NAND闪存错误缓解技术综述

NAND闪存以其高存储密度、高速、低功耗等优点被广泛应用于数据存储。三维堆叠闪存技术的出现和多值存储技术的发展进一步提高了密度,降低了存储成本,同时也带来了更加严重的可靠性问题。闪存主控厂商一直采用更强大的纠错码(ECC),如BCH和LDPC码来对闪存中的数据错误进行纠正。但当NAND闪存中的错误数超出ECC纠错能力时,错误将无法被纠正,因此研究人员提出了多种基于NAND闪存的错误缓解技术作为ECC的补充方案。本文介绍了NAND闪存的工作原理和错误模式,对最新的错误缓解技术进行综述,为设计更加可靠的存储解决方案提供了有益参考。     

大容量NAND Flash K9T1G08U0M在网络存储中的应用

针对嵌入式系统对存储的需求,提出了基于大容量NAND Flash的存储方案.简要介绍NAND Flash器件K9T1G08U0M及其编程特点,并讨论了网络存储应用的存储策略和数据可靠性方面的考虑,设计并实现了网络数据流的NAND Flash存储.     

大容量NAND Flash K9T1G08UOM在网络存储中的应用

针对嵌入式系统对存储的需求，提出了基于大容量NAND Flash的存储方案。简要介绍NAND Flash器件K9T1G08UOM及其编程特点，并讨论了网络存储应用的存储策略和数据可靠性方面的考虑，设计并实现了网络数据流的NAND Flash存储。     

ORNAND移动电话用可扩展存储子系统

Spansion公司推出一系列无线解决方案，该方案将90nm MirrorBit ORNAND闪存与其NOR产品系列相集成，从而进入针对移动电话市场的NAND领域。通过采用MirrorBit NOR执行代码和MirrorBit ORNAND存储数据，这些解决方案可以为多种移动电话提供完整的存储子系统。它可以在无线手持终端上支持具有DVD质量的视频、CD质量的音频和高达500万像素的照片。1Gb Minor Bit ORNAND MS器件适用于无线手持设备中的数据存储，一方面可以提供传统NAND解决方案所具有的NAND接口和具有吸引力的成本结构，另一方面又可以提供NOR闪存所具有的可靠性和高读取性能。     

一种用于NAND闪存的奇偶位线块编程补偿算法

为改善数据保持干扰和编程干扰对NAND闪存可靠性的影响,提出了一种新的奇偶位线块编程补偿算法。该算法利用编程干扰效应来补偿由数据保持引起的阈值漂移,修复NAND闪存因数据保持产生的误码,提高了NAND闪存的可靠性。将该算法应用于编程擦除次数为3k次的1x-nm MLC NAND闪存。实验结果表明,在数据保持时间为1年的条件下,与传统奇偶交叉编程算法相比,采用该补偿算法的NAND闪存的误码降低了93%;与读串扰恢复算法相比,采用该补偿算法的NAND闪存的误码下降了38%。     

基于Socket套接字实现的Flash固化工具

套接字是一种网络编程接口,应用程序通过这种接口可以和不同网络中的应用程序进行通信,而不必担心网络协议不同所引发的问题。而Flash闪存是非易失存储器,可以对存储器单元块进行擦写和再编程,NOR和NAND是两种主要的非易失闪存技术,NOR主要应用在代码存储,NAND适合于数据存储。文章介绍了基于UDP协议的Socket网络编程机制和原理,完成了基于Socket协议的Flash固化工具的实现。     

存储测试系统中FLASH的存储可靠性技术研究

NAND FLASH存储器具有非易失性、存储容量大和读写速度快等优点,在存储测试领域的应用越来越广泛。由于NAND FLASH存储器中不可避免会出现无效块,传统的管理方法是将无效块映射表存放在FLASH存储器中,可靠性低,对数据存储速度和可靠性都会造成不利影响。针对这些问题,提出了基于外置存储数据位的无效块快速检索架构,将无效块映射表存放在可靠性高的铁电存储器中;引入计算机网络中的滑动窗口原理,建立了基于滑动窗口的无效块预匹配机制,在不影响FLASH存取速度的情况下可无时延地生成有效块地址。经分析和论证,这种架构对NAND FLASH存储数据的可靠性和存取速度有很大的提升,提高了存储测试系统的整体性能。     

基于NAND闪存的自适应闪存映射层设计

NAND闪存以非易失性、低功耗、抗辐射等优点,被广泛应用于嵌入式系统中.由于闪存写前需先擦写和高坏块率等硬件特性,成为其在应用中的障碍,需要通过闪存映射层进行存储管理.通过给出一种基于NAND型闪存的自适应闪存映射技术,对数据访问模式进行判断,为不同的访问模式提供不同粒度的地址映射方法,用于充分利用NAND闪存的优势克服其缺点,提高系统性能.该方法在Linux系统上予以实现,并进行了性能测试.     

