Data storage device with rewriteable in-place memory

• US 10,068,663 B1
• Filed: 05/30/2017
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Inventors: Ebsen, David S., Ish, Mark, Canepa, Timothy
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Michael
• Application Number:
  US15/607,801
• Time in Patent Office: 462 Days
• Field of Search: 36518905, 36523006
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0246 in block erasable memory, e.g. flash memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/7202 Allocation control and policies
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/7203 Temporary buffering, e.g. using volatile buffer or dedicated buffer blocks
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/004 Reading or sensing circuits or methods
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/0069 Writing or programming circuits or methods
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2207/102 Compression or decompression of data before storage
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2207/2245 Memory devices with an internal cache buffer
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/789 using non-volatile cells or latches
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 5/025 Geometric lay-out considerations of storage- and peripheral-blocks in a semiconductor storage device geometrical lay-out of the components in integrated circuits, H01L27/0207
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/1006 Data managing, e.g. manipulating data before writing or reading out, data bus switches or control circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/18 Bit line organisation; Bit line lay-out
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 8/10 Decoders
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 8/14 Word line organisation; Word line lay-out

Abstract

A non-volatile memory may be resident in a data storage device. The non-volatile memory can consist of a rewritable in-place memory cell having a read-write asymmetry. The non-volatile memory may be divided into a first group of tiers with a selection module of the data storage device prior to adapting to an event by altering the non-volatile memory into a second group of tiers. The first and second groups of tiers being different.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising a non-volatile memory resident in a data storage device, the non-volatile memory comprising a rewritable in-place memory cell having a read-write asymmetry, the read-write asymmetry corresponding with a settle time after a data write to the rewritable in-place memory cell, the non-volatile memory divided by a selection module of the data storage device into a first group of tiers prior to an event and into a second group of tiers after the event, the first and second groups of tiers being different.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rewritable in-place memory cell comprises a selection layer contacting a resistive unit without a transistor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the data storage device has a buffer memory that is a different type of memory than the non-volatile memory.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rewritable in-place memory cell does not have a consistent resistive state that can be read during the settle time.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first group of tiers has a different number of tiers than the second group of tiers.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first and second groups of tiers are each virtualized.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each tier of the second group of tiers is assigned to a range of physical block addresses.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the ranges of the respective tiers of the second group of tiers are different and non-overlapping.

9. A method comprising:

activating a non-volatile memory resident in a data storage device, the non-volatile memory comprising a rewritable in-place memory cell having a read-write asymmetry the read-write asymmetry corresponding with a settle time after a data write to the rewritable in-place memory cell;

dividing the non-volatile memory into a first group of tiers with a selection module of the data storage device; and

adapting to an event by altering the non-volatile memory into a second group of tiers, the first and second groups of tiers being different.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the event is a detected change in operating performance of the data storage device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the second group of tiers is arranged into a hierarchical structure.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein a first tier of the second group of tiers is a cache where data is initially stored prior to being moved to other tiers of the second group of tiers.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the respective tiers of the second group of tiers corresponds with an access frequency of data stored in the respective tiers of the second group of tiers.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the selection module updates data in the respective tiers of the second group of tiers without moving the data.

15. A method comprising

activating a non-volatile memory resident in a data storage device, the non-volatile memory comprising a rewritable in-place memory cell having a read-write asymmetry the read-write asymmetry corresponding with a settle time after a data write to the rewritable in-place memory cell;

dividing the non-volatile memory into a first group of tiers with a selection module of the data storage device;

predicting an event with a selection module of the data storage device;

adapting to the event proactively by altering the non-volatile memory into a second group of tiers, the first and second groups of tiers being different.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the predicted event forecasted by the selection module to hinder a performance parameter of the data storage device.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the selection module divides data into multiple different tiers of the second group of tiers in response to the predicted event.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the selection module stripes data across multiple different tiers of the second group of tiers in response to the predicted event.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the selection module writes a shadow copy of data in a buffer memory of the data storage device that is read throughout a settle time of the non-volatile memory.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein a map tier of the second group of tiers consists of a map of data resident in the non-volatile memory.