Patent · US Expired

Non-volatile system with program time control

US7110298B2 · kind B2 · utility

10Cited by
11References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 20, 2004
Grant dateSep 19, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 20, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C16/30
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

In a non-volatile memory system, when it is discovered that the voltage pump pulse provided by a charge pump for programming the memory cells does not match a reference voltage, the programming time period of the voltage pump pulse is adjusted to a value that remains substantially unchanged until the end of the programming cycle. In this manner, the fluctuation in the effective programming time period of the programming pulses is prevented for the remainder of the programming cycle so that a broadening of the threshold voltage distribution will not occur or will be reduced. This feature allows a short programming time period to be designated for the programming pulses for enhanced performance, while allowing the flexibility of increased program time period when the charge pump is operating under conditions that causes it to be slow and/or weak.

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