IP Library Granted Patent US 9,940,031
Granted Patent B2
US 9,940,031 · App. 15/462,300 · Granted Apr 10, 2018

Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device

Inventor: Takuya Futatsuyama (Yokohama, JP)
Assignee: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
G06F3/061G06F3/0652G06F3/0679
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,940,031
App. No.
15/462,300
Granted
Apr 10, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device comprises a cell unit including a first and a second selection gate transistor and a memory string provided between the first and second selection gate transistors and composed of a plurality of serially connected electrically erasable programmable memory cells operative to store effective data; and a data write circuit operative to write data into the memory cell, wherein the number of program stages for at least one of memory cells on both ends of the memory string is lower than the number of program stages for other memory cells, and the data write circuit executes the first stage program to the memory cell having the number of program stages lower than the number of program stages for the other memory cells after the first stage program to the other memory cells.

Claims (44)

1. A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, comprising:

a cell unit including a first and a second selection gate transistor and a memory string provided between said first and second selection gate transistors and composed of a plurality of serially connected electrically erasable programmable memory cells operative to store effective data; and

a data write circuit operative to execute writing data to the memory cells, the writing data having one or more program stages, wherein

the memory cells include a first memory cell, to execute an M 1 -stage program, M 1 =an integer of 1 or more, a second memory cell, to execute an M 2 -stage program, M 2 =an integer larger than M 1 , and being nearer to the first selection gate transistor than the first memory cell, and a third memory cell, to execute an M 3 -stage program, M3=an integer larger than M 1 , and being nearer to the first selection gate transistor than the second memory cell, and

the data write circuit:

executes the m 2 -th stage program, m 2 =an integer of 1 to M 2 , to the second memory cell after execution of the m 2 -th stage program to the third memory cell,

executes the m 1 -th stage program, m 1 =an integer of 1 to M 1 , to the second memory cell,

executes the (m 1 +1)-th stage program to the second memory cell after execution of the m 1 -th stage program to the second memory cell, and

executes the m 1 -th stage program to the first memory cell after execution of the (m 1 +1)-th stage program to the second memory cell.

2. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 1 , wherein m 1 is 1.

3. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 1 , wherein the second memory cell is closest to the first memory cell among memory cells to be executed the M 2 -stage program.

4. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 1 , wherein M 3 is M 1 +2 or more.

5. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 3 , wherein the third memory cell is adjacent to the second memory cell.

6. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 1 , wherein the cell unit includes a dummy cell having a structure same as one of the memory cells between the first selection gate transistor and the memory string and/or between the second selection gate transistor and the memory string.

7. A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device comprising:

a cell unit including a first selection gate transistor and a second selection gate transistor and a memory string provided between the first and second selection gate transistors and including a plurality of serially connected electrically erasable programmable memory cells operative to store effective data;

a source line connected to a source of the first selection gate transistor;

a bit line connected to a drain of the second selection gate transistor; and

a data write circuit operative to execute writing data to the memory cells, the writing data having one or more program stages, wherein

the memory cells include a first memory cell, to execute an M 1 -stage program, M 1 =an integer of 1 or more, a second memory cell, to execute an M 2 -stage program, M 2 =an integer larger than M 1 , and being nearer to the first selection gate transistor than the first memory cell, and a third memory cell, to execute an M 3 -stage program, M 3 =an integer larger than M 1 , and being nearer to the first selection gate transistor than the second memory cell, and

the data write circuit:

executes the m 1 -th stage program, m 1 =an integer of 1 to M 1 , to the second memory cell,

executes the (m 1 +1)-th stage program to the second memory cell after execution of the m 1 -th stage program to the second memory cell, and

executes the m 1 -th stage program to the first memory cell after execution of the (m 1 +1)-th stage program to the second memory cell.

8. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 7 , further comprising a sense amplifier circuit connected to the bit line.

9. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 7 , wherein m 1 is 1.

10. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 7 , wherein M 3 is M 1 +2 or more.

11. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 7 , wherein the second memory cell is the closest to the first memory cell among memory cells to execute the M 2 -stage program, and

the third memory cell is adjacent to the second memory cell.

12. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 7 , wherein the cell unit includes a dummy cell having a structure same as one of the memory cells between the first selection gate transistor and the memory string and/or between the second selection gate transistor and the memory string.

13. A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device comprising:

a cell unit including a first selection gate transistor and a second selection gate transistor and a memory string provided between the first and second selection gate transistors and including a plurality of serially connected electrically erasable programmable memory cells operative to store effective data; and

a data write circuit operative to execute writing data to the memory cells, the writing data having one or more program stages, wherein

the memory cells include a first memory cell, to execute an M 1 -stage program, M 1 =an integer of 1 or more, a second memory cell, to execute an M 2 -stage program, M 2 =an integer larger than M 1 , and being nearer to the first selection gate transistor than the first memory cell, and a third memory cell, to execute an M 3 -stage program, M 3 =an integer larger than M 1 , and being nearer to the first selection gate transistor than the second memory cell, and

the data write circuit:

executes an m 1 -th stage program, m 1 =an integer of 1 to M 1 , to the second memory cell after execution of the m 1 -th stage program to the third memory cell,

executes the (m 1 +1)-th stage program to the second memory cell after execution of the m 1 -th stage program to the second memory cell, and

executes the m 1 -th stage program to the first memory cell after execution of the (m 1 +1)-th stage program to the second memory cell.

14. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 13 , wherein the data write circuit: executes the m 1 -th stage program to the second memory cell before execution of the (m 1 +1)-th stage program to the third memory cell.

15. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 13 , wherein the second memory cell is the closest to the first memory cell among memory cells to execute the M 2 -stage program, and

the third memory cell is adjacent to the second memory cell.

16. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 13 , wherein m 1 is 1.

17. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 13 , wherein M 3 is M 1 +2 or more.

18. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 13 , wherein the cell unit includes a dummy cell having a structure same as one of the memory cells between the first selection gate transistor and the memory string and/or between the second selection gate transistor and the memory string.

Assignments (4)
MERGER Recorded Jan 22, 2021
From: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
To: K.K. PANGEA
Reel/Frame 055659/0471 →
CHANGE OF NAME AND ADDRESS Recorded Jan 22, 2021
From: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
To: KIOXIA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 055669/0001 →
CHANGE OF NAME AND ADDRESS Recorded Jan 22, 2021
From: K.K. PANGEA
To: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 055669/0401 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 14, 2017
From: KABUSHIKI KAISHA TOSHIBA
To: TOSHIBA MEMORY CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 043541/0381 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2009-098416 · Apr 14, 2009 · national
Continuity (6)
Continuation 15166895 · May 27, 2016
Continuation 14707908 · May 8, 2015
Continuation 14075400 · Nov 8, 2013
Continuation 13711894 · Dec 12, 2012
Continuation 12724636 · Mar 16, 2010
Related Publication 20170192676A1 · Jul 6, 2017