Abstract:
The controlled erase method includes supplying (40) at least one erase pulse to cells (3) of a memory array (2); comparing (53) the threshold voltage of the erased cells with a low threshold value; selectively soft-programming (62) the erased cells which have a threshold voltage lower than the low threshold value; and verifying (42) whether the erased cells have a threshold voltage lower than a high threshold value, which is higher than the low threshold value. If at least one predetermined number of erased cells has a threshold voltage which is higher than the high threshold value, an erase pulse is applied (44) to all the cells and the steps of comparing, selectively soft-programming and verifying are repeated.
Abstract:
Circuit for erasing and rewriting blocks of memory cells and particularly of analog flash cells, characterized in that it comprises at least one row decoding circuit (5, 7) comprising at least two adder blocks (31), suitable to generate a row address signal (32), at least two decoder blocks (33), suitable to generate respective pluralities of signals (34, 35, 36, 37; 42, 43, 44, 45) identifying a respective sector of memory to be enabled, at least two shifter blocks (38), suitable to generate an address signal (48, 49) of another row to be enabled, at least two OR logic blocks (39), suitable to generate respective signals (40; 41) serving the purpose to simultaneously enable at least two rows of the memory matrix (1).
Abstract:
Described herein is a method for storing a datum in a first and a second memory cells of a nonvolatile memory. The storage method envisages programming the first and second memory cells in a differential way, by setting a first threshold voltage in the first memory cell and a second threshold voltage different from the first threshold voltage in the second memory cell, the difference between the threshold voltages of the two memory cells representing a datum stored in the memory cells themselves.
Abstract:
The reading device (1) comprises an A/D converter (8) of n+m bits receiving an input signal (V1) correlated to the threshold voltage (VTH) of the memory cell (2), and supplying a binary output word (WT) of n+m bits. The A/D converter (8) is of a double conversion stage type (8), wherein a first A/D conversion stage (10) carries out a first analog/digital conversion of the input signal (V1), to supply at the output a first intermediate binary word (W1) of n bits, and the second A/D conversion stage (16) can be activated selectively to carry out a second analog/digital conversion of a difference signal (VD) correlated to the difference between the input signal (V1) and the value of the first intermediate binary word (W1). The second A/D conversion stage (16) generates at the output a second intermediate binary word (W2) of m bits supplied, with the first intermediate binary word (W1), to an adder (20) generating the binary output word (WT) of n+m bits.