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Emerging bad block detection

  • US 7,765,426 B2
  • Filed: 06/07/2007
  • Issued: 07/27/2010
  • Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2007
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method of monitoring a block of a non-volatile integrated circuit memory device, the method comprising:

  • decoding error correction codes to determine whether or not a page of data of the block of the memory device was read with at least one error;

    maintaining a history of errors for the block of the memory device corresponding to the page that was read at least when the page was read with at least one error, wherein the history of errors is used to indicate whether or not to retire the block early, wherein maintaining the history further comprises;

    maintaining a count, wherein the count is incremented at least partially in response to determining that the at least one error corresponds to one error; and

    resetting the count upon power up of a device using the memory device;

    wherein early retirement for the block is indicated in response to the count reaching a threshold value.

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