Patent · US Expired

Programming flash memory analog storage using coarse-and-fine sequence

US6301161A · kind A · utility

69Cited by
4References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 25, 2000
Grant dateOct 9, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 25, 2020

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C27/005
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

The present invention is a method and apparatus to program a flash memory cell in an analog storage array. A read circuit reads a cell voltage of a flash memory cell. A comparator compares the read cell voltage with an input voltage representing an analog signal. The comparator generates first and second comparison results. A programming circuit generates a first program pulse corresponding to a first amplitude to iteratively program the flash memory cell based on the first comparison result. The programming circuit generates a second program pulse corresponding to a second amplitude less than the first amplitude to iteratively program the flash memory cell based on the first and second comparison results.

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