Patent ID: 8488377

Claim:
A mass storage device for use with a host system to store data, the mass storage device comprising: a printed circuit board; at least one solid-state memory component on the printed circuit board; a system interface connector on the printed circuit board and configured to connect the mass storage device to the host system; a memory controller on the printed circuit board and configured to communicate between the host system and the memory component; a compartment that encloses the memory component on the printed circuit board; means associated with the compartment for heating the memory component to a preselected temperature that is above an intrinsic operating temperature of the memory component and sufficient to thermally recondition the memory component and thereby increase the write endurance of the memory component; and means for controlling the heating means to heat the memory component to the preselected temperature; wherein the heating means is further configured to heat the memory component to a second temperature that is lower than the preselected temperature but above the intrinsic operating temperature of the memory component, and the controlling means is operable to cycle the compartment between the preselected and second temperatures.