Patent · US Expired

System and method for programming nonvolatile memory

US6097639A · kind A · utility

76Cited by
10References
37Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 29, 1998
Grant dateAug 1, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 29, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C11/5628
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A system for programming a nonvolatile memory includes a plurality of memory cells each having a field effect transistor with a control gate, a drain, a source, and a charge storage region, voltage sources for applying preset voltages pertinent to a threshold level to the source, the drain, and the control gate in each of the memory cells, a monitor for monitoring a current flowing through a channel in each of the memory cells, and a controller for stopping at least one of the voltages applied to the source, the drain, and the control gate in each of the memory cells when the monitor senses that the current flowing through the channel in the memory cell reaches a reference current.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.