MANUAL SUSPEND AND RESUME FOR NON-VOLATILE MEMORY

• US 20120167100A1
• Filed: 12/23/2010
• Published: 06/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Li, Yan, Marcu, Alon, Hsu, Cynthia, Shah, Grishma, Trinh, Cuong, Mofidi, Mehrdad
• Application Number:
  US12/978,001
• Publication Number:
  US 20120167100A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 718/102
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/5621 using charge storage in a floating gate
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/102 External programming circuits, e.g. EPROM programmers; In-circuit programming or reprogramming; EPROM emulators
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/22 Safety or protection circuits preventing unauthorised or accidental access to memory cells
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/26 Sensing or reading circuits; Data output circuits

Abstract

An external controller has greater control over control circuitry on a memory die in a non-volatile storage system. The external controller can issue a manual suspend command on a communication path which is constantly monitored by the control circuitry. In response, the control circuitry suspends a task immediately, with essentially no delay, or at a next acceptable point in the task. The external controller similarly has the ability to issue a manual resume command, which can be provided on the communication path when that path has a ready status. The control circuitry can also automatically suspend and resume a task. The external controller can cause a task to be suspended by issuing an illegal read command. The external controller can cause a suspended program task to be aborted by issuing a new program command.

Claims

1. A non-volatile storage system, comprising:

a memory die including control circuitry and storage elements; and

an external controller, external to the memory die and in communication with the control circuitry via at least one communication path, the external controller;

maintains a record of multiple tasks for the control circuitry,

provides a suspend command to the control circuitry via the at least one communication path while the control circuitry has the busy status, a first task executes at the control circuitry when the suspend command is provided;

in response to detecting a ready status for the control circuitry;

detects a suspend status of the control circuitry at a first time, updates the record based on the suspend status, and provides a second command to the control circuitry via the at least one communication path, and

subsequently, in response to again detecting the ready status for the control circuitry;

detects the suspend status at a second time and if the suspend status at the second time is true, provides an additional command to the control circuitry via the at least one communication path.

2. The non-volatile storage system of claim 1, wherein:

in response to the suspend command, the control circuitry suspends the first task, sets the suspend status to true, and provides a ready status on the at least one communication path.

3. The non-volatile storage system of claim 2, wherein:

the additional command is comprise a command to resume the first task.

4. The non-volatile storage system of claim 3, wherein:

the first task involves a phase of a multi-phase programming operation;

in connection with suspending the first task, the control circuitry stores state data which identifies the phase; and

in connection with resuming the first task, the control circuitry accesses the state data which identifies the phase.

5. The non-volatile storage system of claim 1, wherein:

in response to the additional command, the control circuitry automatically suspends and resumes at least one other task.

6. The non-volatile storage system of claim 1, wherein the external controller:

detects the suspend status at the first time via the at least one communication path by issuing a status request command to the control circuitry and receiving back data which provides the suspend status.

7. The non-volatile storage system of claim 6, wherein:

the data also indicates whether the first task has been successfully completed; and

the external controller updates the record based on the data indicating that the first task has been successfully completed.

8. The non-volatile storage system of claim 1, wherein:

if the suspend status at the second time is false, the external controller does not provide a command to the control circuitry to resume the first task.

9. The non-volatile storage system of claim 1, wherein:

the second command comprises a command to perform a second task; and

if the suspend status at the first time is true, the external controller updates the record based on the suspend status at the first time by indicating that the first task is suspended and the second task is started.

10. The non-volatile storage system of claim 1, wherein the external controller:

the second command comprises a command to perform a second task;

provides another suspend command to the control circuitry via the at least one communication path while the control circuitry has the busy status, in response to which the control circuitry suspends the second task, sets the suspend status set to true if the suspend status is not already set to true, and provides a new ready status on the at least one communication path,

in response to detecting the new ready status on the at least one communication path;

detects the suspend status, updates the record based on the suspend status, and provides a third command to the control circuitry via the at least one communication path, in response to which the control circuitry provides a busy status on the at least one communication path, and

subsequently, in response to again detecting the ready status on the at least one communication path;

detects the suspend status at a third time and if the suspend status at the third time is true, provides a resume command to the control circuitry via the at least one communication path to resume the second task.

11. The non-volatile storage system of claim 10, wherein the external controller:

provides a resume command to the control circuitry to resume the first task based on determining that the control circuitry has completed the second task and based on determining that the suspend status at the third time is true.

