FLASH MULTI-LEVEL THRESHOLD DISTRIBUTION SCHEME

• US 20090225595A1
• Filed: 05/11/2009
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management)
• Original Assignee: MOSAID Technologies Inc. (f/k/a Conversant Intellectual Property Management)
• Inventors: KIM, Jin-Ki
• Granted Patent: US 7,821,827 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 365/185.30
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/5628 Programming or writing circuits; Data input circuits
• 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 16/10 Programming or data input circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/12 Programming voltage switching circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/34 Determination of programming status, e.g. threshold voltage, overprogramming or underprogramming, retention
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/344 Arrangements for verifying correct erasure or for detecting overerased cells
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/3454 Arrangements for verifying correct programming or for detecting overprogrammed cells
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2211/5621 Multilevel programming verification

Abstract

A threshold voltage distribution scheme for multi-level Flash cells where an erase threshold voltage and at least one programmed threshold voltage lie in an erase voltage domain. Having at least one programmed threshold voltage in the erase voltage domain reduces the Vread voltage level to minimize read disturb effects, while extending the life span of the multi-level Flash cells as the threshold voltage distance between programmed states is maximized. The erase voltage domain can be less than 0V while a program voltage domain is greater than 0V. Accordingly, circuits for program verifying and reading multi-level Flash cells having a programmed threshold voltage in the erase voltage domain and the program voltage domain use negative and positive high voltages.

Claims

1. A Flash memory device comprising:

a memory array having memory cells arranged in rows and columns, each memory cell erasable to have an erase threshold voltage in an erase voltage domain and programmable in a program operation to have at least one program threshold voltage in the erase voltage domain;

a wordline driver for selectively driving a wordline connected to a gate terminal of a memory cell with a programming voltage for changing the erase threshold voltage to the at least one program threshold voltage in the erase voltage domain during the program operation.

2. The Flash memory device of claim 1, wherein each memory cell is programmable to have another program threshold voltage in a program voltage domain.

3. The Flash memory device of claim 1, wherein the erase voltage domain includes threshold voltages that are negative and the program voltage domain includes threshold voltages that are positive.

4. The Flash memory device of claim 1, wherein the erase voltage domain includes threshold voltages that are positive and the program voltage domain includes threshold voltages that are negative.

5. The Flash memory device of claim 3, wherein each memory cell stores N bits of data corresponding to 2^N threshold voltages, where N is an integer value of at least 2.

6. The Flash memory device of claim 5, wherein a first portion of the 2^N threshold voltages are in the erase voltage domain, and a second portion of the 2^N threshold voltages are in the program voltage domain.

7. The Flash memory device of claim 6, wherein one of the first portion of the 2^N threshold voltages corresponds to the erase threshold voltage.

8. The Flash memory device of claim 7, wherein the first portion includes half of the of the 2^N threshold voltages.

9. The Flash memory device of claim 8, wherein the first portion includes more than half of the 2^N threshold voltages.

10. The Flash memory device of claim 8, wherein the first portion includes less than half of the 2^N threshold voltages.

11. A method for storing data in a flash memory cell comprising:

erasing the flash memory cell to have an erased state in an erase voltage domain; and

,

programming the flash memory cell to have any one of a first portion of programmed states distinct from the erased state in the erase voltage domain and a second portion programmed states in a program voltage domain.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the flash memory cell stores any one of 2^N states, where N is an integer value of at least 2.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein half of the 2^N states in the erase voltage domain include the first portion of programmed states and the erased state.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein more than half of the 2^N states in the erase voltage domain include the first portion of programmed states and the erased state.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein less than half of the 2^N states in the erase voltage domain include the first portion of programmed states and the erased state.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein programming includes driving a wordline connected to the flash memory cell with a programming voltage for changing an erase threshold voltage corresponding to the erase state to a program threshold voltage corresponding to any one of the first portion of programmed states and the second portion of programmed states.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the erase voltage domain includes threshold voltages that are negative and the program voltage domain includes threshold voltages that are positive.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of erasing includes verifying the erased state of the flash memory cell by

precharging a bitline connected to the Flash memory cell to a voltage level,

driving a wordline connected to the Flash memory cell with a reference voltage in the erase voltage domain, and

sensing a change in the voltage level of the bitline.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein programming includes programming the flash memory cell to one of the first portion of programmed states, and the step of programming further includes verifying the one of the first portion of programmed states by

precharging a bitline connected to the Flash memory cell to a voltage level,

driving the wordline connected to the Flash memory cell with a reference voltage in the erase voltage domain, and

sensing a change in the voltage level of the bitline when the flash memory cell conducts current in response to the reference voltage.