Method and system for modulating read operations to support error correction in solid state memory

• US 10,290,331 B1
• Filed: 04/28/2017
• Issued: 05/14/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Jeon, Seungjune
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Toan K
• Application Number:
  US15/581,191
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/0408 comprising cells containing floating gate transistors G11C16/0483, G11C16/0491 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/26 Sensing or reading circuits; Data output circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/3459 Circuits or methods to verify correct programming of nonvolatile memory cells
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/3495 Circuits or methods to detect or delay wearout of nonvolatile EPROM or EEPROM memory devices, e.g. by counting numbers of erase or reprogram cycles, by using multiple memory areas serially or cyclically
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/023 in clock generator or timing circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/028 with adaption or trimming of parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/50012 of timing
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/50016 of retention

Abstract

In general, embodiments of the technology relate to improving read performance of solid-state storage by using decoding schemes deemed particularly suitable for the read operation that is currently being performed. More specifically, embodiments of the technology relate to using program/erase (P/E) cycle values, retention times, and page numbers in order to determine the appropriate decoding parameters to use when reading data that has been previously stored in the solid-state storage.

Claims

1. A method for reading and decoding data from solid state memory, the method comprising:

receiving a client read request for data from a client, wherein the client read request comprises a logical address;

determining a physical address corresponding to the logical address, wherein the physical address comprises a page number for a physical page in the solid state memory;

determining, using one selected from a group consisting of the physical address and the logical address, a retention time for the data;

determining a program/erase (P/E) cycle value associated with the physical page;

obtaining at least one read threshold value and a decoding scheme using the P/E cycle value, the retention time, and the page number;

issuing a control module read request comprising the at least one read threshold value and the decoding scheme to a storage module, wherein the storage module comprises the physical page;

obtaining the data from the physical page using the at least one read threshold value; and

decoding the data obtained from the physical page using the decoding scheme.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second client read request for second data from the client, wherein the second client read request comprises a second logical address;

determining a second physical address corresponding to the second logical address, wherein the second physical address comprises a second page number for a second physical page in the solid state memory;

determining, using one selected from a group consisting of the second physical address and the second logical address, a second retention time for the second data stored on the second physical page;

determining a second P/E cycle value associated with the second physical page;

obtaining the at least one read threshold value and a second decoding scheme different from the decoding scheme, using the second P/E cycle value, the second retention time, and the second page number;

issuing a second control module read request comprising the at least one read threshold value and the second decoding scheme to the storage module, wherein the storage module comprises the second physical page, wherein the second physical page is distinct from the physical page;

obtaining the second data from the second physical page using the at one read threshold value; and

decoding the second data obtained from the second physical page using the second decoding scheme.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second client read request for second data from the client, wherein the second client read request comprises a second logical address;

determining a second physical address corresponding to the second logical address, wherein the second physical address comprises a second page number for a second physical page in the solid state memory;

determining, using one selected from a group consisting of the second physical address and the second logical address, a second retention time for the second data stored on the second physical page;

determining a second P/E cycle value associated with the second physical page;

obtaining at least one second read threshold value different from the at least one read threshold value, and a second decoding scheme different from the decoding scheme, using the second P/E cycle value, the second retention time, and the second page number;

issuing a second control module read request comprising the at least one second read threshold value and the second decoding scheme to the storage module, wherein the storage module comprises the second physical page, wherein the second physical page is distinct from the physical page;

obtaining the second data from the second physical page using the at one second read threshold value; and

decoding the second data obtained from the second physical page using the second decoding scheme.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining confidence levels associated with the at least one read threshold value using the P/E cycle value, the retention time, and the page number,

wherein the issued control module read request further comprises the confidence levels, and

wherein the decoding of the data is performed using the confidence levels.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the data from the physical page using the at least one read threshold value comprises accessing a memory cell to read one data value for each of the read threshold values of the at least one read threshold values.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the memory cell is one selected from a group consisting of a single-level cell (SLC) and a multi-level cell (MLC).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the data obtained from the physical page comprises a plurality of data sets obtained from a set of memory cells using a plurality of read threshold values,

wherein each data set of the plurality of data sets is obtained from the same set of memory cells using a particular read threshold value selected from the plurality of read threshold values.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the decoding of the data obtained from the physical page comprises determining a final data set to send to the client, based on the plurality of data sets.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining the at least one read threshold value and the decoding scheme comprises performing a look-up in an in-memory data structure, wherein the in-memory data structure comprises a plurality of entries, wherein each of the plurality of entries comprises one of a plurality of read threshold values, one of a plurality of decode schemes, one of a plurality of P/E cycle values, and one of a plurality of retention times, and one of a plurality of page numbers.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to receiving the client read request:

characterizing the solid state memory to establish a relationship between P/E cycle values, physical pages, retention times, read threshold values and decoding schemes; and

storing the relationship in an in-memory data structure.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the decoding scheme is one selected from a group of hard threshold decoder and soft threshold decoder.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one read threshold value comprises a voltage value.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one read threshold value comprises a shift value, wherein the shift value corresponds to a voltage shift of a default read threshold value.

