Controlled heating of a memory device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12210774-B2
Application number	US-202217677568-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 22, 2022
Priority date	Oct 23, 2018
Publication date	Jan 28, 2025
Grant date	Jan 28, 2025

Abstract

Methods, systems, and devices for controlled and mode-dependent heating of a memory device are described. In various examples, a memory device or an apparatus that includes a memory device may have circuitry configured to heat the memory device. The circuitry configured to heat the memory device may be activated, deactivated, or otherwise operated based on an indication of a temperature (e.g., of the memory device). In some examples, activating or otherwise operating the circuitry configured to heat the memory device may be based on an operating mode (e.g., of the memory device), which may be associated with certain access operations or operational states (e.g., of the memory device). Various operations or operating modes (e.g., of the memory device) may also be based on indications of a temperature (e.g., of the memory device).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system, comprising:
a memory device that comprises memory cells having capacitive storage components;
a temperature sensor outside the memory device;
a heating component included in the memory device and configured to adjust a temperature of the memory device; and
a host device in communication with the memory device, the host device comprising logic configured to:
receive, from the temperature sensor, an indication of the temperature of the memory device;
compare the temperature of the memory device with a threshold;
determine that the memory device is in a first mode based at least in part on the temperature being less than the threshold, the first mode associated with restriction of access operations to the memory device;
activate, based at least in part on determining that the memory device is associated with the first mode, the heating component included in the memory device and configured to adjust the temperature of the memory device; and
receive, based at least in part on activating the heating component, an indication that the memory device is in a second mode, wherein the memory device is available for access operations during the second mode.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensor is a component of the host device.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a thermal coupling component that is coupled with the host device and coupled with the memory device.

4. A system, comprising:
a memory device that comprises a memory device controller and memory cells having capacitive storage components;
a host device in communication with the memory device;
a thermal coupling component that is coupled with the host device and coupled with the memory device;
a temperature sensor coupled with the thermal coupling component;
a heating component included in the thermal coupling component and configured to adjust respective temperatures of both the memory device and the host device; and
logic configured to:
determine, based at least in part on an indication of a temperature measured by the temperature sensor, that the memory device is operating in a first mode;
activate, based at least in part on the indication of the temperature measured by the temperature sensor and determining that the memory device is operating in the first mode, the heating component configured to adjust the temperature of both the memory device and the host device via the thermal coupling component; and
receive, based at least in part on activating the heating component, an indication that the memory device is in a second mode, wherein the memory device is available for access operations during the second mode.

5. A system, comprising:
a memory device that comprises a memory device controller and memory cells having capacitive storage components;
a host device in communication with the memory device;
a thermal coupling component that is coupled with the host device and the memory device, the thermal coupling component comprising a heating component operable to adjust a temperature of at least the memory device;
a temperature sensor outside the memory device; and
logic configured to:
determine, based at least in part on an indication of a temperature measured by the temperature sensor, that the memory device is operating in a first mode;
activate, based at least in part on the indication of the temperature measured by the temperature sensor and determining that the memory device is operating in the first mode, the heating component operable to adjust the temperature of both the memory device and the host device via the thermal coupling component; and
receive an indication that the memory device is available for access operations based at least in part on activating the heating component.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the host device is a controller of a vehicle; and
the temperature sensor is a temperature sensor of the vehicle.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the heating component comprises circuitry of the memory device.

8. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a second temperature sensor coupled with the memory device, wherein the logic is configured to activate the heating component based at least in part on the indication of the temperature measured by the temperature sensor outside the memory device and an indication of a second temperature measured by the second temperature sensor coupled with the memory device.

9. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a host device and from a temperature sensor outside a memory device that comprises memory cells having capacitive storage components, an indication of a temperature of the memory device;
comparing, by the host device, the indication of the temperature of the memory device with a threshold;
determining that the memory device is in a first mode on based at least in part on the temperature being less than the threshold, the first mode associated with restriction of access operations to the memory device;
activating, by the host device based at least in part on determining that the memory device is associated with the first mode, a heating component configured to adjust the temperature of the memory device, wherein the heating component comprises circuitry included in the memory device; and
receiving, by the host device and based at least in part on activating the heating component, an indication that the memory device is in a second mode, wherein the memory device is available for access operations in the second mode.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
comparing the indication of the temperature of the memory device with a threshold at a host device in communication with the memory device; and
activating, by the host device, the heating component configured to adjust the temperature of the memory device.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the temperature sensor is a component of the host device.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the temperature sensor is a component of a thermal coupling component that is coupled with the memory device and the host device.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the heating component is coupled with a thermal coupling component that is coupled with the memory device and the host device.

14. An apparatus, comprising:
a memory array of a memory device comprising memory cells having capacitive storage components;
circuitry included in the memory device configured to heat the memory device; and
logic included in the memory device configured to couple with a host device, the logic configured to cause the memory device to:
determine that the memory device is in a first mode, the first mode associated with restriction of access operations to the memory device;
receive, at the memory device and from the host device, a command to activate the circuitry configured to heat the memory device;
activate, based at least in part on receiving the command from the host device and determining that the memory device is associated with the first mode, the circuitry included in the memory device and configured to heat the memory device;
determine, after activating the circuitry configured to heat the memory device, that a temperature of the memory device satisfies a threshold; and
transmit an indication that the memory device is available for access operations based at least in part on determining that the temperature of the memory device satisfies the threshold.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the logic of the memory device is configured to cause the apparatus to:
restrict access operations on the memory array based at least in part on

Assignees

• Micron Technology Inc

Inventors

• Mayer Peter
• Richter Michael Dieter
• Brox Martin
• Spirkl Wolfgang Anton
• Hein Thomas

Classifications

• G11C11/4096

  Input/output [I/O] data management or control circuits, e.g. reading or writing circuits, I/O drivers or bit-line switches · CPC title

• G11C11/4074

  Power supply or voltage generation circuits, e.g. bias voltage generators, substrate voltage generators, back-up power, power control circuits · CPC title

• G11C11/4072

  Circuits for initialization, powering up or down, clearing memory or presetting · CPC title

• G11C11/2297

  Power supply circuits · CPC title

• G11C11/2275

  Writing or programming circuits or methods · CPC title