IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,340,853
Granted Patent B2
US 12,340,853 · App. 18/310,760 · Granted Jun 24, 2025

Semiconductor device performing program operation and operating method thereof

Inventors: Hyung Jin Choi (Icheon-si Gyeonggi-do, KR); Se Chun Park (Icheon-si Gyeonggi-do, KR)
Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
G11C16/3459G11C16/08G11C16/102
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,340,853
App. No.
18/310,760
Granted
Jun 24, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method of operating a semiconductor device includes: starting a program operation on selected memory cells among a plurality of memory cells in response to a program command; suspending the program operation in response to a program suspend command; and performing a pre-verify operation by using a modified verify voltage in response to a program resume command.

Claims (42)

1. A method of operating a semiconductor device, the method comprising:

starting a program operation on selected memory cells of a plurality of memory cells in response to a memory cell program command;

suspending execution of the memory cell program command operation in response to a program suspend command; and

performing a pre-verify operation by using a modified verify voltage in response to a program resume command.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the program operation additionally comprises: running a plurality of program loops, and each program loop comprising a program phase and a verify phase,

wherein the verify phase comprises applying a main verify voltage and an auxiliary verify voltage, which is less than the main verify voltage to a word line connected to the selected memory cells.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein performing of the pre-verify operation comprises:

applying a reduced auxiliary verify voltage to the word line; and

applying the main verify voltage to the word line.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein performing the pre-verify operation comprises:

applying the auxiliary verify voltage to the word line; and

applying a reduced main verify voltage to the word line.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein performing the pre-verify operation comprises:

applying a reduced auxiliary verify voltage to the word line; and

applying a reduced main verify voltage to the word line.

6. A semiconductor device comprising:

a memory block comprising a plurality of memory cells; and

a peripheral circuit configured to perform a program operation, which comprises a plurality of program loops on selected memory cells among a plurality of memory cells included in the memory block;

wherein the peripheral circuit comprises control logic, configured to:

control the program operation of the peripheral circuit;

control the peripheral circuit to suspend the program operation in response to a program suspend command; and

control the peripheral circuit to perform a pre-verify operation on the selected memory cells, based a modified verify voltage, in response to a program resume command.

7. The semiconductor device of claim 6 , wherein each of the plurality of program loops performed by the peripheral circuit includes a program phase and a verify phase, and, in the verify phase, the control logic causes the peripheral circuit to perform a verify operation using a main verify voltage and an auxiliary verify voltage less than the main verify voltage.

8. The semiconductor device of claim 7 , wherein, during the pre-verify operation, the control logic controls the peripheral circuit to perform a verify operation using the main verify voltage and a decreased auxiliary verify voltage.

9. The semiconductor device of claim 7 , wherein, during the pre-verify operation, the control logic controls the peripheral circuit to perform a verify operation using a decreased main verify voltage and the auxiliary verify voltage.

10. The semiconductor device of claim 7 , wherein, during the pre-verify operation, the control logic controls the peripheral circuit to perform a verify operation using a decreased main verify voltage and a decreased auxiliary verify voltage.

11. The semiconductor device of claim 6 , wherein the control logic is configured to determine a magnitude of the modified verify voltage, based on a period in which the program operation is suspended.

12. The semiconductor device of claim 6 , wherein, after the pre-verify operation, the control logic controls the peripheral circuit to perform a subsequent program loop.

13. The semiconductor device of claim 12 , wherein the control logic is configured to control the peripheral circuit to perform a verify phase of the subsequent program loop, based on an original verify voltage before being modified.

14. A semiconductor device comprising:

a memory block comprising a plurality of memory cells, each of which storing N-bit data; and

a peripheral circuit configured to perform a program operation, which includes performing a plurality of program loops on selected memory cells among the plurality of memory cells included in the memory block;

wherein the peripheral circuit comprises control logic configured to control the program operation of the peripheral circuit in response to a program command, and control the peripheral circuit to suspend the program operation in response to a program suspend command received after verification of memory cells to be programmed to an ith program state among first to (2 N −1)th program states passes, and control the peripheral circuit to perform a pre-verify operation on memory cells to be programmed to a jth program state among (i+1)th to (2 N −1)th program states, based on a modified verify voltage, in response to a program resume command,

wherein N is a natural number greater than 1, i is a natural number which is greater than 0 and is smaller than (2 N −1), and j is a natural number which is greater than i and is smaller than 2 N .

15. The semiconductor device of claim 14 , wherein each of the plurality of program loops comprises a program phase and a verify phase, and, in the verify phase, the control logic controls the peripheral circuit to perform a verify operation on the memory cells to be programmed to the jth program state by using a main verify voltage and an auxiliary verify voltage, which correspond to the jth program state.

16. The semiconductor device of claim 15 , wherein, in the pre-verify operation, the control logic controls the peripheral circuit to perform a verify operation on the memory cells to be programmed to the jth program state by using the main verify voltage and a decreased auxiliary verify voltage.

17. The semiconductor device of claim 16 , wherein, after the pre-verify operation, the control logic controls the peripheral circuit to perform a subsequent program loop by using the main verify voltage and an original auxiliary verify voltage before being decreased.

18. The semiconductor device of claim 15 , wherein, in the pre-verify operation, the control logic controls the peripheral circuit to perform a verify operation on the memory cells to be programmed to the jth program state by using a decreased main verify voltage and the auxiliary verify voltage.

19. The semiconductor device of claim 18 , wherein, after the pre-verify operation, the control logic controls the peripheral circuit to perform a subsequent program loop by using the decreased main verify voltage and the auxiliary verify voltage.

20. The semiconductor device of claim 15 , wherein, in the pre-verify operation, the control logic controls the peripheral circuit to perform a verify operation on the memory cells to be programmed to the jth program state by using a decreased main verify voltage and a decrease auxiliary verify voltage.

21. The semiconductor device of claim 20 , wherein, after the pre-verify operation, the control logic controls the peripheral circuit to perform a subsequent program loop by using an original main verify voltage before being decreased and an original auxiliary verify voltage before being decreased.

22. The semiconductor device of claim 15 , wherein the control logic determines a magnitude of the modified verify voltage, based on a period in which the program operation is suspended.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 2, 2023
From: CHOI, HYUNG JIN; PARK, SE CHUN
To: SK HYNIX INC.
Reel/Frame 063507/0738 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2022-0159034 · Nov 24, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240177784A1 · May 30, 2024
References Cited (4)
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KR 1020210105728A · 2021 [cited by applicant]