Patent · US Expired

Soft program and soft program verify of the core cells in flash memory array

US6493266B1 · kind B1 · utility

48Cited by
6References
27Claims
0Family size

Assignees

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 9, 2001
Grant dateDec 10, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 26, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C16/0475
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A method and system are disclosed for memory cell soft program and soft program verify, to adjust, or correct the threshold voltage between a target minimum and maximum, which may be employed in association with a dual bit memory cell architecture. The method includes applying one reference voltage signal to the over erased core cell, and a different reference voltage signal to the reference cell, comparing the two currents produced by each, selectively verifying proper soft programming of one or more bits of the cell, determining that the dual bit memory cell is properly soft programmed. The method may also comprise selectively re-verifying proper soft programming of the cells after selectively soft programming at least one or more bits of the cell.

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