Patents by Inventor Narayanan RAMANAN

Narayanan RAMANAN 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: 12640209
    Abstract: Modulation of the source voltage in a NAND-flash array read waveform can enable improved read-disturb mitigation. For example, increasing the source line voltage to a voltage with a magnitude greater than the non-idle source voltage during the read operation when the array is idle (e.g., not during sensing) enables a reduction in read disturb without the complexity arising from the consideration of multiple read types. Additional improvement in FN disturb may also be obtained on the sub-blocks in the selected SGS by increasing the source line voltage during the selected wordline ramp when the array is idle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 10, 2024
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2026
    Assignee: INTEL NDTM US LLC
    Inventor: Narayanan Ramanan
  • Publication number: 20260024587
    Abstract: A memory device including a memory array and control logic, operatively coupled with the memory array, to perform operations including causing execution of an erase operation to erase a set of memory cells of the memory array. A request to suspend the erase operation during a pre-program phase of the erase operation is identified. A resume operation is caused to be executed to resume the erase operation, where the resume operation includes a verify operation. An action is caused to be executed based on a result of the verify operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2025
    Publication date: January 22, 2026
    Inventors: Sanjoy Jena, Narayanan Ramanan, Shyam Sundar Raghunathan, Kapil Verma
  • Publication number: 20250384939
    Abstract: A memory device includes a memory array having a plurality of memory cells. Control logic operatively is coupled with the memory array. The control logic receives a suspend command while programming multiple data states to a set of the plurality of memory cells of the memory array. The control logic determines whether a trim value associated with a program suspend operation is less than a total number of program verify operations to be performed during a present program verify loop of a programming operation. The control logic, in response to the trim value being less than the total number of program verify operations, causing only a subset of the total number of program verify operations that correspond to the trim value to be performed before causing a program suspend operation to be performed on the set of plurality of memory cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 27, 2025
    Publication date: December 18, 2025
    Inventors: Sanjoy Jena, Narayanan Ramanan, Kapil Verma
  • Publication number: 20250364059
    Abstract: A method is described. The method includes programming a column of flash storage cells in a direction along the column in which a parasitic transistor that resides between a cell being programmed and an immediately next cell to be programmed has lower resistivity as compared to a corresponding parasitic transistor that exists if the programming were to be performed in an opposite direction along the column.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2025
    Publication date: November 27, 2025
    Inventors: Xiang YANG, Guangyu HUANG, Narayanan RAMANAN, Pranav KALAVADE, Ali KHAKIFIROOZ
  • Publication number: 20250364062
    Abstract: A memory device includes a memory array of memory cells and control logic operatively coupled with the memory array. The control logic causes a program verify operation to be performed on a set of memory cells of the memory array in response to receiving a suspend command while programming the set of memory cells. The control logic reduces a target pre-program verify voltage or increases a target pre-program verify boost voltage for the set of memory cells in response to receiving a resume command. The control logic causes the program verify operation to again be performed on the set of memory cells before resuming programming the set of memory cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 21, 2025
    Publication date: November 27, 2025
    Inventors: Narayanan Ramanan, Keng Gee Ng, Shyam Sunder Raghunathan, Sanjoy Jena, Ragul S, Abinaya Roshini Natarajan
  • Patent number: 12394492
    Abstract: A sense circuit performs a multistage boost, including a boost during precharge operation and a boost during the standard boost operation. The sense circuit includes an output transistor to drive a sense output based on current through a sense node which drives a gate of the output transistor. The sense circuit includes a precharge circuit to precharge the sense node and the gate of the output transistor and a boost circuit to boost the sense node. The boost circuit can be boosted during precharge by a first boost voltage, resulting in a lower boost applied to the sense node after precharge. The boost circuit boosts up the sense node by a second boost voltage lower than the first boost voltage. The boost circuit boosts the sense node down by the full boost voltage of the first boost voltage plus the second boost voltage after sensing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 19, 2025
    Assignee: Intel NDTM US LLC
    Inventors: Shantanu R. Rajwade, Bayan Nasri, Tzu-Ning Fang, Rezaul Haque, Dhanashree R. Kulkarni, Narayanan Ramanan, Matin Amani, Ahsanur Rahman, Seong Je Park, Netra Mahuli
  • Patent number: 12322455
    Abstract: An apparatus is described. An apparatus includes controller logic circuitry to perform a program-verify programming process to a flash memory chip. The program-verify programming process is to reduce a size of a pre-program verify (PPV) bucket in response to a number of cells being fully programmed to a same digital state. The number of cells are less than a total number of cells to be programmed to the same digital state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2025
