Efficient scanning of nonvolatile memory blocks

摘要

A method of searching for a boundary between a written portion and an unwritten portion of an open block may include performing a word line by word line binary search of a first physical area of the open block to identify a last written word line of the first physical area of the block, and subsequently, searching in at least a second physical area of the open block based on the last written word line of the first physical area of the block as identified by the binary search.

主权项

1. A system comprising:
a plurality of blocks of memory cells; and a block search circuit configured to search for a boundary between a written portion and an unwritten portion of an open block by performing a word line by word line binary search of a first physical area of the block to identify a last written word line in the first physical area of the block and subsequently searching one or more word lines in at least a second physical area of the block corresponding to the last written word line in the first physical area of the block.