NONVOLATILE SEMICONDUCTOR MEMORY DEVICE

• US 20090067236A1
• Filed: 09/04/2008
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kioxia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: SHIBATA, Noboru, ISOBE, Katsuaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,760,549 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 365/185.30
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/5642 Sensing or reading circuits; Data output circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/0483 comprising cells having several storage transistors connected in series
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/26 Sensing or reading circuits; Data output circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/32 Timing circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2211/565 Multilevel memory comprising elements in triple well structure

Abstract

A memory device includes a control circuit which controls a semiconductor region, a first bit line, a second bit line and a source line. The control circuit is comprised of means for making the first bit line floating, after pre-charging the first bit line to a first potential, means for varying the first bit line from the first potential to a third potential by providing a second potential to the second bit line, the semiconductor region and the source line with the first bit line in the floating state, and means for reading data of the first cell transistor to the first bit line, after setting the first bit line to the third potential.

Claims

1. A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device comprising:

a semiconductor region;

first and second cell units formed in the semiconductor region;

a first bit line connected to one end of the first cell unit;

a second bit line connected to one end of the second cell unit;

a source line connected to the other ends of the first and second cell units; and

a control circuit which controls the semiconductor region, the first and second bit lines, and the source line,

wherein the first cell unit is comprised of;

a first cell transistor having a charge storage layer and a control gate electrode;

a first select gate transistor connected between the first cell transistor and the first bit line; and

a second select gate transistor connected between the first cell transistor and the source line,

wherein the second cell unit is comprised of;

a second cell transistor having a charge storage layer and a control gate electrode;

a third select gate transistor connected between the second cell transistor and the second bit line; and

a fourth select gate transistor connected between the second cell transistor and the source line, and

wherein the control circuit is comprised of;

first means for making the first bit line floating, after pre-charging the first bit line to a first potential;

second means for varying the first bit line from the first potential to a third potential by providing a second potential to the second bit line, the semiconductor region and the source line with the first bit line in the floating state; and

third means for reading data of the first cell transistor to the first bit line, after setting the first bit line to the third potential.

2. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 1,

wherein the control circuit has fourth means for setting the first bit line to a fourth potential forcibly, after setting the first bit line to the third potential, and

the data of the first cell transistor is read to the first bit line, after setting the first bit line to the fourth potential.

3. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 1, further comprising a sense amplifier connected to the first bit line,

wherein the control circuit has means for setting the second bit line, the semiconductor region and the source line to a potential lower than the second potential, after reading the data of the first cell transistor to the first bit line, and

a sense operation of the sense amplifier is executed, after setting the second bit line, the semiconductor region and the source line to a potential lower than the second potential.

4. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 1, further comprising:

a sense amplifier connected to the first bit line; and

a level conversion circuit comprised of a capacitor, whose one end is connected to a connection node of the first bit line and the sense amplifier,

wherein the level conversion circuit lowers a potential of the other end of the capacitor after the data read to the first bit line is transferred to the connection node.

5. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 1,

wherein the first cell transistor is a multi-level memory cell which stores n-level (n is a natural number more than 3), and at least two levels of the n-level have a threshold value in a negative region.

6. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 5,

wherein when discriminating at least two levels existing in the negative region, the control gate electrode of the first cell transistor is set to a positive potential.

7. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 1,

wherein when reading the data of the first cell transistor to the first bit line, the second bit line functions as a shield bit line.

8. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 1,

wherein the second potential is supplied to the second bit line, the semiconductor region and the source line from one potential control circuit.

9. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 1,

wherein the second bit line, the semiconductor region and the source line are set to the second potential higher than a plus potential, after being set to the plus potential from a ground potential.

10. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 1,

wherein the second and fourth select gate transistors change from OFF to ON after the first bit line results in the third potential.

11. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 3,

wherein the second and fourth select gate transistors change from OFF to ON, after the second bit line, the semiconductor region and the source line result in a potential lower than the second potential, before the sense operation of the sense amplifier.

12. A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device comprising:

a semiconductor region;

first and second cell units formed in the semiconductor region;

a first bit line connected to one end of the first cell unit;

a second bit line connected to one end of the second cell unit;

a source line connected to the other ends of the first and second cell units; and

a control circuit which controls the semiconductor region, the first and second bit lines, and the source line,

wherein the first cell unit is comprised of;

a first cell transistor having a charge storage layer and a control gate electrode;

a first select gate transistor connected between the first cell transistor and the first bit line; and

a second select gate transistor connected between the first cell transistor and the source line,

wherein the second cell unit is comprised of;

a second cell transistor having a charge storage layer and a control gate electrode;

a third select gate transistor connected between the second cell transistor and the second bit line; and

a fourth select gate transistor connected between the second cell transistor and the source line, and

wherein the control circuit is comprised of;

first means for making the first bit line floating, after pre-charging the first bit line to a first potential;

second means for varying the first bit line from the first potential to a third potential by providing a second potential to the second bit line with the first bit line in the floating state; and

third means for reading data of the first cell transistor to the first bit line, after setting the first bit line to the third potential.

13. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 12,

wherein the control circuit has fourth means for setting the first bit line to a fourth potential forcibly, after setting the first bit line to the third potential, and

the data of the first cell transistor is read to the first bit line, after setting the first bit line to the fourth potential.

14. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 12, further comprising a sense amplifier connected to the first bit line,

wherein the control circuit has means for setting the second bit line to a potential lower than the second potential, after reading the data of the first cell transistor to the first bit line, and

a sense operation of the sense amplifier is executed, after setting the second bit line to a potential lower than the second potential.

15. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 12, further comprising:

a sense amplifier connected to the first bit line; and

a level conversion circuit comprised of a capacitor, whose one end is connected to a connection node of the first bit line and the sense amplifier,

wherein the level conversion circuit lowers a potential of the other end of the capacitor after the data read to the first bit line is transferred to the connection node.

16. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 12,

wherein the first cell transistor is a multi-level memory cell which stores n-level (n is a natural number more than 3), and at least two levels of the n-level have a threshold value in a negative region.

17. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 16,

wherein when discriminating at least two levels existing in the negative region, the control gate electrode of the first cell transistor is set to a positive potential.

18. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 12,

wherein when reading the data of the first cell transistor to the first bit line, the second bit line functions as a shield bit line.

19. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 12,

wherein the second potential is supplied to the second bit line from a bit line potential control circuit.

20. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 12,

wherein the second bit line is set to the second potential higher than a plus potential, after being set to the plus potential from a ground potential.

21. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 12,

wherein the second and fourth select gate transistors change from OFF to ON after the first bit line results in the third potential.

22. The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 14,

wherein the second and fourth select gate transistors change from OFF to ON, after the second bit line, the semiconductor region and the source line result in a potential lower than the second potential, before the sense operation of the sense amplifier.