IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,469,564
Granted Patent B2
US 12,469,564 · App. 18/428,275 · Granted Nov 11, 2025

Memory device and operating method of the memory device

Inventors: Nam Cheol Jeon (Icheon-si, KR); Chang Beom Woo (Icheon-si, KR)
Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
G11C16/14G11C16/0433G11C16/24
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,469,564
App. No.
18/428,275
Granted
Nov 11, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a memory device configured to: apply an erase voltage and a first pass voltage at a first time, apply a turn-on voltage at a second time before a level of the erase voltage increases to a target level, maintain the erase voltage, the first pass voltage, and the turn-on voltage at a third time when the level of the erase voltage equals the target level, and reduce a voltage difference between a memory cell and a word line at a fourth time after the third time.

Claims (26)

1 . A memory device, comprising:

a first select transistor, a memory cell, and a second select transistor coupled in series between a source line and a bit line; and

a peripheral circuit configured to perform an erase operation on the memory cell,

wherein the peripheral circuit is configured to, during the erase operation:

apply an erase voltage to the source line and the bit line and a first pass voltage to a word line coupled to the memory cell at a first time,

apply a turn-on voltage to a first select line coupled to the first select transistor and a second select line coupled to the second select transistor at a second time before a level of the erase voltage applied to the source line and the bit line increases to a target level,

erase the memory cell by maintaining the erase voltage, the first pass voltage, and the turn-on voltage at a third time when the level of the erase voltage applied to the source line and the bit line equals the target level, and

erase the memory cell by reducing a voltage difference between the memory cell and the word line at a fourth time after the third time.

2 . The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the peripheral circuit includes a voltage generator configured to generate and output the erase voltage, the first pass voltage, and the turn-on voltage.

3 . The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the peripheral circuit is configured to generate and output the first pass voltage, the turn-on voltage greater than the first pass voltage, and the erase voltage greater than the turn-on voltage.

4 . The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the peripheral circuit is configured to set the fourth time before back-tunneling in which electrons flow into the memory cell occurs after the third time.

5 . The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the peripheral circuit is configured to apply a second pass voltage greater than the first pass voltage to the word line at the fourth time.

6 . The memory device of claim 5 , wherein the peripheral circuit is configured to increase the first pass voltage applied to the word line to the second pass voltage.

7 . The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the peripheral circuit is configured to float the word line at the fourth time.

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

applying an erase voltage to a source line and a bit line, applying a turn-off voltage to first and second select lines between the source line and the bit line, and applying a first pass voltage to a word line between the first and second select lines;

applying a turn-on voltage to the first and second select lines before a level of the erase voltage equals a target level; and

applying a second pass voltage greater than the first pass voltage to the word line after a predetermined time from a time when the level of the erase voltage equals the target level.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the first pass voltage is greater than the turn-off voltage and less than the turn-on voltage.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the erase voltage is greater than the turn-on voltage, the first pass voltage, and the second pass voltage.

11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein during the applying of the second pass voltage, the second pass voltage is increased from the first pass voltage.

12 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising, after applying the second pass voltage, discharging the source line, the bit line, the first and second select lines, and the word line.

13 . A method of operating a memory device, the method comprising:

applying an erase voltage to a source line and a bit line, applying a turn-off voltage to first and second select lines between the source line and the bit line, and applying a pass voltage to a word line between the first and second select lines;

applying a turn-on voltage to the first and second select lines before a level of the erase voltage equals a target level; and

floating the word line after a predetermined time from a time when the level of the erase voltage equals the target level.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 1, 2024
From: JEON, NAM CHEOL; WOO, CHANG BEOM
To: SK HYNIX INC.
Reel/Frame 066328/0225 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2023-0122267 · Sep 14, 2023 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250095747A1 · Mar 20, 2025
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