18545245. THREE-STATE PROGRAMMING OF MEMORY CELLS simplified abstract (Micron Technology, Inc.)

THREE-STATE PROGRAMMING OF MEMORY CELLS

Organization Name

Micron Technology, Inc.

Inventor(s)

Hernan A. Castro of Shingle Springs CA (US)

Jeremy M. Hirst of Orangevale CA (US)

Shanky K. Jain of Folsom CA (US)

Richard K. Dodge of Santa Clara CA (US)

William A. Melton of Shingle Springs CA (US)

THREE-STATE PROGRAMMING OF MEMORY CELLS - A simplified explanation of the abstract

This abstract first appeared for US patent application 18545245 titled 'THREE-STATE PROGRAMMING OF MEMORY CELLS

Simplified Explanation

The present disclosure involves apparatuses, methods, and systems for three-state programming of memory cells. An embodiment includes a memory with multiple memory cells, circuitry programmed to set a memory cell to one of three possible data states by applying a voltage pulse, checking if the memory cell snaps back in response to the pulse, and applying an additional voltage pulse based on the snap back determination.

• Memory cells can be programmed to three different data states.
• Voltage pulses are used to program the memory cells.
• The memory cells' response to the voltage pulse determines the next step in the programming process.

Potential Applications

This technology could be applied in:

• Non-volatile memory devices
• Solid-state drives
• Embedded systems

Problems Solved

• Increasing data storage capacity
• Enhancing memory cell programming efficiency

Benefits

• Higher data storage density
• Faster memory cell programming
• Improved memory cell reliability

Potential Commercial Applications

Optimizing Memory Cell Programming for Enhanced Data Storage

Possible Prior Art

One potential prior art could be the use of multi-level cell (MLC) technology in memory devices to increase data storage capacity.

Unanswered Questions

How does this technology compare to traditional two-state memory cell programming methods?

This article does not provide a direct comparison between three-state programming and traditional two-state programming methods.

What are the potential limitations or drawbacks of three-state programming of memory cells?

The article does not address any potential limitations or drawbacks of implementing three-state programming in memory cells.

Original Abstract Submitted

The present disclosure includes apparatuses, methods, and systems for three-state programming of memory cells. An embodiment includes a memory having a plurality of memory cells, and circuitry configured to program a memory cell of the plurality of memory cells to one of three possible data states by applying a voltage pulse to the memory cell, determining whether the memory cell snaps back in response to the applied voltage pulse, and applying an additional voltage pulse to the memory cell based on the determination of whether the memory cell snaps back.