Methods and apparatus for extending the effective thermal operating range of a memory

• US 8,531,904 B2
• Filed: 08/09/2011
• Issued: 09/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SanDisk 3D LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Thorp, Tyler J., Scheuerlein, Roy E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Son T
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, NAM THANH
• Application Number:
  US13/205,820
• Publication Number:
  US 20110292751A1
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 365/211, 365/177, 365/212
• US Class Current: 365/211
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/06 Auxiliary circuits, e.g. for writing into memory
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/04 with means for avoiding disturbances due to temperature effects

Abstract

Apparatus and systems are provided for thermal regulation of a memory integrated circuit (“IC”). The apparatus and systems may include a thermal sensor on a memory IC, and a heating element coupled to the thermal sensor. The heating element is adapted to heat the memory IC in response to a signal from the thermal sensor. Other aspects are also provided.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising:

a thermal sensor on a memory integrated circuit (“

IC”

);

a heating element coupled to the thermal sensor and adapted to heat the memory IC in response to a signal from the thermal sensor; and

a circuit adapted to enable the apparatus only on detection of an error condition on the memory IC, or when the memory IC is used with a line power supply.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the thermal sensor includes a current output temperature sensor.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the thermal sensor includes at least one of a voltage output sensor, a Brokaw cell, a bi-polar junction transistor-based temperature sensor, a thermocouple, a resistance temperature device, and a thermistor.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the thermal sensor is integrated in the memory IC.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the thermal sensor includes a plurality of thermal sensors distributed on the memory IC.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heating element includes a resistive heating element.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heating element is integrated in the memory IC.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heating element includes a plurality of heating elements distributed on the memory IC.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a circuit coupled to the heating element and the thermal sensor and adapted to allow a temperature value to be selected as a threshold below which the heating element is activated.

10. A system comprising:

a non-volatile memory array on an integrated circuit (“

IC”

);

a thermal regulation circuit integrated on the IC, wherein the thermal regulation circuit is adapted to maintain the memory array at a predefined threshold temperature; and

a circuit adapted to enable the apparatus only on detection of an error condition on the memory IC, or when the memory IC is used with a line power supply.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the non-volatile memory array includes a three dimensional memory array.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the thermal regulation circuit is disposed on multiple planes of the three dimensional memory array.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the thermal regulation circuit includes a thermal sensor and a heating element coupled to the thermal sensor.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the non-volatile memory array includes a three dimensional memory array, and the thermal sensor and the heating element are disposed on different planes of the three dimensional memory array.

15. Apparatus for thermal regulation of a non-volatile three dimensional memory IC, the apparatus comprising:

a current output temperature sensor integrated into a non-volatile three dimensional memory IC;

a resistive heating element coupled to the current output temperature sensor and adapted to heat the memory IC in response to a signal from the current output temperature sensor indicating that the memory IC is at a temperature below a desired threshold temperature; and

a circuit adapted to enable the apparatus only on detection of an error condition on the memory IC, or when the memory IC is used with a line power supply.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the current output temperature sensor includes a plurality of current output temperature sensors distributed on the three dimensional memory IC.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the current output temperature sensor is disposed on multiple planes of the three dimensional memory array.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the resistive heating element includes a plurality of resistive heating elements distributed on the three dimensional memory IC.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the resistive heating element is disposed on multiple planes of the three dimensional memory array.