counter may be incremented. The read voltage, Vread, may be adjusted based on the read counter to account for the read disturb voltage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Harish Reddy Singidi, Kishore Kumar Muchherla, Gianni Stephen Alsasua, Ashutosh Malshe, Sampath Ratnam, Gary F. Besinga, Michael G. Miller
  • Publication number: 20200219573
    Abstract: An indication of an initialization of power to a memory component can be received. In response to receiving the indication of the initialization, a last written page of a data block of the memory component can be identified. The last written page is associated with a status indicator. A determination is made of whether the status indicator is readable. Responsive to determining that the status indicator readable, it can be determined that programming of data to the data block of the memory component did complete and there is a data retention loss.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 16, 2020
    Publication date: July 9, 2020
    Inventors: Michael G. Miller, Kishore Kumar Muchherla, Harish R. Singidi, Walter Di Francesco, Renato C. Padilla, Gary F. Besinga, Violante Moschiano
  • Publication number: 20200090767
    Abstract: Several embodiments of memory devices and systems with offset memory component automatic calibration error recovery are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a system includes at least one memory region and calibration circuitry. The memory region has memory cells that read out data states in response to application of a current read level signal. The calibration circuitry is operably coupled to the at least one memory region and is configured to determine a read level offset value corresponding to one or more of a plurality of offset read level test signals, including a base offset read level test signal. The base offset read level test signal is offset from the current read level signal by a predetermined value. The calibration circuitry is further configured to output the determined read level offset value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 21, 2019
    Publication date: March 19, 2020
    Inventors: Bruce A. Liikanen, Gerald L. Cadloni, Gary F. Besinga, Michael G. Miller, Renato C. Padilla
  • Patent number: 10593412
    Abstract: An indication of an initialization of power to a memory component can be received. In response to receiving the indication of the initialization, a last written page of a data block of the memory component can be identified. The last written page is associated with a status indicator. A determination is made of whether the status indicator can be read. Responsive to determining that the status indicator cannot be read, it can be determined that programming of data to the data block of the memory component did not complete based on a prior loss of power to the memory component.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2020
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael G. Miller, Kishore Kumar Muchherla, Harish R. Singidi, Walter Di Francesco, Renato C. Padilla, Gary F. Besinga, Violante Moschiano
  • Patent number: 10579307
    Abstract: Devices and techniques for correcting for power loss in NAND memory devices are disclosed herein. The NAND memory devices may comprise a number of physical pages. For example, a memory controller may detect a power loss indicator at the NAND flash memory. The memory controller may identify a last-written physical page and determine whether the last-written physical page comprises more than a threshold number of low-read-margin cells. If the last-written physical page comprises more than the threshold number of low-read-margin cells, the memory controller may provide a programming voltage to at least the low-read-margin cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael G. Miller, Kishore Kumar Muchherla, Harish Reddy Singidi, Sampath Ratnam, Renato Padilla, Jr., Gary F. Besinga, Peter Sean Feeley
  • Publication number: 20200027514
    Abstract: An indication of an initialization of power to a memory component can be received. In response to receiving the indication of the initialization, a last written page of a data block of the memory component can be identified. The last written page is associated with a status indicator. A determination is made of whether the status indicator can be read. Responsive to determining that the status indicator cannot be read, it can be determined that programming of data to the data block of the memory component did not complete based on a prior loss of power to the memory component.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 19, 2018
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Inventors: Michael G. Miller, Kishore Kumar Muchherla, Harish R. Singidi, Walter Di Francesco, Renato C. Padilla, Gary F. Besinga, Violante Moschiano
  • Publication number: 20200020407
    Abstract: Disclosed in some examples, are methods, systems, and machine readable mediums which compensate for read-disturb effects by shifting the read voltages used to read the value in a NAND cell based upon a read counter. For example, the NAND memory device may have a read counter that corresponds to a group of NAND cells (e.g., a page, a block, a superblock). Anytime a NAND cell in the group is read, the read counter may be incremented. The read voltage, Vread, may be adjusted based on the read counter to account for the read disturb voltage.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 21, 2019
    Publication date: January 16, 2020
    Inventors: Harish Reddy Singidi, Kishore Kumar Muchherla, Gianni Stephen Alsasua, Ashutosh Malshe, Sampath Ratnam, Gary F. Besinga, Michael G. Miller
