Memory system including nonvolatile memory devices which contain multiple page buffers and control logic therein that support varying read voltage level test operations

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9396796-B2
Application number	US-201414525768-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2014
Priority date	Nov 24, 2011
Publication date	Jul 19, 2016
Grant date	Jul 19, 2016

Abstract

A nonvolatile memory device includes an array of nonvolatile memory cells and a plurality of page buffers configured to receive a plurality of pages of data read from the same page in the array using different read voltage conditions. A control circuit is provided, which is electrically coupled to the plurality of page buffers. The control circuit is configured to perform a test operation by driving the plurality of page buffers with control signals that cause generation within the nonvolatile memory device of a string of XOR data bits, which are derived from a comparison of at least two of the multiple pages of data read from the same page of nonvolatile memory cells using the different read voltage conditions. An input/output device is provided, which is configured to output test data derived from the string of XOR data bits to another device located external to the nonvolatile memory device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A memory system comprising:
a non-volatile memory; and
a controller configured to control an operation of the non-volatile memory,
wherein the non-volatile memory comprises:
a memory cell array comprising a target page;
a first page buffer configured to store first data read from the target page, which is selected according to a first read command output from the controller, using a first read voltage level changed according to a first read voltage level change command output from the controller;
a second page buffer configured to store second data read from the target page, which is selected according to a second read command output from the controller, using a second read voltage level changed according to a second read voltage level change command output from the controller; and
a third page buffer configured to generate data which is the same as bit-wise logical operation data with respect to the first data and second data by changing third data stored therein using at least part of the first data transmitted from the first page buffer and at least part of the second data transmitted from the second page buffer according to a command output from the controller.

2. The memory system of claim 1 , wherein the bit-wise logic operation data is bit-wise XOR data or bit-wise exclusive NOR data.

3. The memory system of claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises a counter configured to count a number of particular bits in the data the same as the bit-wise logical operation data transmitted from the non-volatile memory.

4. The memory system of claim 3 , wherein the particular bits are one of data “0” and data “1”.

5. The memory system of claim 1 , wherein the non-volatile memory further comprises:
a logic circuit configured to perform a bit-wise logical operation on reference data transmitted from the controller and the data output from the third page buffer; and
a counter configured to count a number of particular bits in data output from the logic circuit and to output a count value to the controller.

6. The memory system of claim 5 , wherein the logic circuit is an XOR logic circuit and the reference data is stored in a register.

7. The memory system of claim 1 , wherein the first data is transferred to the first page buffer through the third page buffer, and the second data is transferred to the second page buffer through the third page buffer.

8. The memory system of claim 7 , wherein when the at least part of the first data is a first group of bits, which are included in the first data and have a first value, and the at least part of the second data is a second group of bits, which are included in the second data and have the first value,
the changing the third data including:
(a) initializing each value of bits included in the third data to the first value;
(b) changing each value of bits corresponding to the first group among bits included in the third data, which has been initialized in operation (a), to a second value;
(c) changing each value of bits corresponding to the second group among bits included in the third data, which has been changed in operation (b), to the second value; and
(d) changing each value of common bits among bits comprised in the third data, which has been changed in operation (c), to the first value, and
each of the common bit is a bit corresponding to bits that have the first value at the same position in both of the first group and the second group.

9. The memory system of claim 8 , wherein the first value is one of “0” and “1” and the second value is the other one of the “0” and the “1”.

10. The memory system of claim 1 , wherein the non-volatile memory and the controller are packaged into a single package.

11. The memory system of claim 1 , wherein the non-volatile memory is a two-dimensional or three-dimensional NAND flash memory.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Sang Hoon
• Kim Hyun Seok
• Bae Sung-Hwan
• Baek Jong-Nam
• Jeong Jae Yong

Classifications

• G11C16/0483 Primary

  comprising cells having several storage transistors connected in series · CPC title

• G11C16/26 Primary

  Sensing or reading circuits; Data output circuits · CPC title

• G11C29/00

  Checking stores for correct operation {; Subsequent repair}; Testing stores during standby or offline operation · CPC title

• G11C16/04 Primary

  using variable threshold transistors, e.g. FAMOS · CPC title

• G11C16/06

  Auxiliary circuits, e.g. for writing into memory · CPC title