12. The non-volatile storage system of claim 1, wherein:

the suspend command is a prefix command which does not include an address.

13. The non-volatile storage system of claim 1, wherein:

the second command comprises a command to enter a low power mode.

14. The non-volatile storage system of claim 1, wherein:

the first task is one of programming, reading, erasing and entering a low power mode; and

the second command comprises a command to perform one of programming, reading, erasing and entering a low power mode.

15. The non-volatile storage system of claim 1, wherein:

the storage elements are arranged in multiple blocks, the multiple blocks share a set of bit lines and a set of sense amplifiers, each sense amplifier has a respective set of a number N of data latches;

the second command comprises a command to perform a second task; and

before the external controller provides the second command to the control circuitry, the external controller confirms that a number of data latches which might be used by the first and second tasks together, per sense amplifier, does not exceed N.

16. The non-volatile storage system of claim 1, wherein:

the first task is MLC programming; and

the second command comprises a command to perform one of SLC programming, SLC reading and MLC page-by-page reading.

17. The non-volatile storage system of claim 1, wherein:

in response to the suspend command, the control circuitry suspends the first task, which is a first program task;

the second command comprises a command to perform a task other than a program task; and

the additional command comprises a command to perform a second program task which causes the first program task to be aborted.

18. The non-volatile storage system of claim 1, wherein:

the external controller provides a third command to the control circuitry via the at least one communication path to perform a third task, in response to again detecting the ready status on the at least one communication path, after the first time and before the second time.

19. The non-volatile storage system of claim 1, wherein:

the record identifies in-progress tasks.

20. A method for use at an external controller in communicating with control circuitry on a memory die, the memory die including storage elements, the method comprising:

maintaining a record of multiple tasks for the control circuitry, the control circuitry is in communication with the external controller via at least one a communication path;

providing a suspend command to the control circuitry via the at least one communication path while the control circuitry has a busy status, a first task executes at the control circuitry when the suspend command is provided;

in response to detecting a ready status on the at least one communication path;

detecting a suspend status of the control circuitry at a first time, updating the record based on the suspend status, and providing a second command to the control circuitry via the at least one communication path, and

subsequently, in response to again detecting the ready status on the at least one communication path;

detecting the suspend status at a second time and if the suspend status at the second time is true, providing an additional command to the control circuitry via the at least one communication path.

21. A method for use at control circuitry at a memory die, the control circuitry is in communication with an external controller, the memory die including storage elements, the method comprising:

receiving a suspend command at the control circuitry, from the external controller, the control circuitry is in communication with the external controller via at least one a communication path, and the suspend command is received via the at least one communication path while the control circuitry has a busy status;

in response to the suspend command, suspending a first task which is executing, setting a suspend status to true, and providing a ready status on the at least one communication path;

in response to a status request from the external controller, providing the suspend status to the external controller;

subsequently receiving a second command at the control circuitry, from the external controller, via the at least one communication path, to perform a second task;

in response to the second command, starting the second task, providing a busy status on the at least one communication path and again providing the ready status on the at least one communication path;

in response to a further status request received from the external controller when the ready status is again provided for the at least one communication path, again providing the suspend status to the external controller; and

if the again-provided suspend status is true, receiving a resume command at the control circuitry, from the external controller, via the at least one communication path, to resume the first task.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein:

the first task is a program task in which multiple program-verify operations are performed, each program-verify operation involves a program operation and an associated verify operation;

the suspend command is received during one of the program-verify operations; and

the first task is suspended without completing the one of the program-verify operations.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein:

the one of the program-verify operations involves applying a program pulse to at least one selected storage element, followed by applying one or more verify pulses to the at least one selected storage element;

the suspend command is received while applying the program pulse to the at least one selected storage element; and

the first task is suspended after completing the applying the program pulse to the at least one selected storage element but before the applying one or more verify pulses to the at least one selected storage element.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein:

the one of the program-verify operations involves applying a program pulse to at least one selected storage element, followed by applying one or more verify pulses to the at least one selected storage element;

the suspend command is received while applying the one or more verify pulses to the at least one selected storage element; and

the first task is suspended before completing the applying one or more verify pulses to the at least one selected storage element.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein:

the first task is an erase task in which an erase pulse is applied to the storage elements;

the suspend command is received during the erase pulse;

the first task is suspended without completing the erase pulse.