    Assignee: Intel NDTM US LLC
    Inventors: Shantanu R. Rajwade, Tarek Ahmed Ameen Beshari, Matin Amani, Narayanan Ramanan, Arun Thathachary
  • Patent number: 12266406
    Abstract: Sensing circuits and techniques for NAND memory that can enable improved read disturb on the selected SGS are described herein. In one example, a reverse sensing circuit includes circuitry coupled with a bitline of the string of NAND memory cells to perform a sensing operation. The circuitry charges the bitline of the string of NAND memory cells to a target bitline voltage and applies a voltage to the source line that is higher than the bitline voltage. The sense current flows through the string from the source line to the bitline. The voltage at a sensing node that is indicative of a threshold voltage of a memory cell can then be detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 1, 2025
    Assignee: Intel NDTM US LLC
    Inventor: Narayanan Ramanan
  • Patent number: 12237023
    Abstract: For a nonvolatile (NV) storage media such as NAND media that is written by a program and program verify operation, the system can determine an expected number of SSPC (selective slow programming convergence) cells for a page of cells for specific conditions of the page. The system can perform program verify with a first wordline (WL) select voltage for SSPC cell detection for a first write of the page to detect the expected number of SSPC cells. Based on the determined expected number of SSPC cells, the system can set a boost voltage to capture an expected number of SSPC cells during the program verify operation. The system performs program verify for subsequent writes to the page with a higher WL select voltage, to perform program verify for standard cells and then SSPC program verify with the boost voltage determined from the first write.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2025
    Assignee: Intel NDTM US LLC
    Inventors: Tarek Ahmed Ameen Beshari, Shantanu R. Rajwade, Matin Amani, Narayanan Ramanan
  • Publication number: 20240395344
    Abstract: Control logic in a memory device receives, from a requestor, a first request to suspend performance of a program operation being performed on a memory array of the memory device, and optionally initiates a program verify phase of the program operation to verify that a previous programming phase of the program operation was successful. The control logic performs a modified array discharge sequence on the memory array, wherein during the modified array discharge sequence, a control signal applied to a select gate device is discharged to a discharge voltage prior to a voltage applied to one or more wordlines of the memory array being discharged to the discharge voltage, and causes the memory device to enter a suspend state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 13, 2024
    Publication date: November 28, 2024
    Inventor: Narayanan Ramanan
  • Publication number: 20240363173
    Abstract: Modulation of the source voltage in a NAND-flash array read waveform can enable improved read-disturb mitigation. For example, increasing the source line voltage to a voltage with a magnitude greater than the non-idle source voltage during the read operation when the array is idle (e.g., not during sensing) enables a reduction in read disturb without the complexity arising from the consideration of multiple read types. Additional improvement in FN disturb may also be obtained on the sub-blocks in the selected SGS by increasing the source line voltage during the selected wordline ramp when the array is idle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2024
    Publication date: October 31, 2024
    Applicant: Intel NDTM US LLC
    Inventor: Narayanan RAMANAN
  • Patent number: 12087365
    Abstract: Modulation of the source voltage in a NAND-flash array read waveform can enable improved read-disturb mitigation. For example, increasing the source line voltage to a voltage with a magnitude greater than the non-idle source voltage during the read operation when the array is idle (e.g., not during sensing) enables a reduction in read disturb without the complexity arising from the consideration of multiple read types. Additional improvement in FN disturb may also be obtained on the sub-blocks in the selected SGS by increasing the source line voltage during the selected wordline ramp when the array is idle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2024
    Assignee: Intel NDTM US LLC
    Inventor: Narayanan Ramanan
  • Patent number: 12051469
    Abstract: An apparatus, a method, and a system. The method includes implementing an erase operation on a deck of a superblock, block or subblock of a three-dimensional (3D) non-volatile memory device to obtain an erased deck; applying a dummy read pulse to one or more wordlines (WLs) of a to-be-read deck of the superblock, block or subblock; and implementing, after application of the dummy read pulse, a read operation on one or more memory cells corresponding to the one or more WLs to read data from the one or more memory cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2022
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2024
    Assignee: Intel NDTM US LLC
    Inventors: Wei Cao, Richard M. Fastow, Xuehong Yu, Xin Sun, Hyungseok Kim, Narayanan Ramanan, Amol R. Joshi, Krishna Parat
  • Publication number: 20220366991
    Abstract: An apparatus is described. An apparatus includes controller logic circuitry to perform a program-verify programming process to a flash memory chip. The program-verify programming process is to reduce a size of a pre-program verify (PPV) bucket in response to a number of cells being fully programmed to a same digital state. The number of cells are less than a total number of cells to be programmed to the same digital state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2021
