An application-specific usage model for flash memory read disturb reliability

A statistical model to evaluate the reliability of a NOR flash memory array due to read disturb failures, which accounts for application-specific use profiles, has been developed. This model applies to any physical read disturb mechanism whose time to failure can be modeled by a statistical distribution. Monte Carlo simulations of failure mechanisms that follow Weibull and lognormal statistics are used to illustrate the statistical nature of the problem. Worst case product reliability varies widely from using only one row to all rows in the array, depending on the statistical nature of the failures.