Semiconductor memory device and method of operating the same

• US 8,873,300 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2012
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.
• Original Assignee: SK Hynix Inc.
• Inventors: Kim, Tae Hoon
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Viet Q
• Application Number:
  US13/716,412
• Publication Number:
  US 20140063984A1
• Time in Patent Office: 680 Days
• Field of Search: 365/185.24, 365/185.18, 365/185.19, 365/185.03
• US Class Current: 365/185.24
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/56 using storage elements with more than two stable states represented by steps, e.g. of voltage, current, phase, frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 11/5628 Programming or writing circuits; Data input circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/00 Arrangements for writing information into, or reading information out from, a digital store G11C5/00 takes precedence; auxiliary circuits for stores using semiconductor devices G11C11/4063, G11C11/413

Abstract

A semiconductor memory device is provided. The semiconductor memory device includes memory cells having first to fourth middle states corresponding to different threshold voltage distributions. The semiconductor memory device also includes a peripheral circuit configured to perform a first program operation to program memory cells having the third and the fourth middle states to have four upper states and perform a second program operation to program memory cells having the first and the second middle states to have another four upper states.

Claims

1. A method of operating a semiconductor memory device including memory cells having a first to fourth middle states corresponding to different threshold voltage distributions, the method comprising:

performing a first sub program so that memory cells having the third and the fourth middle states have four upper states; and

performing a second sub program so that memory cells having the first and the second middle states have another four upper states.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first to the fourth middle states are defined in an order of a level of a corresponding threshold voltage distribution.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the another four upper states comprise a first to a fourth upper states, and the four upper states comprise a fifth to an eighth upper states; and

the first to the eighth upper states are defined in an order of a level of a corresponding threshold voltage distribution.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein performing the first sub program comprises programming the memory cells having the third middle state to have the fifth and the sixth upper states and programming memory cells having the fourth middle state to have the seventh and the eighth upper states.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

performing a third sub program to narrow the threshold voltage distribution of the fifth upper state.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein performing the second sub program comprises programming memory cells having the first middle state to have the first and the second upper states and programming memory cells having the second middle state to have the third and the fourth upper states.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the third middle state, the fourth middle state, the first middle state and the second middle state are defined in an order of a level of a corresponding threshold voltage distribution.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing a lower page program to program the memory cells to have a first and a second lower states; and

performing a middle page program to program the memory cells having the first and the second lower states to have the first to the fourth middle states.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein performing the lower page program comprises performing the lower page program when the memory cells have an erase state.

10. A semiconductor memory device comprising:

memory cells, the memory cells having first to fourth middle states corresponding to different threshold voltage distributions; and

a peripheral circuit configured to;

perform a first sub program operation to program memory cells having the third and the fourth middle states to have four upper states; and

perform a second sub program operation to program memory cells having the first and the second middle states to have another four upper states.

11. The semiconductor memory device of claim 10, wherein the first to the fourth middle states are defined in an order of a level of a corresponding threshold voltage distribution.

12. The semiconductor memory device of claim 11, wherein the another four upper states comprise first to fourth upper states, and the four upper states comprise fifth to eighth upper states,

and wherein the first to eighth upper states are defined in an order of a level of a corresponding threshold voltage distribution.

13. The semiconductor memory device of claim 12, wherein in the first sub program operation, the peripheral circuit is configured to program memory cells having the third middle state to have the fifth and the sixth upper states and to program memory cells having the fourth middle state to have the seventh and the eighth upper states.

14. The semiconductor memory device of claim 13, wherein the peripheral circuit is further configured to perform a third sub program operation for narrowing threshold voltage distribution of the fifth upper state.

15. The semiconductor memory device of claim 12, wherein in the second sub program operation, the peripheral circuit is configured to program memory cells having the first middle state to have the first and the second upper states and to program memory cells having the second middle state to have the third and the fourth upper states.

16. The semiconductor memory device of claim 10, wherein the peripheral circuit is further configured to perform a lower page program to program the memory cells to have first and second lower states.

17. The semiconductor memory device of claim 16, wherein the peripheral circuit is further configured to perform a middle page program to program the memory cells having the first and the second lower states to have the first to the fourth middle states.

18. The semiconductor memory device of claim 17, wherein the peripheral circuit performs the lower page program when the memory cells have an erase state.