Patent ID: 8117381
Filing Date: 2012-02-14
Classification: G06F,G11C

Abstract:
1. A method of operating a non-volatile memory system having an array of memory storage elements organized in at least two planes, wherein the individual planes are divided into a plurality of non-overlapping blocks of storage elements wherein a block contains the smallest group of memory storage elements that are erasable together, and the individual blocks are divided into a plurality of pages of storage elements wherein a page is the smallest group of memory storage elements that are programmable together, comprising: linking at least one block from individual ones of said at least two planes to form a metablock wherein the metablock components are erased together as a unit; redirecting a metablock component block associated with a defective physical block to a spare physical block in the same plane if a spare physical block is available in the same plane; assigning the metablock components not associated with the defective physical block to a spare block area if no spare physical block is available in the same plane; updating a defect map structure, wherein the defect map structure includes an entry corresponding to the metablock; storing a record of said metablock linking in the non-volatile memory; and establishing a set of metablock linkings, each comprised of a plurality of blocks, by which the controller accesses the non-volatile memory, wherein said record is a complete specification of the set of linkings in terms of blocks.