Abstract:
With the proposed page buffer, noise or eventual voltage surges on the source line do not cause fails of program operations and it is finally made possible to store a bit to be written in a cell of a page of the memory device while a program operation is in progress on a different page with the fullest reliability. The cache latch is isolated from the source line during program operations and during program-verify operations. Moreover, the main latch and the cache latch are not directly connected, but are coupled through a temporary latch that is used for transferring data from the cache latch to the main latch. Eventual noise or voltage surges present on the source line of a selected bitline cannot flip the bit stored in the cache latch because the cache latch is not connected to the source line during a program or program-verify operations, but the bit stored therein is transferred to the source line through a temporary latch.
Abstract:
A method of programming cells of a destination page of a nonvolatile memory and verifying whether logic values stored in programmed cells of a source page of the same memory have been correctly copied into corresponding cells of the destination page, exploits both the fast but inadequate-at-times Global Verify operation and, if the Global Verify operation fails for a certain number of attempts, the Byte-by-byte Verify operation, which is slower but accurate.
Abstract:
It is describes a basic stage for a charge pump circuit having at least an input terminal (UP) and an output terminal (DOWN) and comprising:
at least a first inverter inserted between said input and output terminals (UP, DOWN) and comprising a first complementary pair of transistors (MP1, MN1), defining a first internal node (XL), at least a second inverter inserted between said input and output terminals (UP, DOWN) and comprising a second complementary pair of transistors (MP2, MN2), defining a second internal node (XR), respective first and second capacitors (CL, CR) connected to said first and second internal nodes (XL, XR) and receiving a first and second driving signals (CK, CK_N); the first (MP1, MN1) and second (MP2, MN2) pairs of transistors having the control terminals cross-connected to the second (XR) and first (XL) internal node. Advantageously according to the invention, the basic stage comprises at least a first biasing structure (12) connected to the first and second internal nodes (XL, XR) and comprising a first (MN3) and second (MN4) biasing transistors, which are respectively coupled to said first and second inverters.
Abstract:
The programming method includes the following steps: sequentially receiving (23, 27) a plurality of data words; temporarily storing (24, 29) each data word after its reception; and simultaneously writing (31, 35) in parallel the plurality of stored data words in a memory array. After reception and temporary storage of each data word, the memory increments (25) an address counter and sends a "ready" signal (26). Upon reception of each new data word (27), the memory verifies whether the address associated thereto is in the same sector as the initial data word (28) and whether n data words have already been stored (30). If the sector is different, blind-programming step is terminated (35, 36) and the verifying is carried out (37); if the sector is the same but n data words have already been stored temporarily, the memory writes the temporarily stored words in the memory array (31), updates the address counter (25), and then sends the "ready" signal (26).