WO2002061759A3 - Flash memory device and method of erasing - Google Patents

Flash memory device and method of erasing Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2002061759A3
WO2002061759A3 PCT/US2002/002567 US0202567W WO02061759A3 WO 2002061759 A3 WO2002061759 A3 WO 2002061759A3 US 0202567 W US0202567 W US 0202567W WO 02061759 A3 WO02061759 A3 WO 02061759A3
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
block
erase
cells
convergence
memory device
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2002/002567
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
WO2002061759A2 (en
Inventor
Andrei Mihnea
Chun Chen
Paul Rudeck
Andrew R Bicksler
Original Assignee
Micron Technology Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Micron Technology Inc filed Critical Micron Technology Inc
Publication of WO2002061759A2 publication Critical patent/WO2002061759A2/en
Publication of WO2002061759A3 publication Critical patent/WO2002061759A3/en

Links

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
    • G11C—STATIC STORES
    • G11C16/00—Erasable programmable read-only memories
    • G11C16/02—Erasable programmable read-only memories electrically programmable
    • G11C16/06—Auxiliary circuits, e.g. for writing into memory
    • G11C16/34—Determination of programming status, e.g. threshold voltage, overprogramming or underprogramming, retention
    • G11C16/3404—Convergence or correction of memory cell threshold voltages; Repair or recovery of overerased or overprogrammed cells
    • G11C16/3409—Circuits or methods to recover overerased nonvolatile memory cells detected during erase verification, usually by means of a "soft" programming step
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
    • G11C—STATIC STORES
    • G11C16/00—Erasable programmable read-only memories
    • G11C16/02—Erasable programmable read-only memories electrically programmable
    • G11C16/06—Auxiliary circuits, e.g. for writing into memory
    • G11C16/10—Programming or data input circuits
    • G11C16/14—Circuits for erasing electrically, e.g. erase voltage switching circuits
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
    • G11C—STATIC STORES
    • G11C16/00—Erasable programmable read-only memories
    • G11C16/02—Erasable programmable read-only memories electrically programmable
    • G11C16/06—Auxiliary circuits, e.g. for writing into memory
    • G11C16/34—Determination of programming status, e.g. threshold voltage, overprogramming or underprogramming, retention
    • G11C16/3404—Convergence or correction of memory cell threshold voltages; Repair or recovery of overerased or overprogrammed cells
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G11—INFORMATION STORAGE
    • G11C—STATIC STORES
    • G11C16/00—Erasable programmable read-only memories
    • G11C16/02—Erasable programmable read-only memories electrically programmable
    • G11C16/06—Auxiliary circuits, e.g. for writing into memory
    • G11C16/10—Programming or data input circuits
    • G11C16/14—Circuits for erasing electrically, e.g. erase voltage switching circuits
    • G11C16/16—Circuits for erasing electrically, e.g. erase voltage switching circuits for erasing blocks, e.g. arrays, words, groups

Landscapes

  • Read Only Memory (AREA)
  • Semiconductor Memories (AREA)
  • Non-Volatile Memory (AREA)

Abstract

A non-volatile memory device includes an improved method for erasing a block of stack-gate single transistor flash memory cells. The memory performs an efficient and controllable mode of programming, referred to as block convergence. During an erase operation, one or more electrical erase pulses of fixed number, duration and voltage waveform are appleid to memory cells in an adressable block of the memory device array. The erase pulse(s) fully erase all bits in the block. A block of convergence operation is applied simultaneously to all cells in the block. The block convergence operation brings a threshold voltage of cells, which may have become over-erased during the erase operation, to a controlled level. A reverse-bias pulse, capable of inducing band-to-band tunnelling across one juction in the structure of the flash memory cells, is applied to a first junction. The other junction receives either a reverse bias or floating potential. The memory can implement several biasing schemes while performing the block convergence operation.
PCT/US2002/002567 2001-01-30 2002-01-30 Flash memory device and method of erasing WO2002061759A2 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US09/772,667 US6563741B2 (en) 2001-01-30 2001-01-30 Flash memory device and method of erasing
US09/772,667 2001-01-30

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2002061759A2 WO2002061759A2 (en) 2002-08-08
WO2002061759A3 true WO2002061759A3 (en) 2004-04-01

Family

ID=25095809

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US2002/002567 WO2002061759A2 (en) 2001-01-30 2002-01-30 Flash memory device and method of erasing

Country Status (2)

Country Link
US (2) US6563741B2 (en)
WO (1) WO2002061759A2 (en)

