Method for wear leveling in a flash EEPROM memory
First Claim
1. In a process for cleaning up a flash EEPROM array separated into blocks of memory cells which blocks store data in sectors which contain valid and invalid data, and which blocks may be separately erased, and in which process for cleaning up all valid data is first written to other blocks of the array, and then the block is entirely erased, the improvement comprising:
- the step of determining a block to clean up based on a comparison of the number of invalid sectors each block includes and the number of switching operations which each block has undergone.
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Abstract
In a process for cleaning up a flash EEPROM memory array separated into blocks which may be separately erased, in which process all valid data is first written to other blocks of the array, and then the block is erased, the improvement including the step of determining a block to clean up based on a comparison of the number of invalid sectors each block includes and the number of switching operations which each block has undergone.
443 Citations
8 Claims
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1. In a process for cleaning up a flash EEPROM array separated into blocks of memory cells which blocks store data in sectors which contain valid and invalid data, and which blocks may be separately erased, and in which process for cleaning up all valid data is first written to other blocks of the array, and then the block is entirely erased, the improvement comprising:
the step of determining a block to clean up based on a comparison of the number of invalid sectors each block includes and the number of switching operations which each block has undergone. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
Specification