Memory system and operating method thereof

• US 9,983,916 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2016
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.
• Original Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.
• Inventors: Kim, Kwang-Su, Lee, Jong-Min
• Primary Examiner(s): Vallecillo, Kyle
• Application Number:
  US15/179,347
• Publication Number:
  US 20170185463A1
• Time in Patent Office: 718 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/076 by exceeding a count or rate limit, e.g. word- or bit count limit
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1048 using arrangements adapted for a specific error detection or correction feature
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1072 in multilevel memories
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2029/0409 Online test
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/42 using error correcting codes [ECC] or parity check
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/44 Indication or identification of errors, e.g. for repair
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/50004 of threshold voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/52 Protection of memory contents; Detection of errors in memory contents
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 29/76 using address translation or modifications

Abstract

An operating method of a memory system including a plurality of memory blocks may include grouping the pages of a selected memory block among the plurality of memory blocks based on a program time, sequentially performing a test read on the groups of the pages, detecting an error in the pages of the test-read groups, and reprogramming a page selected based on a result of the error detection.

Claims

1. An operating method of a memory system including a plurality of memory blocks, comprising:

grouping pages of a selected memory block among the plurality of memory blocks based on a program time;

sequentially performing a test read on the groups of the pages;

detecting an error in the pages of the test-read groups; and

reprogramming a page selected based on a result of the error detection,

wherein the sequentially performing of the test read on the groups comprises performing the test read at a specific time interval in order of the groups of the pages from a group of pages having a longer lapse of a program time to a group of pages having a shorter lapse of a program time.

2. The operating method of claim 1, wherein the detecting of the error in the pages of the test-read groups comprises:

detecting a number of error bits included in each of the pages; and

comparing the number of detected error bits with a set threshold value.

3. The operating method of claim 2, wherein a page selected based on the detection of the error and a result of the comparison comprises a first page which has the number of detected error bits equal to or greater than the set threshold value, among the pages of the test-read groups.

4. The operating method of claim 2, further comprising:

regrouping a second page which has the number of detected error bits less than the set threshold value, among the pages of the test-read groups, into remaining groups other than the test-read groups.

5. The operating method of claim 4, wherein the regrouping of the second page comprises including the second page in a higher group on which test read is preferentially performed, among the remaining groups.

6. The operating method of claim 4, wherein the regrouping of the second page comprises including the second page in one of the remaining groups based on the number of detected error bits of the second page.

7. The operating method of claim 1, wherein the page selected based on the result of the error detection is reprogrammed into another memory block among the plurality of memory blocks other than the selected memory block.

8. The operating method of claim 1, wherein the sequentially performing of the test read and the reprogramming of the page are performed during an idle time when there is no task requested by a host.

9. The operating method of claim 1, further comprising:

correcting an error detected in the selected page before reprogramming the selected page based on the result of the error detection.

10. An operating method of a memory system including a plurality of memory blocks, comprising:

grouping pages of a selected block among the plurality of memory blocks by arranging the pages in order of a longer program lapse time;

performing a test read on a first group of pages which has a program lapse time equal to or greater than a first threshold value, among the groups;

detecting an error in the first page group;

reprogramming a selected page of the first page group based on a result of the detection of the error; and

regrouping pages other than the selected page into remaining groups.

11. The operating method of claim 10, further comprising:

performing of the test read on the remaining groups based on the program lapse time; and

reprogramming and regrouping for the remaining groups.

12. The operating method of claim 10, wherein when programming data into pages of the selected block, program time information about the pages is stored in a meta region of the selected block.

13. The operating method of claim 12, further comprising, before grouping the pages of the selected block:

reading the program time information stored in the meta region;

generating current time information; and

comparing the program time information with the current time information.

14. The operating method of claim 10, wherein the detecting of the error in the first page group comprises:

detecting a number of error bits included in each of the pages; and

comparing the number of detected error bits with a second threshold value.

15. The operating method of claim 14, wherein the second threshold value is smaller than a number of error bits which is correctable by an error correction code (ECC) unit.

16. The operating method of claim 14, further comprising correcting an error detected in the selected page before reprogramming the selected page of the first page group based on the result of the detection of the error.

17. The operating method of claim 10, wherein the regrouping of the pages other than the selected page into the remaining groups comprises including the pages other than the selected page in a higher group on which test read is preferentially performed, among the remaining groups.

18. The operating method of claim 10, wherein the regrouping of the pages other than the selected page into the remaining groups comprises including the pages in corresponding groups of the remaining groups based on a number of detected error bits of each of the pages other than the selected page.

19. The operating method of claim 10, wherein after the performing of the test read and the reprogramming and regrouping are repeated by a specific number, pages of a final remaining group are reprogrammed into another memory block of the plurality of memory blocks other than the selected memory block.