NAND和NOR flash技术设计师在使用闪存时需要慎重选择

NOR和NAND是现在市场上两种主要的非易失闪存技术。Intel于1988年首先开发出NOR flash技术,彻底改变了原先由EPROM和EEPROM一统天下的局面。紧接着,1989年,东芝公司发表了NAND flash结构,强调降低每比特的成本,更高的性能,并且象磁盘一样可以通过接口轻松升级。但是经过了十多年之后,仍然有相当多的硬件工程师分不清NOR和NAND闪存。 相“flash存储器”经常可以与相“NOR存储器”互换使用。许多业内人士也搞不清楚NAND闪存技术相对于NOR技术的优越之处,因为大多数情况下闪存只是用来存储少量的代码,这时NOR闪存更适合一些。而NAND则是高数据存储密度的理想解决方案。     

基于QC-LDPC码的空间CCD图像NAND闪存存储纠错

为了提高空间CCD相机图像NAND闪存存储可靠性,提出一种基于QC-LDPC码的NAND闪存纠错算法。首先,分析了NAND闪存纠错信道模型;然后,根据闪存特点提出了一种基于QC-LPDC(1056,1024)码的NAND闪存纠错算法,为了加快编码效率提出了校验矩阵构造和高效编码方法,设计的校验阵均是0和1,只有移位和加法运算,非常适合硬件实现;最后,使用地面检测设备对闪存纠错算法进行了试验验证。结果表明,闪存纠错算法能快速稳定、可靠地工作,计算复杂度比较低,算法复杂度仅具为O(N);算法纠错能力高,误码比(BER)为10-6时,本文算法比RS码多0.47dB编码增益;使用65nm CMOS单元库,系统工作频率为250MHz时解码器数据吞吐率达到7.2Gbps;低误码平层,在误比特率为10-8时未出现误码平层。本文的NAND闪存纠错算法满足了空间相机图像存储系统的应用。     

3D NAND闪存数据保持力与初始状态依赖性研究

数据保持力是NAND闪存重要的可靠性指标,本文基于用户在使用模式下,通过设计测试方法,研究了电荷捕获型3D NAND闪存初始阈值电压-2V至3V的范围内数据保持力特性.结果表明初始状态为编程态时,可以有效降低NAND闪存高温数据保留后的误码率,特别是随着擦写次数的增加,不同初始状态下电荷捕获型3D NAND闪存数据保持力差异更加明显,结论表明闪存最适宜存放的状态为0-1V,电荷捕获型3D NAND闪存器件应避免长期处于深擦除状态.并基于不同初始状态闪存高温数据保留后的数据保持力特性不同的现象进行了建模和演示,通过设计实验验证,机理解释模型符合实验结果.该研究可为电荷捕获型3D NAND闪存器件的长期存放状态提供理论参考.     

适于空间图像闪存阵列的非与闪存控制器

提出一种适于空间应用的非与(NAND,not and)闪存控制器。首先,分析了空间相机存储图像的要求,说明了闪存控制器结构的特点。接着,分析了闪存数据存储差错的机理,针对闪存结构组织特点提出了一种基于BCH(Bose-Chaudhuri-Hocquenghem,2108,2048,5)码的闪存纠错算法。然后,对传统BCH编码器进行了改进,提出了一种8bit并行蝶形阵列处理机制。最后,使用地面检测设备对闪存控制器进行了试验验证。结果表明,闪存控制器能快速稳定、可靠地工作,在闪存单页2Kbt/page下可以纠正40bit错误,在相机正常工作行频为2.5kHz下拍摄图像时4级流水线闪存连续写入速度达到133Mbit/s,可以满足空间相机图像存储系统的应用。     

Soft-Decision Error Correction of NAND Flash Memory with a Turbo Product Code

As NAND flash memory fabrication technology scales down to 20 nm and below, the raw bit error rate increases very rapidly and conventional hard-decision based error correction does not provide enough protection. The turbo product code (TPC) based error correction with multi-precision output from NAND flash memory is promising because of high error-correcting performance and flexibility in code construction. In this work, we construct a rate-0.907 (36116, 32768) extended TPC for 2-bit MLC NAND flash memory, and apply the Chase–Pyndiah decoding algorithm. An efficient complexity reduction scheme is also proposed to eliminate redundant computations in the Chase–Pyndiah decoding algorithm. The replica parallel decoding is also employed to lower the error floor. The experimental results that include the effects of flash memory output precision are presented for a simulated flash memory channel.     

