Nonvolatile Memory Cell Counting via Shifting Measurement Windows
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current nonvolatile memory devices face challenges in efficiently counting the number of memory cells within a short time frame, requiring improved methods to enhance resolution and capacity while maintaining measurement range and interval widths.
Innovation Solution
A method involving multiple sensing operations with shifting measurement windows, where the measurement range and intervals are initially set and then adjusted to maintain width while changing positions, allowing for efficient counting of memory cells with improved resolution and capacity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a single sensing operation is performed with a fixed measurement window, then the counting operation is simple and fast, but the resolution and capacity of the cell counting are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The measurement window is divided into multiple measurement intervals, allowing the counting operation to be segmented into multiple sensing operations. Each sensing operation covers a specific interval within the measurement range, and the results are combined to achieve high-resolution counting across the entire range without requiring a single complex high-capacity sensing operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a temporal dimension by performing multiple sensing operations sequentially with different measurement intervals. Instead of attempting to count all cells in a single operation (one-dimensional approach), the method uses multiple operations at different intervals that are combined mathematically, effectively adding a time dimension to the measurement process to achieve higher resolution.
2Measurement precision
If multiple sensing operations are performed with different measurement ranges to improve resolution, then the counting accuracy increases, but the time required for the counting operation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The measurement window is dynamically shifted across different intervals through multiple sensing operations. Rather than using static fixed-range measurements, the method dynamically adjusts the measurement interval position while maintaining a consistent window width, allowing efficient coverage of the entire measurement range with optimized sensing operations that minimize total counting time.
3Productivity
If the measurement window width is increased to count more cells in a single operation, then the counting speed increases, but the resolution of the measurement decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The large measurement range is segmented into multiple smaller intervals, each measured with an optimized window width that maintains high resolution. By dividing the overall counting task into segments measured sequentially, the method achieves both high resolution in each segment and complete coverage of the entire range, balancing productivity and precision.
Data Source
AI summary
In a method of counting the number of memory cells in a nonvolatile memory device, a measurement range and a plurality of measurement intervals of a measurement window for a cell counting operation are set to a first range and a plurality of first intervals, respectively. The plurality of measurement intervals are included in the measurement range. A first sensing operation is performed on first memory cells included in a first region of a memory cell array based on the measurement window. A first shifting operation for shifting the measurement window is performed while a width of the measurement range and a width of each of the plurality of measurement intervals are maintained. A second sensing operation is performed on the first memory cells based on the measurement window shifted by the first shifting operation. A final count value for the first memory cells is obtained based on a result of the first sensing operation and a result of the second sensing operation.