METHOD OF READING NONVOLATILE MEMORY DEVICE AND NONVOLATILE MEMORY DEVICE FOR IMPLEMENTING THE METHOD

• US 20100202196A1
• Filed: 12/28/2009
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Incorporated (SK Hynix Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hynix Semiconductor Incorporated (SK Hynix Inc.)
• Inventors: Lee, Sang Kyu, Chung, Seung Jae
• Granted Patent: US 8,154,919 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 365/185.20
• 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 16/34 Determination of programming status, e.g. threshold voltage, overprogramming or underprogramming, retention
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/3418 Disturbance prevention or evaluation; Refreshing of disturbed memory data
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/04 with means for avoiding disturbances due to temperature effects

Abstract

A nonvolatile memory device includes a read margin critical value calculation unit configured to calculate a critical value of a read margin between a read voltage and a threshold voltage of a specific cell, an interference value calculation unit configured to calculate an interference value affecting the threshold voltage of the specific cell, a comparison unit configured to compare the critical value and the interference value and to output a result of the comparison, and a data selection unit configured to output either first data, read from the specific cell using a first read voltage, or second data, read from the specific cell using a second read voltage, based on the result outputted from the comparison unit.

Claims

1. A nonvolatile memory device, comprising:

a read margin critical value calculation unit configured to calculate a critical value of a read margin between a read voltage and a threshold voltage of a specific cell;

an interference value calculation unit configured to calculate an interference value affecting the threshold voltage of the specific cell;

a comparison unit configured to compare the critical value and the interference value and to output a result of the comparison; and

a data selection unit configured to output either first data, read from the specific cell using a first read voltage, or second data, read from the specific cell using a second read voltage, based on the result outputted from the comparison unit.

2. The nonvolatile memory device of claim 1, wherein:

the first read voltage is a typical read voltage, and

the second read voltage is obtained by adjusting the first read voltage with the interference value.

3. The nonvolatile memory device of claim 2, wherein the second read voltage is obtained by adding a maximum value of the interference value to the first read voltage.

4. The nonvolatile memory device of claim 2, wherein the data selection unit is configured to output the first data when a result of the comparison indicates that the interference value is less than the critical value, and to output the second data when a result of the comparison indicates that the interference value is greater than or equal to the critical value.

5. The nonvolatile memory device of claim 1, wherein the interference value calculation unit comprises:

a coefficient memory configured to store an interference coefficient corresponding to interference occurring when program operations are performed on memory cells neighboring the specific cell;

a threshold voltage shift amount memory configured to store a shift amount of the threshold voltage of the specific cell when the program operations are performed on the neighboring memory cells;

a calculation unit configured to calculate a digital interference value using the interference coefficient and the shift amount; and

a digital/analog converter (DAC) configured to convert the digital interference value into an analog value, which is the interference value.

6. The nonvolatile memory device of claim 5, wherein the interference value calculation unit further comprises a temperature compensation processor configured to compensate for the analog value with a compensation ratio according to a detected temperature.

7. The nonvolatile memory device of claim 6, wherein the interference value calculation unit further comprises a temperature sensor for detecting a temperature.

8. A read method in a nonvolatile memory device, comprising:

calculating an interference value affecting a threshold voltage of a specific cell;

calculating a critical value of a read margin between a read voltage and the threshold voltage of the specific cell;

reading data stored in the specific cell using a first read voltage;

reading data stored in the specific cell using a second read voltage obtained by adjusting the first read voltage with the interference value; and

comparing the interference value and the critical value, and outputting first data, if the interference value is less than the critical value, or outputting second data, if the interference value is greater than or equal to the critical value.

9. The read method of claim 8, wherein the second read voltage is obtained by adding a maximum value of the interference value to the first read voltage.

10. The read method of claim 8, wherein calculating the interference value comprises:

storing an interference coefficient corresponding to interference occurring when program operations are performed on memory cells neighboring the specific cell; and

storing a shift amount of the threshold voltage of the specific cell when the program operations are performed on the neighboring memory cells.

11. The read method of claim 10, wherein calculating the interference value further comprises:

calculating a digital interference value using the interference coefficient and the shift amount; and

converting the digital interference value into an analog value, which is the interference value.

12. The read method of claim 10, further comprising adjusting the interference value with a compensation ratio according to a detected temperature.