Patent · US Expired

Positive gate stress during erase to improve retention in multi-level, non-volatile flash memory

US7142455B1 · kind B1 · utility

9Cited by
3References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 4, 2004
Grant dateNov 28, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 29, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C16/349
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A new method for improving the accuracy of read-write operations in a multi-level flash memory cell is disclosed. The method reduces the read margin disturbance caused by the accumulation of holes at a tunneling oxide or tunneling oxide-silicon interface underneath a floating gate of the cell by applying a positive stress to the word line after a program-erase cycle.

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