    Publication date: November 17, 2022
    Inventors: Shantanu R. RAJWADE, Tarek Ahmed AMEEN BESHARI, Matin AMANI, Narayanan RAMANAN, Arun THATHACHARY
  • Publication number: 20220293193
    Abstract: Sensing circuits and techniques for NAND memory that can enable improved read disturb on the selected SGS are described herein. In one example, a reverse sensing circuit includes circuitry coupled with a bitline of the string of NAND memory cells to perform a sensing operation. The circuitry charges the bitline of the string of NAND memory cells to a target bitline voltage and applies a voltage to the source line that is higher than the bitline voltage. The sense current flows through the string from the source line to the bitline. The voltage at a sensing node that is indicative of a threshold voltage of a memory cell can then be detected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2021
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Inventor: Narayanan RAMANAN
  • Publication number: 20220293194
    Abstract: Modulation of the source voltage in a NAND-flash array read waveform can enable improved read-disturb mitigation. For example, increasing the source line voltage to a voltage with a magnitude greater than the non-idle source voltage during the read operation when the array is idle (e.g., not during sensing) enables a reduction in read disturb without the complexity arising from the consideration of multiple read types. Additional improvement in FN disturb may also be obtained on the sub-blocks in the selected SGS by increasing the source line voltage during the selected wordline ramp when the array is idle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2021
    Publication date: September 15, 2022
    Inventor: Narayanan RAMANAN
  • Publication number: 20220284968
    Abstract: An apparatus, a method, and a system. The method includes implementing an erase operation on a deck of a superblock, block or subblock of a three-dimensional (3D) non-volatile memory device to obtain an erased deck; applying a dummy read pulse to one or more wordlines (WLs) of a to-be-read deck of the superblock, block or subblock; and implementing, after application of the dummy read pulse, a read operation on one or more memory cells corresponding to the one or more WLs to read data from the one or more memory cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2022
    Publication date: September 8, 2022
    Applicant: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Wei Cao, Richard M. Fastow, Xuehong Yu, Xin Sun, Hyungseok Kim, Narayanan Ramanan, Amol R. Joshi, Krishna Parat
  • Publication number: 20220208286
    Abstract: For a nonvolatile (NV) storage media such as NAND media that is written by a program and program verify operation, the system can determine an expected number of SSPC (selective slow programming convergence) cells for a page of cells for specific conditions of the page. The system can perform program verify with a first wordline (WL) select voltage for SSPC cell detection for a first write of the page to detect the expected number of SSPC cells. Based on the determined expected number of SSPC cells, the system can set a boost voltage to capture an expected number of SSPC cells during the program verify operation. The system performs program verify for subsequent writes to the page with a higher WL select voltage, to perform program verify for standard cells and then SSPC program verify with the boost voltage determined from the first write.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 24, 2020
    Publication date: June 30, 2022
    Inventors: Tarek Ahmed AMEEN BESHARI, Shantanu R. RAJWADE, Matin AMANI, Narayanan RAMANAN
  • Patent number: 11355199
    Abstract: An apparatus, a method, and a system. The method includes implementing an erase operation on a deck of a superblock, block or subblock of a three-dimensional (3D) non-volatile memory device to obtain an erased deck; applying a dummy read pulse to one or more wordlines (WLs) of a to-be-read deck of the superblock, block or subblock; and implementing, after application of the dummy read pulse, a read operation on one or more memory cells corresponding to the one or more WLs to read data from the one or more memory cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Wei Cao, Richard M. Fastow, Xuehong Yu, Xin Sun, Hyungseok Kim, Narayanan Ramanan, Amol R. Joshi, Krishna Parat
  • Publication number: 20220172784
    Abstract: A sense circuit performs a multistage boost, including a boost during precharge operation and a boost during the standard boost operation. The sense circuit includes an output transistor to drive a sense output based on current through a sense node which drives a gate of the output transistor. The sense circuit includes a precharge circuit to precharge the sense node and the gate of the output transistor and a boost circuit to boost the sense node. The boost circuit can be boosted during precharge by a first boost voltage, resulting in a lower boost applied to the sense node after precharge. The boost circuit boosts up the sense node by a second boost voltage lower than the first boost voltage. The boost circuit boosts the sense node down by the full boost voltage of the first boost voltage plus the second boost voltage after sensing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2020
    Publication date: June 2, 2022
    Inventors: Shantanu R. RAJWADE, Bayan NASRI, Tzu-Ning FANG, Rezaul HAQUE, Dhanashree R. KULKARNI, Narayanan RAMANAN, Matin AMANI, Ahsanur RAHMAN, Seong Je PARK, Netra MAHULI