US 12,148,466 B2
Determining soft data
Violante Moschiano, Avezzano (IT); Andrea D'Alessandro, L'Aquila (IT); and Andrea Giovanni Xotta, Castelgomberto (IT)
Assigned to Micron Technology, Inc., Boise, ID (US)
Filed by Micron Technology, Inc., Boise, ID (US)
Filed on Jun. 21, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/339,168.
Application 18/339,168 is a continuation of application No. 17/453,517, filed on Nov. 4, 2021, granted, now 11,688,459.
Application 17/453,517 is a continuation of application No. 16/791,860, filed on Feb. 14, 2020, granted, now 11,170,848, issued on Nov. 9, 2021.
Application 16/791,860 is a continuation of application No. 15/266,271, filed on Sep. 15, 2016, granted, now 10,573,379, issued on Feb. 25, 2020.
Application 15/266,271 is a continuation of application No. 14/294,802, filed on Jun. 3, 2014, granted, now 9,460,783, issued on Oct. 4, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2024/0029788 A1, Jan. 25, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G11C 11/56 (2006.01); G06F 11/10 (2006.01); G11C 16/26 (2006.01); G11C 16/34 (2006.01); G11C 29/52 (2006.01); H03M 13/45 (2006.01); G11C 29/04 (2006.01)
CPC G11C 11/5642 (2013.01) [G06F 11/1012 (2013.01); G06F 11/1068 (2013.01); G11C 16/26 (2013.01); G11C 16/34 (2013.01); G11C 29/52 (2013.01); H03M 13/45 (2013.01); G11C 2029/0411 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus, comprising:
an array of memory cells; and
a controller configured to operate sense circuitry to perform a single sense operation on a memory cell of the array to determine a data state of the memory cell and soft data associated with the data state of the memory cell, wherein the single sense operation includes:
providing a single sensing signal to an access line of the array to which the memory cell is coupled;
modulating the single sensing signal, wherein modulating the single sensing signal includes stepping the single sensing signal down or stepping the single sensing signal up; and
determining the data state of the memory cell and the soft data associated with the data state of the memory cell while the single sensing signal is being stepped down or stepped up.