26. A non-volatile storage system, comprising:

a memory die including control circuitry and storage elements; and

an external controller, external to the memory die and in communication with the control circuitry via at least one a communication path which has an associated ready or busy status, the external controller;

provides a read command to the control circuitry via the at least one communication path while the control circuitry has the ready status, and while the control circuitry is executing a first program task, where in response to the read command, the control circuitry sets a busy status on the at least one communication path and suspends the first program task,

in response to detecting a further ready status on the at least one communication path;

provides an additional command to the control circuitry via the at least one communication path, where in response to the additional command, the control circuitry sets a busy status on the at least one communication path and then sets the ready status on the at least one communication path, and

subsequently, in response to again detecting the ready status on the at least one communication path;

provides an additional command to the control circuitry via the at least one communication path.

27. The non-volatile storage system of claim 26, wherein:

the read command uses an illegal address.

28. The non-volatile storage system of claim 27, wherein:

the additional command is a read command using a legal address.

29. The non-volatile storage system of claim 26, wherein:

the additional command comprises a command to perform a second program task which causes the first program task to be aborted.

30. The non-volatile storage system of claim 26, wherein:

the additional command comprises a command to resume the first program task.

31. The non-volatile storage system of claim 30, wherein:

the external controller receives read data from a cache associated with control circuitry via the at least one communication path while the first program task is resuming

32. The non-volatile storage system of claim 26, wherein:

the control circuitry sets a suspend status to true when suspending the program task;

in response to the again detecting the ready status on the at least one communication path, the external controller detects the suspend status, where the instructing of the control circuitry via the at least one communication path to perform the at least one additional task is responsive to the suspend status being true.

33. non-volatile storage system, comprising:

a memory die including control circuitry and storage elements; and

an external controller, external to the memory die and in communication with the control circuitry via at least one a communication path, the external controller;

while the control circuitry is executing a first task and while the control circuitry has the ready status;

provides a suspend command via the at least one communication path, followed by a command to enter a low power mode to the control circuitry, via the at least one communication path, the control circuitry responds to the suspend command by suspending the first task and responds to the command to enter the low power mode by entering the low power mode, and

while the control circuitry is in the low power mode and while the control circuitry has the ready status, provides a resume command to resume the first task.

34. The non-volatile storage system of claim 33, wherein:

the control circuitry provides the resume command in response to detecting that a suspend status of the control circuitry is true.

35. A non-volatile storage system, comprising:

a memory die including control circuitry and storage elements; and

an external controller, external to the memory die and in communication with the control circuitry via at least one a communication path, the external controller;

in a first time period;

provides a read command to the control circuitry via the at least one communication path while the control circuitry has a ready status, and while the control circuitry is performing a first task,

in response to the read command, in a second time period which is after the first time period;

the control circuitry automatically suspends the first task and performs a read task to obtain read data, after which in a third time period which is after the second time period;

the control circuitry automatically resumes the first task and concurrently shifts out the read data to the external controller, and

in a fourth time period which is after the third time period;

provides a suspend command to the control circuitry via the at least one communication path while the control circuitry has the busy status, to suspend the first task, and when the control circuitry has the ready status again, provides a command to the control circuitry to perform a further task.

36. The non-volatile storage system of claim 35, wherein the external controller:

in a fifth time period which is after the fourth time period, provides a command to the control circuitry via the at least one communication path to resume the first task.

37. The non-volatile storage system of claim 35, wherein:

the further task is to enter a low power mode.

38. A non-volatile storage system, comprising:

a memory die including control circuitry and storage elements; and

an external controller, external to the memory die and in communication with the control circuitry via at least one a communication path, the external controller;

in a first time period;

loads in program data and provides a program command to the control circuitry via the at least one communication path while the control circuitry has a ready status, and while the control circuitry is concurrently performing a first task,

in response to the program command, in a second time period which is after the first time period;

the control circuitry automatically suspends the first task and performs a program task to write the program data, after which in a third time period which is after the second time period;

the control circuitry automatically resumes the first task, and

in a fourth time period which is after the third time period;

provides a suspend command to the control circuitry via the at least one communication path while the control circuitry has a busy status, to suspend the first task, and when the control circuitry has the ready status again, provides a command to the control circuitry to perform a further task.

39. The non-volatile storage system of claim 38, wherein the external controller:

in a fifth time period which is after the fourth time period, provides a command to the control circuitry via the at least one communication path to resume the first task.

40. The non-volatile storage system of claim 38, wherein:

the further task is to enter a low power mode.