IP Library Granted Patent US 12676190
Granted Patent B2
US 12676190 · App. 18/411,532 · Granted Jul 7, 2026

Drain-side wordline voltage boosting to reduce lateral electron field during a programming operation

Inventors: Vinh Quang Diep (Hayward, CA); Ching-Huang Lu (Fremont, CA); Yingda Dong (Los Altos, CA)
Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
G11C16/102G11C16/08G11C16/12
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12676190
App. No.
18/411,532
Granted
Jul 7, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A request to execute a programming operation to program a set of memory cells associated with a target wordline of a memory device is identified. At a first time during application of a programming voltage to the target wordline, causing a first adjusted pass through voltage to be applied to a first portion of a first set of drain-side wordlines of the memory device. At a second time during application of the programming voltage to the target wordline, causing a second pass through voltage to be applied to a second portion of the first set of drain-side wordlines and to one or more source-side wordlines of the memory device, where the first adjusted pass through voltage is greater than the second pass through voltage.

Claims (33)

1 . A memory device comprising:

a memory array; and

control logic, operatively coupled with the memory array, to perform operations comprising:

identifying a request to execute a programming operation to program a set of memory cells associated with a target wordline of the memory array;

causing, prior to application of a programming pulse of the programming operation to the target wordline, a first adjusted pass through voltage to be applied to a first portion of a first set of drain-side wordlines of the memory device, wherein the first adjusted pass through voltage is a first default pass through voltage increased by a first delta voltage level; and

causing, prior to the application of the programming pulse of the programming operation to the target wordline, a second pass through voltage to be applied to a second portion of the first set of drain-side wordlines and to one or more source-side wordlines of the memory device, wherein the first adjusted pass through voltage is greater than the second pass through voltage; and

causing, during application of a target programming voltage level to the target wordline, a ramping down of the first adjusted pass through voltage applied to the first portion of the first set of drain-side wordlines to the first default pass through voltage.

2 . The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the second pass through voltage is a second default pass through voltage level reduced by a second delta voltage level.

3 . The memory device of claim 2 , wherein the first delta voltage level is greater than the second delta voltage level.

4 . The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the first adjusted pass through voltage is applied to the first portion of the first set of drain-side wordlines during application of the second pass through voltage to the target wordline.

5 . The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the first adjusted pass through voltage is ramped down to the first default pass through voltage level after a step-down time period initiated at a start of a pulse time of the programming pulse.

6 . The memory device of claim 1 , the operations further comprising ramping up the second pass through voltage to a second default pass through voltage level in response to the application of the programming pulse of the programming operation to the target wordline.

7 . A method comprising:

identifying, by a processing device, a request to execute a programming operation to program a set of memory cells associated with a target wordline of a memory device;

causing, prior to application of a programming pulse of the programming operation to the target wordline at a first time during application of a programming voltage to the target wordline, a first adjusted pass through voltage to be applied to a first portion of a first set of drain-side wordlines of the memory device, wherein the first adjusted pass through voltage is a first default pass through voltage increased by a first delta voltage level;

causing, prior to the application of the programming pulse of the programming operation to the target wordline at a second time during application of the programming voltage to the target wordline, a second pass through voltage to be applied to a second portion of the first set of drain-side wordlines and to one or more source-side wordlines of the memory device, wherein the first adjusted pass through voltage is greater than the second pass through voltage; and

causing, during application of a target programming voltage level to the target wordline, a ramping down of the first adjusted pass through voltage applied to the first portion of the first set of drain-side wordlines to the first default pass through voltage.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the second pass through voltage is a second default pass through voltage level reduced by a second delta voltage level.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the first delta voltage level is greater than the second delta voltage level.

10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the first adjusted pass through voltage is applied to the first portion of the first set of drain-side wordlines during application of the second pass through voltage to the target wordline.

11 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the first adjusted pass through voltage is ramped down to the first default pass through voltage level after a step-down time period initiated at a start of a pulse time of the programming pulse.

12 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising ramping up the second pass through voltage to a second default pass through voltage level in response to the application of the programming pulse of the programming operation to the target wordline.

13 . A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

identifying a request to execute a programming operation to program a set of memory cells associated with a target wordline of a memory device;

causing, prior to application of a programming pulse of the programming operation to the target wordline at a first time during application of a programming voltage to the target wordline, a first adjusted pass through voltage to be applied to a first portion of a first set of drain-side wordlines of the memory device, wherein the first adjusted pass through voltage is a first default pass through voltage increased by a first delta voltage level;

causing, prior to the application of the programming pulse of the programming operation to the target wordline at a second time during application of the programming voltage to the target wordline, a second pass through voltage to be applied to a second portion of the first set of drain-side wordlines and to one or more source-side wordlines of the memory device, wherein the first adjusted pass through voltage is greater than the second pass through voltage; and

causing, during application of a target programming voltage level to the target wordline, a ramping down of the first adjusted pass through voltage applied to the first portion of the first set of drain-side wordlines to the first default pass through voltage.

14 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the second pass through voltage is a second default pass through voltage level reduced by a second delta voltage level.

15 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the first delta voltage level is greater than the second delta voltage level.

16 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the first adjusted pass through voltage is applied to the first portion of the first set of drain-side wordlines during application of the second pass through voltage to the target wordline.

17 . The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13 , the operations further comprising:

the first adjusted pass through voltage is ramped down to the first default pass through voltage level after a step-down time period initiated at a start of a pulse time of the programming pulse; and

ramping up the second pass through voltage to a second default pass through voltage level in response to the application of the programming pulse of the programming operation to the target wordline.