14. A system, comprising:

a storage module comprising a storage module controller and persistent storage; and

a control module operatively connected to the storage module and a client,

wherein the control module;

receives a client read request for data from a client, wherein the client read request comprises a logical address;

determines a physical address corresponding to the logical address, wherein the physical address comprises a page number for a physical page in the persistent storage;

determines, using one selected from a group consisting of the physical address and the logical address, a retention time for the data;

determines a program/erase (P/E) cycle value associated with the physical page;

obtains at least one read threshold value and a decoding scheme using the P/E cycle value, the retention time, and the page number; and

issues a control module read request comprising the at least one read threshold value and the decoding scheme to a storage module, wherein the storage module comprises the physical page,

wherein the storage module;

receives the control module read request;

obtains the data from the physical page using the at least one read threshold value; and

decodes the data obtained from the physical page using the decoding scheme.

15. The system of claim 14,

wherein the control module further:

receives a second client read request for second data from the client, wherein the second client read request comprises a second logical address;

determines a second physical address corresponding to the second logical address, wherein the second physical address comprises a second page number for a second physical page in the persistent storage;

determines, using one selected from a group consisting of the second physical address and the second logical address, a second retention time for the second data stored on the second physical page;

determines a second P/E cycle value associated with the second physical page;

obtains the at least one read threshold value and a second decoding scheme different from the decoding scheme, using the second P/E cycle value, the second retention time, and the second page number;

issues a second control module read request comprising the at least one read threshold value and the second decoding scheme to the storage module, wherein the storage module comprises the second physical page, wherein the second physical page is distinct from the physical page; and

wherein the storage module;

receives the second control module read request;

obtains the second data from the second physical page using the at one read threshold value; and

decodes the second data obtained from the second physical page using the second decoding scheme.

16. The system of claim 14,

wherein the control module further:

receives a second client read request for second data from the client, wherein the second client read request comprises a second logical address;

determines a second physical address corresponding to the second logical address, wherein the second physical address comprises a second page number for a second physical page in the persistent storage;

determines, using one selected from a group consisting of the second physical address and the second logical address, a second retention time for the second data stored on the second physical page;

determines a second P/E cycle value associated with the second physical page;

obtains at least one second read threshold value different from the at least one read threshold value, and a second decoding scheme different from the decoding scheme, using the second P/E cycle value, the second retention time, and the second page number;

issues a second control module read request comprising the at least one second read threshold value and the second decoding scheme to the storage module, wherein the storage module comprises the second physical page, wherein the second physical page is distinct from the physical page; and

wherein the storage module;

receives the second control module read request;

obtains the second data from the second physical page using the at one second read threshold value; and

decodes the second data obtained from the second physical page using the second decoding scheme.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the control module further:

obtains confidence levels associated with the at least one read threshold value using the P/E cycle value, the retention time, and the page number, and

wherein the issued control module read request further comprises the confidence levels, and

wherein the decoding of the data is performed using the confidence levels.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the data obtained from the physical page comprises a plurality of data sets obtained from a set of memory cells using a plurality of read threshold values,

wherein each data set of the plurality of data sets is obtained from the same set of memory cells using a particular read threshold value selected from the plurality of read threshold values.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the decoding of the data obtained from the physical page comprises determining a final data set to send to the client, based on the plurality of data sets.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable program code, which when executed by a computer processor enables the computer processor to:

receive a client read request for data from a client, wherein the client read request comprises a logical address;

determine a physical address corresponding to the logical address, wherein the physical address comprises a page number for a physical page in solid state memory;

determine, using one selected from a group consisting of the physical address and the logical address, a retention time for the data;

determine a program/erase (P/E) cycle value associated with the physical page;

obtain at least one read threshold value and a decoding scheme using the P/E cycle value, the retention time, and the page number;

issue a control module read request comprising the at least one read threshold value and the decoding scheme to a storage module, wherein the storage module comprises the physical page;

obtain the data from the physical page using the at least one read threshold value; and

decode the data obtained from the physical page using the decoding scheme.