Patent · US Expired

Quad bit using hot-hole erase for CBD control

US7113431B1 · kind B1 · utility

24Cited by
4References
21Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 29, 2005
Grant dateSep 26, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 13, 2025

Classification

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

Abstract

The present invention pertains to a technique for erasing bits in a dual bit memory in a manner that maintains complementary bit disturb control of bit-pairs of memory cells wherein each bit of the dual bit memory cell can be programmed to multiple levels. One exemplary method comprises providing a word of memory cells after an initial erasure and programming of the bits of the word to one or more of the higher program levels. A disturb level is determined for each of the bit-pairs of the word. A combined disturb level is then computed that is representative of the individual disturb levels. A pattern of drain voltages is then applied to the word for a number of program passes until a target pattern is stored in the word of memory cells based on the combined disturb level and the unprogrammed bit of the bit-pairs is erased to a single program level. In this manner the present invention compensates for the disturbance level that exists between the complementary bit-pairs of the word, improves the Vt distribution at the program level of the erased state and thereby improves the accuracy of subsequent higher level programming operations and mitigates false or erroneous reads of the st…

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