  • Patent number: 10529433
    Abstract: Several embodiments of memory devices and systems with offset memory component automatic calibration error recovery are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a system includes at least one memory region and calibration circuitry. The memory region has memory cells that read out data states in response to application of a current read level signal. The calibration circuitry is operably coupled to the at least one memory region and is configured to determine a read level offset value corresponding to one or more of a plurality of offset read level test signals, including a base offset read level test signal. The base offset read level test signal is offset from the current read level signal by a predetermined value. The calibration circuitry is further configured to output the determined read level offset value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce A. Liikanen, Gerald L. Cadloni, Gary F. Besinga, Michael G. Miller, Renato C. Padilla
  • Patent number: 10529434
    Abstract: Devices and techniques for detecting power loss in NAND memory devices are disclosed herein. A memory controller may calibrate a first read level for a first physical page of a number of physical pages from an initial first read level position to a calibrated first read level position. The first read level may be between a first threshold voltage distribution corresponding to a first logical state of the at least four logical states and a second threshold voltage distribution corresponding to a second logical state of the at least four logical states. Also, the first threshold voltage distribution may be a highest threshold voltage distribution for the first physical page. The memory controller may calibrate a second read level for the first physical page that is lower than the first read level from an initial second read level position to a calibrated first read level position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael G. Miller, Kishore Kumar Muchherla, Harish Reddy Singidi, Ting Luo, Ashutosh Malshe, Preston Thomson, Jianmin Huang
  • Publication number: 20200004465
    Abstract: Devices and techniques for correcting for power loss in NAND memory devices are disclosed herein. The NAND memory devices may comprise a number of physical pages. For example, a memory controller may detect a power loss indicator at the NAND flash memory. The memory controller may identify a last-written physical page and determine whether the last-written physical page comprises more than a threshold number of low-read-margin cells. If the last-written physical page comprises more than the threshold number of low-read-margin cells, the memory controller may provide a programming voltage to at least the low-read-margin cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2019
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Inventors: Michael G. Miller, Kishore Kumar Muchherla, Harish Reddy Singidi, Sampath Ratnam, Renato Padilla, JR., Gary F. Besinga, Peter Sean Feeley
  • Patent number: 10510422
    Abstract: Several embodiments of memory devices and systems with read level calibration are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a memory device includes a controller operably coupled to a main memory having at least one memory region and calibration circuitry. The calibration circuitry is operably coupled to the at least one memory region and is configured to determine a read level offset value corresponding to a read level signal of the at least one memory region. In some embodiments, the calibration circuitry is configured to obtain the read level offset value internal to the main memory. The calibration circuitry is further configured to output the read level offset value to the controller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Gary F. Besinga, Peng Fei, Michael G. Miller, Roland J. Awusie, Kishore Kumar Muchherla, Renato C. Padilla, Harish R. Singidi, Jung Sheng Hoei, Gianni S. Alsasua
  • Publication number: 20190370099
    Abstract: Apparatus having an array of memory cells include a controller configured to read a particular memory cell of a last written page of memory cells of a block of memory cells of the array of memory cells, determine whether a threshold voltage of the particular memory cell is less than a particular voltage level, and mark the last written page of memory cells as affected by power loss during a programming operation of the last written page of memory cells when the threshold voltage of the particular memory cell is determined to be higher than the particular voltage level.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2019
    Publication date: December 5, 2019
    Applicant: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
    Inventors: Michael G. Miller, Ashutosh Malshe, Violante Moschiano, Peter Feeley, Gary F. Besinga, Sampath K. Ratnam, Walter Di-Francesco, Renato C. Padilla, JR., Yun Li, Kishore Kumar Muchherla
  • Patent number: 10452282
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes memory blocks erasable in a single level cell mode. A number of embodiments include a memory comprising a plurality of mixed mode blocks and a controller. The controller may be configured to identify a particular mixed mode block for an erase operation and, responsive to a determined intent to subsequently write the particular mixed mode block in a single level cell (SLC) mode, perform the erase operation in the SLC mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 7, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2019
