Method and integrated circuit for bit line soft programming (BLISP)
US6496417B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 27, 2000 |
| Grant date | Dec 17, 2002 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jul 27, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11C16/3445
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A method and an integrated circuit for performing a soft program after erase provides efficient convergence of over-erased floating gate memory cells disposed in bit lines. The soft program is applied to successive subject bit lines. The BLISP method includes selection of a selected bit line and applying the soft program to a subject bit line corresponding to the selected bit line. For integrated circuits having no defective bit lines, the subject bit lines comprise the selected bit lines. The BLISP method is adapted for low current consumption compared to bulk soft programming methods. In some embodiments, the integrated circuit includes defective bit lines. For these integrated circuits, the selection of the selected bit line includes indicating a bit line type corresponding to the selected bit line. The defective bit lines are logically replaced by redundant bit lines so that the soft program is applied to conforming selected bit lines and redundant bit lines corresponding to defective bit lines. The defective bit lines in the first memory array can be disabled during the soft program and replaced by corresponding redundant bit lines disposed in the second memory array, so that …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.