Semiconductor device and operating method thereof

1. An operating method of a semiconductor device, comprising:

repeating erase loops operable to lower threshold voltages of memory cells in a selected memory block by applying erase voltages to the selected memory block and performing an erase verification to determine whether the threshold voltages of the memory cells in the selected memory block are less than or equal to a target level,

wherein the erase voltages are increased as a number of erase loops is increased, wherein voltage differences of the erase voltages are increased as the number of erase loops is increased.

2. The operating method of claim 1 , wherein repeating an erase loop further comprises:

using a first erase voltage in a first erase loop;

using a second erase voltage in a second erase loop, wherein the second erase voltage is relatively higher than the first erase voltage by a first voltage;

using a third erase voltage in a third erase loop, wherein the third erase voltage is relatively higher than the second erase voltage by a second voltage.

3. The operating method of claim 2 , wherein the second voltage is relatively higher than the first voltage.

4. The operating method of claim 1 , further comprising:

increasing a period of time that the erase voltages are applied to the selected memory block as the number of erase loops increases.

5. The operating method of claim 4 , wherein repeating an erase loop further comprises:

applying a first erase voltage to the selected memory block for a first period of time during a first erase loop;

applying a second erase voltage to the selected memory block for a second period of time during a second erase loop, wherein the second period of time is relatively longer than the first period of time;

applying a third erase voltage to the selected memory block for a third period of time during a third erase loop, wherein the third period of time is relatively longer than the second period of time.

6. The operating method of claim 1 , further comprising:

increasing the erase voltages by a constant voltage difference until the number of erase loops is equal to a critical number.

7. The operating method of claim 6 , further comprising:

increasing a period of time that the erase voltage is applied to the selected memory block as the number of erase loops increases.

8. An operating method of a semiconductor device, comprising:

repeating a program loop including applying a program voltage to a selected word line to increase threshold voltages of memory cells electrically coupled to the selected word line and performing a program verification to determine whether the threshold voltages are greater than or equal to a target level,

wherein the program voltage is increased by a step voltage as a number of program loops is increased, wherein the step voltage is increased as the number of program loops is increased.

9. The operating method of claim 8 , wherein repeating a program loop comprises:

using a first program voltage in a first program loop;

using a second program voltage in a second program loop, wherein the second program voltage is relatively higher than the first program voltage by a first voltage; and

using a third program voltage in a third program loop, wherein the third program voltage is relatively higher than the second program voltage by a second voltage.

10. The operating method of claim 9 , wherein the second voltage is relatively higher than the first voltage.

11. The operating method of claim 8 , further comprising:

increasing a period of time that the program voltage is applied to the selected word line as the number of program loops increases.

12. The operating method of claim 11 , wherein repeating a program loop further comprises:

applying a first program voltage to the selected word line for a first period of time during a first program loop;

applying a second program voltage to the selected word line for a second period of time during a second program loop, wherein the second period of time is relatively longer than the first period of time; and

applying a third program voltage to the selected word line for a third period of time during a third program loop, wherein the third period of time is relatively longer than the second period of time.

13. The operating method of claim 8 , further comprising:

increasing the program voltage by a constant step voltage until the number of program loops is equal to a critical number.

14. The operating method of claim 13 , further comprising:

increasing a period of time that the program voltage is applied to the selected word line as the number of program loops increases.

15. A semiconductor device, comprising:

a memory block configured to store data;

a circuit group configured to erase and program memory cells in the memory block; and

a control circuit configured to control the circuit group to repeat an erase loop operable to lower threshold voltages of memory cells in a selected memory block by applying erase voltages to the selected memory block and performing an erase verification to determine whether the threshold voltages of the memory cells in the selected memory block are less than or equal to a target level, wherein the erase voltages are increased as a number of erase loops is increased, wherein first voltage differences of the erase voltages are increased as the number of erase loops is increased, and to repeat a program loop including applying program voltages to a selected word line to increase threshold voltages of memory cells electrically coupled to the selected word line and performing a program verification to determine whether the threshold voltages are greater than or equal to a target level, wherein the program voltages are increased as a number of program loops is increased, wherein second voltage differences of the program voltages are increased as the number of program loops is increased.

16. The semiconductor device of claim 15 , wherein the control circuit is configured to issue at least one command to the circuit group to increase a period of time that the erase voltage is applied to the selected memory block as the number of erase loops increases, and to issue at least one command to increase a period of time that the program voltage is applied to the selected word line as the number of program loops increases.

17. The semiconductor device of claim 15 , wherein the control circuit is configured:

to issue at least one command to the circuit group to increase the erase voltage by a third voltage difference until the number of erase loops reaches a first critical number, and increase the third voltage difference to the first voltage differences after the number of erase loops is equal to the first critical number with each successive implementation of the erase loop, and

to issue at least one command to the circuit group to increase the program voltage by a fourth voltage difference until the number of program loops reaches a second critical number, and increase the fourth voltage difference to the second voltage differences after the number of program loops is equal to the second critical number with each successive implementation of the program loop.

18. The semiconductor device of claim 15 , wherein the memory cells comprise one of 2-dimensional memory cells arranged in a direction generally parallel to a semiconductor substrate and 3-dimensional memory cells arranged in a direction generally perpendicular to the semiconductor substrate.

19. The semiconductor device of claim 15 , wherein the circuit group includes:

a voltage generation circuit configured to generate operation voltages having different voltage levels in response to different operation command signals;

a row decoder configured to select the memory block and transmit the operation voltages to the selected memory block in response to a row address;

a page buffer electrically coupled to the memory block via bit lines and configured to transmit data to and receive data from the selected memory block during program, read and erase operations, and configured to temporarily store the received data;

a column decoder configured to transmit data to and receive data from the page buffer in response to a column address; and

an input/output circuit configured to transmit a command signal and an address received from a device external to the control circuit, and to transmit data received from the external device to the column decoder, and to output data received from the column decoder to one of the external device outside and the control circuit.