Memory Row Error Counters for Proactive Row Repair
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Solution Overview
Problem
Memory systems experience row failures due to accumulated errors, leading to significant access operation failures, latency, and reliability issues, which existing technologies fail to address efficiently.
Innovation Solution
Implement a health monitoring system that allocates counters to track errors in memory rows, performing row repair operations when error counters exceed a threshold, and dynamically reallocates counters to monitor other rows, optimizing resource use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If row repair operations are performed proactively based on error monitoring, then access operation failures are reduced, but device complexity increases due to additional monitoring infrastructure
Solution Approach 1:
The memory system performs self-diagnosis by automatically monitoring its own rows for errors using built-in counters and comparison logic. The system autonomously identifies failing rows and triggers repair operations without external intervention, reducing the need for complex external monitoring infrastructure while improving reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements continuous feedback loops where error counters are incremented based on read operations, compared against thresholds, and trigger repair operations when conditions are met. This automated feedback mechanism enables proactive row repair based on real-time error accumulation data, improving access operation success rates through systematic monitoring
2Measurement precision
If counters are allocated to track errors in all memory rows, then error detection capability is improved, but resource usage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic counter allocation where counters are allocated to specific rows based on their error characteristics and priority. Not all rows have counters simultaneously active - instead, counters are allocated locally to rows that need monitoring, reducing overall resource usage while maintaining precise error tracking for critical rows
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically allocates and deallocates counters based on runtime conditions. Counters are allocated when rows require monitoring and deallocated when repair operations are performed or rows are removed from monitoring. This dynamic resource management allows the system to maintain high measurement precision for active rows while optimizing counter resource usage across the entire memory system
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and devices for row error monitoring for memory systems are described. The method may include a system (e.g., a memory system, a host system coupled with a memory system) detecting one or more errors of a row of memory cells of a memory system based on reading the row of memory cells and allocating a counter of the memory system to tracking errors of the row of memory cells based on detecting the one or more errors of the row of memory cells. Additionally, the method may include the system adjusting a value of the allocated counter based on errors of the row of memory cells including the detected one or more errors and perform an operation associated with the row of memory cells based on the adjusted value of the allocated counter satisfying a threshold.