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US6795348B2 (en) * 2002-05-29 2004-09-21 Micron Technology, Inc. Method and apparatus for erasing flash memory
US7043274B2 (en) * 2002-06-28 2006-05-09 Interdigital Technology Corporation System for efficiently providing coverage of a sectorized cell for common and dedicated channels utilizing beam forming and sweeping
US6649453B1 (en) * 2002-08-29 2003-11-18 Micron Technology, Inc. Contactless uniform-tunneling separate p-well (CUSP) non-volatile memory array architecture, fabrication and operation
US6798694B2 (en) * 2002-08-29 2004-09-28 Micron Technology, Inc. Method for reducing drain disturb in programming
US7178004B2 (en) 2003-01-31 2007-02-13 Yan Polansky Memory array programming circuit and a method for using the circuit
US6903361B2 (en) * 2003-09-17 2005-06-07 Micron Technology, Inc. Non-volatile memory structure
US6975538B2 (en) * 2003-10-08 2005-12-13 Micron Technology, Inc. Memory block erasing in a flash memory device
TWI247311B (en) * 2004-03-25 2006-01-11 Elite Semiconductor Esmt Circuit and method for preventing nonvolatile memory from over erasure
US7652930B2 (en) * 2004-04-01 2010-01-26 Saifun Semiconductors Ltd. Method, circuit and system for erasing one or more non-volatile memory cells
US20060044899A1 (en) * 2004-08-27 2006-03-02 Ellis Robert W Method and apparatus for destroying flash memory
US7251164B2 (en) * 2004-11-10 2007-07-31 Innovative Silicon S.A. Circuitry for and method of improving statistical distribution of integrated circuits
EP1684307A1 (en) * 2005-01-19 2006-07-26 Saifun Semiconductors Ltd. Method, circuit and systems for erasing one or more non-volatile memory cells
US7345918B2 (en) 2005-08-31 2008-03-18 Micron Technology, Inc. Selective threshold voltage verification and compaction
US7808818B2 (en) 2006-01-12 2010-10-05 Saifun Semiconductors Ltd. Secondary injection for NROM
US7768835B2 (en) * 2006-08-09 2010-08-03 Micron Technology, Inc. Non-volatile memory erase verify
US7701780B2 (en) 2007-05-31 2010-04-20 Micron Technology, Inc. Non-volatile memory cell healing
US7986553B2 (en) * 2007-06-15 2011-07-26 Micron Technology, Inc. Programming of a solid state memory utilizing analog communication of bit patterns
US7619931B2 (en) * 2007-06-26 2009-11-17 Micron Technology, Inc. Program-verify method with different read and verify pass-through voltages
US20090003065A1 (en) * 2007-06-26 2009-01-01 Micron Technology, Inc. Flash cell with improved program disturb
US7532027B2 (en) * 2007-09-28 2009-05-12 Adtron, Inc. Deliberate destruction of integrated circuits
US7916543B2 (en) * 2007-10-22 2011-03-29 Micron Technology, Inc. Memory cell operation
US7924623B2 (en) 2008-05-27 2011-04-12 Micron Technology, Inc. Method for memory cell erasure with a programming monitor of reference cells
US8064267B2 (en) 2008-11-14 2011-11-22 Micron Technology, Inc. Erase voltage reduction in a non-volatile memory device
TWI419166B (en) * 2010-01-08 2013-12-11 Yield Microelectronics Corp Low - pressure rapid erasure of nonvolatile memory
US8797802B2 (en) * 2012-03-15 2014-08-05 Macronix International Co., Ltd. Method and apparatus for shortened erase operation
US9082490B2 (en) * 2013-06-18 2015-07-14 Flashsilicon Incorporation Ultra-low power programming method for N-channel semiconductor non-volatile memory
TWI514393B (en) * 2013-08-07 2015-12-21 Winbond Electronics Corp Non-volatile memory system and method for biasing non-volatile memory
US9728278B2 (en) 2014-10-24 2017-08-08 Micron Technology, Inc. Threshold voltage margin analysis
CN113906508A (en) 2019-05-31 2022-01-07 美光科技公司 Method for checking an erase phase of a memory device

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US5615147A (en) * 1994-03-03 1997-03-25 Rohm Corporation Low voltage one transistor flash EEPROM cell using Fowler-Nordheim programming and erase
US5742541A (en) * 1995-03-24 1998-04-21 Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Writing method for nonvolatile semiconductor memory with soft-write repair for over-erased cells
US5912845A (en) * 1997-09-10 1999-06-15 Macronix International Co., Ltd. Method and circuit for substrate current induced hot e- injection (SCIHE) approach for VT convergence at low VCC voltage
US6172909B1 (en) * 1999-08-09 2001-01-09 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Ramped gate technique for soft programming to tighten the Vt distribution

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US5490109A (en) * 1994-06-28 1996-02-06 Intel Corporation Method and apparatus for preventing over-erasure of flash EEPROM memory devices
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US5856944A (en) 1995-11-13 1999-01-05 Alliance Semiconductor Corporation Self-converging over-erase repair method for flash EPROM
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US5675537A (en) 1996-08-22 1997-10-07 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Erase method for page mode multiple bits-per-cell flash EEPROM
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Patent Citations (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5615147A (en) * 1994-03-03 1997-03-25 Rohm Corporation Low voltage one transistor flash EEPROM cell using Fowler-Nordheim programming and erase
US5742541A (en) * 1995-03-24 1998-04-21 Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha Writing method for nonvolatile semiconductor memory with soft-write repair for over-erased cells
US5912845A (en) * 1997-09-10 1999-06-15 Macronix International Co., Ltd. Method and circuit for substrate current induced hot e- injection (SCIHE) approach for VT convergence at low VCC voltage
US6172909B1 (en) * 1999-08-09 2001-01-09 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Ramped gate technique for soft programming to tighten the Vt distribution

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
US6563741B2 (en) 2003-05-13
US6798699B2 (en) 2004-09-28
US20030128591A1 (en) 2003-07-10
WO2002061759A2 (en) 2002-08-08
US20020101765A1 (en) 2002-08-01

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