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VSL-based VT-compensation and analog program scheme for NAND array without CSL

  • US 9,443,579 B2
  • Filed: 08/17/2015
  • Issued: 09/13/2016
  • Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2014
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A NAND memory array with BL-hierarchical structure for concurrent All-BL (ABL), All-Vtn-Program (AnP) and Alternate-WL (Alt-WL) program, Half-BL (HBL) Odd/Even program-verify and read operations, the NAND memory array comprising:

  • a NAND plane comprising N number of columns of NAND memory cells connected in series along a bitline (BL) direction, the N number of columns being cascaded one another along a wordline (WL) direction perpendicular to the BL-direction, the NAND plane being divided to J number of HG groups arranged in the BL-direction, each HG group including L number of MG groups, each MG group including J′

    number of LG groups, each LG group including H number of blocks, each block including N number of strings, each string including K number of NAND memory cells and a pair of string-select transistors respectively located in two ends of the string and a pair of dummy memory cells, wherein N, J, L, J′

    , H, and K are respectively selected from integers of 2 and greater based on memory chip design;

    a two-level bit line hierarchical structure comprising J rows of N number of first broken metal lines laid at a first level along the BL-direction connected by J−

    1 rows of N number of GBL-divide transistors as N global bit lines (GBLs) through the J HG groups for connecting N corresponding columns to a page buffer, and N number of second broken metal lines per each MG group laid at a second level below the first level along the BL-direction with all Even-numbered N/2 second broken metal lines being independently grounded and N number of third broken metal lines per each same MG group laid at a third level below the second level along the BL-direction with all Odd-numbered N/2 third broken metal lines being independently grounded and all N/2 Odd-numbered second broken metal lines and all N/2 Even-numbered third broken metal lines together forming N local bit lines (LBLs) respectively connected to N GBLs via N Y-pass devices, each of the N LBLs being divided to J′

    broken-LBLs by J′

    -1 rows of N number of LBL-divide transistors, each broken-LBL being associated with a LG group and configured to connect either a drain node of an Odd-numbered string as a local bit line or a source node of a neighboring Even-numbered string as a local source line in alternative manner through the H number of strings along the BL-direction in the LG group without a common source line laid in the WL-direction in each block for all N number of strings, each LBL forming an on-chip capacitor CMG with full electrical shielding at each of the second and third level;

    a row of N/2 number of Odd precharge transistors per each LG group having corresponding drain nodes coupled to respective N/2 Odd-numbered broken-LBLs and corresponding source nodes coupled to a common precharge power line laid at a fourth level below the third level along the WL-direction, and a row of N/2 number of Even precharge transistors per same LG group having corresponding drain nodes coupled to respective Even-numbered broken-LBLs and corresponding source nodes coupled to the common precharge power line, the common precharge power line being optionally connected to a medium-high voltage up to 7V or connected to ground or other voltages for discharging;

    wherein each row of N memory cells in any block forms a page and multiple pages in one or more selected LG groups are configured to perform multi-page concurrent All-BL (ABL), All-threshold-states-program (AnP), and Alternate-WL (Alt-WL) program operation with individual LBL program-voltage compensations in several program passes and to perform multi-page concurrent HBL Odd/Even program-verify and read operations in two cycles with option of applying individual source-line-voltage-based transistor threshold-level compensations for substantially reducing WL-WL and BL-BL coupling effects.

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