Programming memories with stepped programming pulses including inhibiting a memory cell for a portion of a programming pulse and enabling that memory cell for another portion of that programming pulse

1. A method of operating a memory device, comprising:

applying a programming pulse to a plurality of memory cells selected for programming, wherein the programming pulse comprises an initial portion having a first voltage level and a subsequent portion having a second voltage level less than the first voltage level;

inhibiting a particular memory cell of the plurality of memory cells from programming during the initial portion of the programming pulse while a different memory cell of the plurality of memory cells is enabled for programming; and

inhibiting the different memory cell from programming during the subsequent portion of the programming pulse while the particular memory cell is enabled for programming.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein inhibiting the particular memory cell from programming comprises inhibiting a memory cell having a desired data state corresponding to a threshold voltage level that is lower than a threshold voltage level corresponding to a desired data state of the different memory cell.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein inhibiting the particular memory cell from programming while the different memory cell is enabled for programming comprises inhibiting the particular memory cell from programming while a plurality of different memory cells are enabled for programming, and wherein a first memory cell of the plurality of different memory cells is enabled for programming to a first data state and a second memory cell of the plurality of different memory cells is enabled for programming to a second data state different than the first data state.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

after applying the programming pulse, verifying whether the particular memory cell and the different memory cell have reached respective desired data states;

wherein the respective desired data state of the different memory cell corresponds to a first threshold voltage level; and

wherein the respective desired data state of the particular memory cell corresponds to a second threshold voltage level less than the first threshold voltage level.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein after applying the programming pulse comprises after applying both the initial portion and the subsequent portion of the programming pulse.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the programming pulse further comprises a next subsequent portion having a third voltage level less than the second voltage level, the method further comprising:

inhibiting the particular memory cell from programming during the initial portion of the programming pulse while the different memory cell and another memory cell of the plurality of memory cells are enabled for programming; and

inhibiting the different memory cell and the other memory cell from programming during the subsequent portion of the programming pulse while the particular memory cell is enabled programming.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the programming pulse further comprises a next subsequent portion having a third voltage level less than the second voltage level, the method further comprising:

inhibiting the particular memory cell and the other memory cell from programming during the initial portion of the programming pulse while the different memory cell and is enabled for programming;

inhibiting the different memory cell and the other memory cell from programming during the subsequent portion of the programming pulse while the particular memory cell is enabled programming; and

inhibiting the particular memory cell and the different memory cell from programming during the next subsequent portion of the programming pulse while the other memory cell and is enabled for programming.

8. A method of operating a memory device, comprising:

applying a programming pulse to a plurality of memory cells selected for programming, wherein the programming pulse comprises a plurality of portions, and wherein each portion of the plurality of portions comprises a respective voltage level, and the respective voltage level for any portion of the plurality of portions is different than the respective voltage level for each remaining portion of the plurality of portions;

for each portion of the plurality of portions, inhibiting at least one memory cell of the plurality of memory cells from programming;

for each portion of the plurality of portions, enabling at least one memory cell of the plurality of memory cells for programming;

for a particular portion of the plurality of portions, enabling a particular memory cell of the plurality of memory cells for programming and inhibiting a different memory cell of the plurality of memory cells from programming; and

for a different portion of the plurality of portions immediately subsequent to the particular portion, inhibiting the particular memory cell from programming and inhibiting the different memory cell from programming.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein applying the programming pulse comprises a programming pulse wherein the respective voltage level for any portion of the plurality of portions is higher than the respective voltage level for any subsequent portion of the plurality of portions.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein enabling at least one memory cell of the plurality of memory cells for programming comprises enabling only memory cells of the plurality of memory cells having a same respective desired data state.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein enabling at least one memory cell of the plurality of memory cells for programming comprises enabling only memory cells of the plurality of memory cells having respective desired data states corresponding to a data state of a subset of potential data states for the plurality of memory cells.