Improving the Reliability of MLC NAND Flash Memories Through Adaptive Data Refresh and Error Control Coding

NAND Flash memory has become the most widely used non-volatile memory technology. We focus on multi-level cell (MLC) NAND Flash memories because they have high storage density. Unfortunately MLC NAND Flash memory also has reliability problems due to narrower threshold voltage gap between logical states. Errors in these memories can be classified into data retention (DR) errors and program interference (PI) errors. DR errors are dominant if the data storage time is longer than 1 day and these errors can be reduced by refreshing the data. PI errors are dominant if the data storage time is less than 1 day and these errors can be handled by error control coding (ECC). In this paper we propose a combination of data refresh policies and low cost ECC schemes that are cognizant of application characteristics to address the errors in MLC NAND Flash memories. First, we use Gray code based encoding to reduce the error rates in the four subpages (MSB-even, LSB-even, MSB-odd, LSB-odd) of a 2-bit MLC NAND Flash memory. Next, we apply data refresh techniques where the refresh interval is a function of the program/erase (P/E) frequency of the application. We show that an appropriate choice of refresh interval and BCH based ECC scheme can minimize memory energy while satisfying the reliability constraint.     

Novel Co-Design of NAND Flash Memory and NAND Flash Controller Circuits for Sub-30 nm Low-Power High-Speed Solid-State Drives (SSD)

As the cell size of the NAND flash memory has been scaled down by 40%–50% per year and the memory capacity has been doubling every year, a solid-state drive (SSD) that uses NAND as mass storage for personal computers and enterprise servers is attracting much attention. To realize a low-power high-speed SSD, the co-design of NAND flash memory and NAND controller circuits is essential. In this paper, three new circuit technologies, the selective bit-line precharge scheme, the advanced source-line program, and the intelligent interleaving, are proposed. In the selective bit-line precharge scheme, an unnecessary bit-line precharge is removed during the verify-read and consequently the current consumption decreases by 23%. In the advanced source-line program scheme, a hierarchical source-line structure is adopted. The load capacitance during the program pulse is reduced by 90% without a die size overhead. As a result, the current consumption is reduced by 48%. Finally, with the intelligent interleaving, a current peak is suppressed and a high-speed parallel write operation of the NAND flash memories is achieved. By using these three technologies, both the NAND flash memory and the NAND controller circuits are best optimized. At the sub-30 nm generation, the current consumption of the NAND flash memory decreases by 60% and the SSD speed improves by 150% without a cost penalty or circuit noise.      

Anticipatory I/O Management for Clustered Flash Translation Layer in NAND Flash Memory

Recently, NAND flash memory has emerged as a next generation storage device because it has several advantages, such as low power consumption, shock resistance, and so on. However, it is necessary to use a flash translation layer (FTL) to intermediate between NAND flash memory and conventional file systems because of the unique hardware characteristics of flash memory. This paper proposes a new clustered FTL (CFTL) that uses clustered hash tables and a two‐level software cache technique. The CFTL can anticipate consecutive addresses from the host because the clustered hash table uses the locality of reference in a large address space. It also adaptively switches logical addresses to physical addresses in the flash memory by using block mapping, page mapping, and a two‐level software cache technique. Furthermore, anticipatory I/O management using continuity counters and a prefetch scheme enables fast address translation. Experimental results show that the proposed address translation mechanism for CFTL provides better performance in address translation and memory space usage than the well‐known NAND FTL (NFTL) and adaptive FTL (AFTL).     

Variability-insensitive scheme for NAND flash memory interfaces

A novel NAND flash memory interface (NFMI) scheme to cope with uncertainty due to process, voltage and temperature (PVT) variations is proposed. The new NFMI scheme introduces a signal called data valid strobe to replace the signal read enable bar, which is a read strobe in the standard NFMI protocol. Experimental results show that the proposed scheme is insensitive to PVT variations, unlike the existing NFMI scheme, and hence substantially increases system performance as well as reliability     

A source-line programming scheme for low-voltage operation NANDflash memories

To realize a low-voltage operation NAND flash memory, a new source-line programming scheme has been proposed. This architecture drastically reduces the program disturbance without circuit area, manufacturing cost, program speed, or power consumption overhead. In order to improve the program disturbance characteristics, a high program inhibit voltage is applied to the channel from the source line, as opposed to from the bit line of the conventional scheme. The bit-line swing is decreased to 0.5 V to achieve a lower power consumption. Although the conventional NAND flash memory cannot operate below 2.0 V due to the program disturbance issue, the proposed NAND flash memory shows excellent program disturbance characteristics irrespective of the supply voltage. A very fast programming of 192 μs/page and a very low power operation of 22 mW at 1.4 V can be realized in the proposed scheme