# US 11,309,043 B2 · Memory device and controlling method thereof

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- Number: US 11,309,043 B2
- Document ID: US11309043B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/082,591
- Filed: 2020-10-28
- Published: 2021-12-16
- Granted: 2022-04-19
- Earliest claimed: 2020-06-16
- Assignees: SK hynix Inc.
- Applicants: SK hynix Inc.
- Inventors: Hyung Jin Choi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11309043B2

## CPC

- G11C 16/3459: {Circuits or methods to verify correct programming of nonvolatile memory cells}
- G11C 7/106: {Data output latches}
- G11C 7/1087: {Data input latches}
- G11C 11/5628: {Programming or writing circuits; Data input circuits}
- G11C 16/08: Address circuits; Decoders; Word-line control circuits
- G11C 16/10: Programming or data input circuits
- G11C 16/26: Sensing or reading circuits; Data output circuits
- G11C 16/30: Power supply circuits
- G11C 2211/5642: Multilevel memory with buffers, latches, registers at input or output
- G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B)

## Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a memory device may include a plurality of memory cells coupled to a selected word line and to be programmed to one of first to n-th program states distinguished from each other based on threshold voltages thereof, a sensing latch storing data sensed from a bit line coupled to one memory cell, a pre-latch storing pre-verify information and a plurality of data latches storing data to be stored in the one memory cell, wherein at least one data latch stores main verify information on the main verify voltage during verify operations for the first program state to a threshold program state among the first to n-th program states until the verify operation for the threshold program state passes, and wherein the pre-latch stores the main verify information on the n-th program state after the verify operation for the threshold program state passes.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A memory device comprising:
a plurality of memory cells coupled to a selected word line and to be programmed to one of first to n-th program states distinguished from each other based on threshold voltages thereof, where n is a natural number greater than 1;
a sensing latch storing data sensed from a bit line coupled to one memory cell among the plurality of memory cells;
a pre-latch storing pre-verify information indicating whether or not to apply a pre-verify voltage having a lower potential level than a main verify voltage to the selected word line during verify operations for the first to n-th program states; and
a plurality of data latches storing data to be stored in the one memory cell,
wherein at least one data latch among the plurality of data latches stores main verify information on the main verify voltage during verify operations for the first program state to a threshold program state among the first to n-th program states until the verify operation for the threshold program state passes, and
wherein the pre-latch stores the main verify information on the n-th program state after the verify operation for the threshold program state passes.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The memory device of claim 1, further comprising:
a program state determiner determining whether a threshold voltage of the one memory cell has reached the threshold program state; and
a page buffer controller moving data between the plurality of data latches.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The memory device of claim 2, wherein the page buffer controller moves data stored in a data latch receiving data from an external device, among the plurality of data latches, to another data latch when the verify operation for the threshold program state passes.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The memory device of claim 2, wherein the page buffer controller moves the main verify information stored in one of the plurality of data latches to the pre-latch when the verify operation for the threshold program state passes.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The memory device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of data latches store subsequent data to be stored in a subsequent memory cell selected after the one memory cell after the verify operation for the threshold program state passes.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The memory device of claim 5, wherein the subsequent data is programmed to the subsequent memory cell when the verify operation for the n-th program state passes.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The memory device of claim 1, wherein the threshold program state is an (n−1)th program state among the first to n-th program states.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The memory device of claim 1, wherein one data latch, among the plurality of data latches, is a cache latch receiving data from a memory controller controlling the memory device.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The memory device of claim 1,
wherein the plurality of memory cells are to be programmed to one of the first to n-th program states through a plurality of program loops, and
wherein each of the plurality of program loop includes a pre-charge period for pre-charging a bit line coupled to the one memory cell and a sensing period for sensing a potential of the bit line.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The memory device of claim 9, wherein the sensing latch stores pre-charge data for determining a potential to which the bit line is to be pre-charged in the pre-charge period.

### Claim 11

A memory device, comprising:
a plurality of memory cells coupled to a selected word line and to be programmed to one of first to n-th program states distinguished from each other based on threshold voltages thereof, where n is a natural number greater than 1;
a sensing latch storing data sensed from a bit line coupled to one memory cell among the plurality of memory cells;
a pre-latch storing pre-verify information indicating whether or not to apply a pre-verify voltage having a lower potential level than a main verify voltage to the selected word line during verify operations for the first to n-th program states;
a plurality of data latches storing data to be stored in the one memory cell; and
a control logic storing, in at least one data latch among the plurality of data latches, main verify information on the main verify voltage during verify operations for the first program state to a threshold program state among the first to n-th program states until the verify operation for the threshold program state passes and storing, in the pre-latch, the main verify information on the n-th program state after the verify operation for the threshold program state passes.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The memory device of claim 11, wherein the control logic moves data between the plurality of data latches and the pre-latch.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The memory device of claim 12, wherein the control logic moves data stored in a data latch receiving data from an external device, among the plurality of data latches, to another data latch when the verify operation for the threshold program state passes.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The memory device of claim 12, wherein the control logic moves the main verify information stored in one of the plurality of data latches to the pre-latch when the verify operation for the threshold program state passes.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The memory device of claim 11, wherein the control logic stores, in the plurality of data latches, subsequent data to be stored in a subsequent memory cell selected after the one memory cell after the verify operation for the threshold program state passes.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The memory device of claim 15, wherein the subsequent data is programmed to the subsequent memory cell when the verify operation for the n-th program state passes.

### Claim 17 (depends on 11)

The memory device of claim 11, wherein the threshold program state is an (n−1)th program state among the first to n-th program states.

### Claim 18 (depends on 11)

The memory device of claim 11, wherein at least one data latch, among the plurality of data latches, is a cache latch receiving data from a memory controller controlling the memory device.

### Claim 19 (depends on 11)

The memory device of claim 11,
wherein the plurality of memory cells are to be programmed to one of the first to n-th program states through a plurality of program loops, and
wherein each of the plurality of program loop includes a pre-charge period for pre-charging a bit line coupled to the one memory cell and a sensing period for sensing a potential of the bit line.

### Claim 20

An operating method of a memory device, the operating method comprising:
latching, in a pre-latch, pre-verify information on first to (n−1)th program states of memory cells during a pre-verify operation for the first to (n−1)th program states of the memory cells;
latching, in one or more data latches, main verify information on the first to (n−1)th program states until a main verify operation for the first to (n−1)th program states passes,
latching, in the pre-latch, the main verify information on the n-th program state during the main verify operation for the n-th program state without performing the pre-verify operation for the n-th program state after the main verify operation for the first to (n−1)th program states passes, and
pre-charging one or more bit lines coupled to the memory cells based on the main verify information latched in the pre-latch,
wherein the memory cells are coupled to a word line and to be programmed to the first to n-th program states.