Memory Wordline Access Tracking to Reduce Read Disturb Errors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional memory sub-systems face issues with increased error rates and resource utilization due to read disturb and frequent error correction operations, leading to inefficiencies and potential data loss as memory cells deteriorate from excessive read and write operations without adequate management.
Innovation Solution
A data structure is maintained to track memory access operations at consecutive wordlines, using counters to identify frequently accessed ranges, allowing for targeted memory management operations to prevent cell corruption, thereby reducing error rates and resource usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If memory cells are frequently accessed for read and write operations, then data storage capacity and accessibility are improved, but error rates increase due to read disturb and cell deterioration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs memory management operations (such as refresh or consolidate operations) on wordlines before they reach a critical error threshold. By tracking the number of read operations on each wordline and proactively managing frequently accessed wordlines, the system prevents cell deterioration and read disturb from causing excessive errors, thus maintaining reliability while allowing high productivity.
2Reliability
If error correction operations are performed frequently to maintain data integrity, then reliability is improved, but resource utilization increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary memory management operations on frequently accessed wordlines before errors accumulate to levels requiring extensive error correction. By proactively refreshing or consolidating data on wordlines that have been read many times, the system prevents error accumulation, thereby reducing the need for resource-intensive error correction operations and lowering overall resource utilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism that tracks the number of read operations performed on each wordline. This tracking information feeds into the memory management decision-making process, allowing the system to identify frequently accessed wordlines and apply memory management operations selectively. This feedback-driven approach ensures that resources are allocated efficiently, focusing on wordlines that actually need management rather than performing blanket error correction across all memory.
3Reliability
If memory management operations are performed on all wordlines, then error rates are reduced, but productivity decreases due to excessive resource consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies memory management operations selectively to specific wordlines based on their access patterns rather than uniformly across all wordlines. By tracking read operation counts and identifying frequently accessed wordlines, the system applies refresh or consolidate operations only where needed, maintaining reliability for high-use areas while avoiding unnecessary operations on low-use wordlines, thus preserving overall productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs memory management operations on a subset of wordlines (those that are frequently accessed) rather than on all wordlines. This partial action approach is sufficient to prevent error accumulation in the most critical areas, achieving effective error rate reduction without the productivity penalty of blanket operations across the entire memory space.
Data Source
AI summary
A system includes a memory device and a processing device coupled to the memory device. The processing device is to perform operations including determining whether a set of memory access operations performed on a first wordline of the memory device satisfies one or more criteria. The operations further include, responsive to determining that the set of memory access operations satisfies the one or more criteria, causing a memory management operation to be performed at the first wordline and a second wordline of the memory device.