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Kishore K. Muchherla, Sampath K. Ratnam, Peter Feeley, Michael G. Miller, Preston A. Thomson, Renato C. Padilla, Ashutosh Malshe
  • Patent number: 10430116
    Abstract: Devices and techniques for correcting for power loss in NAND memory devices are disclosed herein. The NAND memory devices may comprise a number of physical pages. For example, a memory controller may detect a power loss indicator at the NAND flash memory. The memory controller may identify a last-written physical page and determine whether the last-written physical page comprises more than a threshold number of low-read-margin cells. If the last-written physical page comprises more than the threshold number of low-read-margin cells, the memory controller may provide a programming voltage to at least the low-read-margin cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael G. Miller, Kishore Kumar Muchherla, Harish Singidi, Sampath Ratnam, Renato C. Padilla, Jr., Gary F. Besinga, Peter Sean Feeley
  • Patent number: 10430262
    Abstract: Apparatus having an array of memory cells include a controller configured to read a particular memory cell of a last written page of memory cells of a block of memory cells of the array of memory cells, determine whether a threshold voltage of the particular memory cell is less than a particular voltage level, and mark the last written page of memory cells as affected by power loss during a programming operation of the last written page of memory cells when the threshold voltage of the particular memory cell is determined to be higher than the particular voltage level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael G. Miller, Ashutosh Malshe, Violante Moschiano, Peter Feeley, Gary F. Besinga, Sampath K. Ratnam, Walter Di-Francesco, Renato C. Padilla, Jr., Yun Li, Kishore Kumar Muchherla
  • Publication number: 20190278490
    Abstract: The present disclosure includes memory blocks erasable in a single level cell mode. A number of embodiments include a memory comprising a plurality of mixed mode blocks and a controller. The controller may be configured to identify a particular mixed mode block for an erase operation and, responsive to a determined intent to subsequently write the particular mixed mode block in a single level cell (SLC) mode, perform the erase operation in the SLC mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2019
    Publication date: September 12, 2019
    Inventors: Kishore K. Muchherla, Ashutosh Malshe, Preston A. Thomson, Michael G. Miller, Sampath K. Ratnam, Renato C. Padilla, Peter Feeley
  • Publication number: 20190272098
    Abstract: An example apparatus for garbage collection can include a memory including a plurality of mixed mode blocks. The example apparatus can include a controller. The controller can be configured to write a first portion of sequential host data to the plurality of mixed mode blocks of the memory in a single level cell (SLC) mode. The controller can be configured to write a second portion of sequential host data to the plurality of mixed mode blocks in an XLC mode. The controller can be configured to write the second portion of sequential host data by performing a garbage collection operation. The garbage collection operation can include adding more blocks to a free block pool than a quantity of blocks that are written to in association with writing the second portion of sequential host data to the plurality of mixed mode blocks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Publication date: September 5, 2019
    Inventors: Kishore K. Muchherla, Sampath K. Ratnam, Peter Feeley, Michael G. Miller, Daniel J. Hubbard, Renato C. Padilla, Ashutosh Malshe, Harish R. Singidi
  • Publication number: 20190272881
    Abstract: A memory device comprising a main memory and a controller operably connected to the main memory is provided. The main memory can comprise a plurality of memory addresses, each corresponding to a single one of a plurality of word lines. Each memory address can be included in a tracked subset of the plurality of memory addresses. Each tracked subset can include memory addresses corresponding to more than one of the plurality of word lines. The controller is configured to track a number of read operations for each tracked subset, and to scan, in response to the number of read operations for a first tracked subset exceeding a first threshold value, a portion of data corresponding to each word line of the first tracked subset to determine an error count corresponding to each word line of the first tracked subset.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2019
    Publication date: September 5, 2019
    Inventors: Renato C. Padilla, Jung Sheng Hoei, Michael G. Miller, Roland J. Awusie, Sampath K. Ratnam, Kishore Kumar Muchherla, Gary F. Besinga, Ashutosh Malshe, Harish R. Singidi
  • Publication number: 20190267105
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for operating mixed mode blocks. One example method can include tracking single level cell (SLC) mode cycles and extra level cell (XLC) mode cycles performed on the mixed mode blocks, maintaining a mixed mode cycle count corresponding to the mixed mode blocks, and adjusting the mixed mode cycle count differently for mixed mode blocks operated in a SLC mode than for mixed blocks operated in a XLC mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2019
    Publication date: August 29, 2019
    Inventors: Kishore K. Muchherla, Ashutosh Malshe, Preston A. Thomson, Michael G. Miller, Gary F. Besinga, Scott A. Stoller, Sampath K. Ratnam, Renato C. Padilla, Peter Feeley