Patent · US Active

Non-volatile semiconductor memory device

US8446777B2 · kind B2 · utility

17Cited by
11References
15Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateOct 25, 2011
Grant dateMay 21, 2013
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 25, 2031

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C11/5635
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A non-volatile semiconductor memory device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a memory cell array and a control unit. The control unit is configured to control a repeat of an erase operation, an erase verify operation, and a step-up operation. The control unit is configured to perform a soft-programming operation of setting the memory cells from an over-erased state to a first threshold voltage distribution state when, in a series of erase operations, the number of erase voltage applications is more than a first number and less than a second number (the first number<the second number). The control unit is configured not to perform the soft-programming operation when the number of erase voltage applications is equal to or less than the first number or equal to or more than the second number.

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