Patent ID: 8065467
Filing Date: 2011-11-22
Classification: G11C

Abstract:
1. A solid-state mass storage device defining a storage area adapted to store data, the storage area being adapted to be exploited for storing data with a first storage density at a first data transfer speed, the storage area comprising at least a first storage area portion and a second storage area portion, the solid-state mass storage device further including accessing means adapted to exploit the first storage area portion for storing data with a second storage density at a second data transfer speed, and adapted to exploit the second storage area portion for storing data with a third storage density and a third data transfer speed, wherein: the second storage density is lower than the third storage density, which is in turn lower than or equal to the first storage density; the second data transfer speed is higher than the third data transfer speed, which is in turn higher than or equal to the first data transfer speed; the storage area is defined by a memory array comprising a plurality of memory cells adapted to store data, arranged according to a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns; and the columns of memory cells are arranged according to at least a first and a second collections of columns, the columns of the first collection being alternated to the columns of the second collection; said accessing means is adapted to cause data to be stored in said first storage area portion in one of: i) only in the memory cells belonging to the columns of said first collection or only to columns of said second collection such that the memory cells of the first storage area portion belonging to the first or to the second collection are left unprogrammed; ii) only in memory cells of even rows or only in memory cells of odd rows such that the memory cells of the first storage area portion belonging to the even or to the odd rows are left unprogrammed; iii) only in memory cells such that the memory cells that are immediately adjacent to said memory cells in said row and said column are left unprogrammed.