IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,555,638
Granted Patent B2
US 12,555,638 · App. 18/235,183 · Granted Feb 17, 2026

Erase pulse loop dependent adjustment of select gate erase bias voltage

Inventors: Ching-Huang Lu (Fremont, CA); Vinh Quang Diep (Hayward, CA); Avinash Rajagiri (Boise, ID); Yingda Dong (Los Altos, CA)
Assignee: Micron Technology, Inc.
G11C16/16G11C16/0483
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,555,638
App. No.
18/235,183
Granted
Feb 17, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Control logic of a memory device to initiate an erase operation including a set of erase loops to erase one or more memory cells of the memory device. During a first erase loop of the set of erase loops, a first erase pulse having an erase voltage level is caused to be applied to a source line associated with the one or more memory cells. During the first erase loop, a first erase bias voltage having an initial voltage level is caused to be applied to a first select gate and a second erase bias voltage having the initial voltage level is caused to be applied to a second select gate associated with the source line, where the first erase bias voltage level is based on a first delta voltage level. During a subset of erase loops following the first erase loop, a second erase pulse having the erase voltage level is caused to be applied to the source line. During the subset of erase loops, a first adjusted erase bias voltage is caused to be applied to the first select gate and a second adjusted erase bias voltage is caused to be applied to the second select gate.

Claims (49)

1 . A memory device comprising:

an array of memory cells; and

control logic, operatively coupled with the array of memory cells, to perform operations comprising:

initiating an erase operation including a set of erase loops to erase one or more memory cells of the array of memory cells;

during a first erase loop of the set of erase loops:

causing a first erase pulse having an erase voltage level to be applied to a source line associated with the one or more memory cells of the memory device;

causing a first erase bias voltage having an initial voltage level to be applied to a first select gate adjacent to the source line, wherein the first erase bias voltage is based on a first delta voltage level; and

causing a second erase bias voltage having the initial voltage level to be applied to a second select gate associated with the source line, wherein the second select gate is adjacent to the first select gate; and

during a subset of erase loops following the first erase loop:

causing a second erase pulse having the erase voltage level to be applied to the source line;

causing a first adjusted erase bias voltage to be applied to the first select gate; and

causing a second adjusted erase bias voltage to be applied to the second select gate, wherein the first adjusted erase bias voltage is less than the second adjusted erase bias voltage.

2 . The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the initial voltage level equals the erase voltage level minus the first delta voltage level.

3 . The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the first delta voltage level is in a range of approximately OV to approximately 2V.

4 . The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the first adjusted erase bias voltage is based on a first adjusted delta voltage level.

5 . The memory device of claim 4 , wherein the second adjusted erase bias voltage is based on a second adjusted delta voltage level.

6 . The memory device of claim 5 , wherein the first adjusted delta voltage level is in a first range of approximately 10V to approximately 14V, and wherein the second adjusted delta voltage level is in a second range of approximately 3V to approximately 6V.

7 . The memory device of claim 1 , wherein the subset of erase loops comprises a second erase loop through a final erase loop.

8 . A method comprising:

initiating, by a processing device, an erase operation including a set of erase loops to erase one or more memory cells of a memory device;

during a first erase loop of the set of erase loops:

causing a first erase pulse having an erase voltage level to be applied to a source line associated with the one or more memory cells of the memory device;

causing a first erase bias voltage having an initial voltage level to be applied to a first select gate adjacent to the source line, wherein the first erase bias voltage is based on a first delta voltage level; and

causing a second erase bias voltage having the initial voltage level to be applied to a second select gate associated with the source line, wherein the second select gate is adjacent to the first select gate; and

during a subset of erase loops following the first erase loop:

causing a second erase pulse having the erase voltage level to be applied to the source line;

causing a first adjusted erase bias voltage to be applied to the first select gate; and

causing a second adjusted erase bias voltage to be applied to the second select gate, wherein the first adjusted erase bias voltage is less than the second adjusted erase bias voltage.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the initial voltage level equals the erase voltage level minus the first delta voltage level.

10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the first delta voltage level is in a range of approximately OV to approximately 2V.

11 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the first adjusted erase bias voltage is based on a first adjusted delta voltage level.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the second adjusted erase bias voltage is based on a second adjusted delta voltage level.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the first adjusted delta voltage level is in a first range of approximately 10V to approximately 14V, and wherein the second adjusted delta voltage level is in a second range of approximately 3V to approximately 6V.

14 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the subset of erase loops comprises a second erase loop through a final erase loop.

15 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform operations comprising:

initiating an erase operation including a set of erase loops to erase one or more memory cells of a memory device;

during a first erase loop of the set of erase loops:

causing a first erase pulse having an erase voltage level to be applied to a source line associated with the one or more memory cells;

causing a first erase bias voltage having an initial voltage level to be applied to a first select gate adjacent to the source line, wherein the first erase bias voltage is based on a first delta voltage level; and

causing a second erase bias voltage having the initial voltage level to be applied to a second select gate associated with the source line, wherein the second select gate is adjacent to the first select gate; and

during a subset of erase loops following the first erase loop:

causing a second erase pulse having the erase voltage level to be applied to the source line;

causing a first adjusted erase bias voltage to be applied to the first select gate; and

causing a second adjusted erase bias voltage to be applied to the second select gate, wherein the first adjusted erase bias voltage is less than the second adjusted erase bias voltage.

16 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the initial voltage level equals the erase voltage level minus the first delta voltage level.

17 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the first delta voltage level is in a range of approximately OV to approximately 2V.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the first adjusted erase bias voltage is based on a first adjusted delta voltage level.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 18 , wherein the second adjusted erase bias voltage is based on a second adjusted delta voltage level.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 19 , wherein the first adjusted delta voltage level is in a first range of approximately 10V to approximately 14V, and wherein the second adjusted delta voltage level is in a second range of approximately 3V to approximately 6V.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 21, 2023
From: LU, CHING-HUANG; DIEP, VINH QUANG; RAJAGIRI, AVINASH; DONG, YINGDA
To: MICRON TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Reel/Frame 064653/0683 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63400500 · Aug 24, 2022
Related Publication 20240071515A1 · Feb 29, 2024
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