12. A method of operating a memory device, comprising:

applying a first programming pulse to a plurality of memory cells selected for programming to respective desired data states of a plurality of data states, wherein the first programming pulse comprises a plurality of portions, wherein each portion of the plurality of portions of the first programming pulse comprises a respective voltage level, and wherein the respective voltage level for any portion of the plurality of portions of the first programming pulse is different than the respective voltage level for each remaining portion of the plurality of portions of the first programming pulse;

for each portion of the plurality of portions of the first programming pulse, and for at least one data state of the plurality of data states corresponding to that portion of the plurality of portions of the first programming pulse:

inhibiting from programming each memory cell of the plurality of memory cells whose respective desired data state is the at least one data state corresponding to that portion of the plurality of portions of the first programming pulse; and

enabling for programming each remaining memory cell of the plurality of memory cells whose respective desired data state is other than the at least one data state corresponding to that portion of the plurality of portions of the first programming pulse and that has not reached its respective desired data state; and

after applying the first programming pulse, verifying whether any memory cells of the plurality of memory cells have reached their respective desired data states.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

applying a second programming pulse to the plurality of memory cells, wherein the second programming pulse comprises a plurality of portions, wherein each portion of the plurality of portions of the second programming pulse comprises a respective voltage level, wherein the respective voltage level for any portion of the plurality of portions of the second programming pulse is different than the respective voltage level for each remaining portion of the plurality of portions of the wherein the respective voltage level for any portion of the plurality of portions of the second programming pulse is programming pulse, and wherein the respective voltage level for any portion of the plurality of portions of the second programming pulse is different than the respective voltage level for a corresponding portion of the plurality of portions of the first programming pulse;

for each portion of the plurality of portions of the second programming pulse, and for at least one data state of the plurality of data states corresponding to that portion of the plurality of portions of the second programming pulse:

inhibiting from programming each memory cell of the plurality of memory cells whose respective desired data state is the at least one data state corresponding to that portion of the plurality of portions of the second programming pulse; and

enabling for programming each remaining memory cell of the plurality of memory cells whose respective desired data state is other than the at least one data state corresponding to that portion of the plurality of portions of the second programming pulse and that has not reached its respective desired data state.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein applying the second programming pulse to the plurality of memory cells comprises applying the second programming pulse such that the respective voltage level for any portion of the plurality of portions of the second programming pulse is higher than the respective voltage level for its corresponding portion of the plurality of portions of the first programming pulse.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein verifying whether any memory cells of the plurality of memory cells have reached their respective desired data states comprises applying a plurality of verify pulses to the plurality of memory cells.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein applying the plurality of verify pulses comprises applying a plurality of verify pulses having different voltage levels.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein a number of verify pulses of the plurality of verify pulses is different than a number of portions of the plurality of portions of the first programming pulse.

18. The method of claim 12 , wherein, for an initial portion of the plurality of portions of the first programming pulse, enabling for programming each remaining memory cell of the plurality of memory cells whose respective desired data state is other than the at least one data state corresponding to that portion of the plurality of portions of the first programming pulse and that has not reached its respective desired data state comprises enabling for programming a memory cell of the plurality of memory cells whose respective desired data state corresponds to a highest threshold voltage level of the plurality of data states.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising enabling for programming a memory cell of the plurality of memory cells whose respective desired data state corresponds to a next highest threshold voltage level of the plurality of data states.

20. The method of claim 12 , wherein, for an initial portion of the plurality of portions of the first programming pulse, enabling for programming each remaining memory cell of the plurality of memory cells whose respective desired data state is other than the at least one data state corresponding to that portion of the plurality of portions of the first programming pulse and that has not reached its respective desired data state comprises enabling for programming each memory cell of the plurality of memory cells that has not reached its respective desired data state and whose respective desired data state is any data state of the plurality of data states having a corresponding threshold voltage level equal to or higher than a threshold voltage level corresponding to a particular data state of the plurality of data states.