Patent · US Expired

Non-volatile memory and method with reduced neighboring field errors

US6987693B2 · kind B2 · utility

471Cited by
20References
25Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 24, 2002
Grant dateJan 17, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 24, 2022

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C16/3418
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A memory device and a method thereof allow programming and sensing a plurality of memory cells in parallel in order to minimize errors caused by coupling from fields of neighboring cells and to improve performance. The memory device and method have the plurality of memory cells linked by the same word line and a read/write circuit is coupled to each memory cells in a contiguous manner. Thus, a memory cell and its neighbors are programmed together and the field environment for each memory cell relative to its neighbors during programming and subsequent reading is less varying. This improves performance and reduces errors caused by coupling from fields of neighboring cells, as compared to conventional architectures and methods in which cells on even columns are programmed independently of cells in odd columns.

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