Patent ID: 6658438
Filing Date: 2003-12-02
Classification: G06F,Y10S

Abstract:
A method for deleting stored digital data from a write-once memory device, said method comprising:(a) providing a write-once memory array comprising a plurality of memory cells, wherein some of the cells are in an original digital state and others of the cells are in a programmed digital state, and wherein the states of the memory cells represent a stored digital file; (b) receiving a delete command associated with the file; and then (c) over-writing at least a portion of the stored digital file with a destructive pattern, said pattern switching at least some of the memory cells associated with the digital file to the programmed digital state; wherein the write-once memory array comprises a three-dimensional memory array, wherein the memory cells are arrayed in rows, columns, and layers in the three-dimensional memory array, and wherein (c) comprises over-writing a plurality of memory cells in different layers substantially simultaneously.