Methods for programming nonvolatile memory devices

1. A method for programming a nonvolatile memory device, the memory device including a local word line diving a memory cell string into a first area including a selected word line and a second area not including the selected word line, the method comprising:

driving word lines of the first area by a first pass voltage;

driving word lines of the second area by a second pass voltage, higher than the first pass voltage;

turning off a cell transistor corresponding to the local word line after applying the first pass voltage and the second pass voltage; and

driving the selected word line by a program voltage after turning off the cell transistor.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein turning off the cell transistor is followed by driving the selected word line or an unselected word line of the first area by the second pass voltage.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying a local voltage, which is higher than a ground voltage and lower than the first pass voltage, to the local word line to turn off the cell transistor.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising driving an unselected word line of the first area by a voltage lower than the first pass voltage after driving the word lines of the first area by the first pass voltage.

5. A method for programming a nonvolatile memory device, the memory device including a first local word line to divide a memory cell string into a first area including a selected word line and a second area not including the selected word line, the method comprising:

driving word lines of the first area by a first pass voltage;

driving word lines of the second area by a second pass voltage, higher than the first pass voltage;

driving a second local word line, which is included in the first area and adjacent to the first local word line, and the first local word line respectively by a first local voltage and a second local voltage after applying the first pass voltage and the second pass voltage; and

driving the selected word line by a program voltage after applying the first local voltage and the second local voltage.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein applying the first local voltage and the second local voltage is followed by driving the selected word line or an unselected word line of the first area by the second pass voltage.

7. The method of claim 5 , further comprising turning off a cell transistor corresponding to the first local word line by applying the second local voltage, wherein the second local voltage is higher than a ground voltage and lower than the first local voltage.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein driving the word lines of the first area by the first pass voltage is followed by driving an unselected word line of the first area by a voltage lower than the first pass voltage.

9. A method for programming a nonvolatile memory device, comprising:

driving a first word line by a first local voltage;

driving a second word line between the first word line and a selected word line by a second local voltage lower than the first local voltage; and

driving the first word line by a third local voltage lower than the second local voltage after driving the second word line by the second local voltage.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein driving the first word line by the third local voltage is followed by driving the selected word line by a program voltage.

11. The method of claim 9 , further comprising turning off a cell transistor connected to the first word line by applying the third local voltage.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein driving the selected word line by a program voltage is preceded by driving one or more unselected word lines between the second word line and the selected word line by a pass voltage higher than the second local voltage.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein driving the second word line by the second local voltage is followed by driving the second word line by a fourth local voltage higher than the second local voltage.

14. A method for programming a nonvolatile memory device, comprising:

driving a first word line by a first local voltage;

driving a second word line between the first word line and a selected word line by a second local voltage, lower than the first local voltage;

driving a third word line by a third local voltage;

driving a fourth word line between the third word line and a selected word line by a fourth local voltage lower than the third local voltage;

driving the first word line by a fifth local voltage lower than the second local voltage after driving the second word line by the second local voltage;

driving the third word line by a sixth local voltage lower than the fourth local voltage after driving the fourth word line by the fourth local voltage; and

driving the selected word line by a program voltage after driving the first/third word line by the fifth/sixth local voltage,

wherein the selected word line is disposed between the second word line and the fourth word line.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

turning off a cell transistor connected to the first word line by applying the fifth local voltage; and

turning off a cell transistor connected to the third word line by applying the sixth local voltage.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein driving the selected word line by a program voltage is preceded by:

driving one or more unselected word lines between the second word line and the selected word line by a pass voltage higher than the second local voltage or driving one or more unselected word lines between the fourth word line and the selected word line by the pass voltage higher than the fourth local voltage.