# US 12,119,066 B2 · Flash memory device having multi-stack structure and channel separation method thereof

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- Number: US 12,119,066 B2
- Document ID: US12119066B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/982,081
- Filed: 2022-11-07
- Published: 2023-05-11
- Granted: 2024-10-15
- Earliest claimed: 2021-11-10
- Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Hyebin Kim; Yohan Lee; Ho-Jun Lee
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12119066B2

## CPC

- G11C 16/0483: {comprising cells having several storage transistors connected in series}
- G11C 16/102: {External programming circuits, e.g. EPROM programmers; In-circuit programming or reprogramming; EPROM emulators}
- G11C 16/08: Address circuits; Decoders; Word-line control circuits
- G11C 16/12: Programming voltage switching circuits
- G11C 16/3427: {Circuits or methods to prevent or reduce disturbance of the state of a memory cell when neighbouring cells are read or written}
- H10B 43/27: the channels comprising vertical portions, e.g. U-shaped channels
- G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B)
- H10B: ELECTRONIC MEMORY DEVICES

## Abstract

A flash memory device is provided. The flash memory device includes: a first memory cell; a second memory cell on the first memory cell; and a third memory cell between the first memory cell and the second memory cell. The first memory cell, the second memory cell and the third memory cell share a channel. The third memory cell is configured to block channel sharing between the first memory cell and the second memory cell based on a channel separation voltage provided in first to k-th program loops. The third memory cell is configured to connect the channel sharing between the first memory cell and the second memory cell based on a channel connection voltage provided to the third memory cell in a (k+1)-th program loop.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A flash memory device comprising:
a first memory cell;
a second memory cell on the first memory cell; and
a third memory cell between the first memory cell and the second memory cell,
wherein the first memory cell, the second memory cell and the third memory cell share a channel,
wherein the third memory cell is configured to block channel sharing between the first memory cell and the second memory cell based on a channel separation voltage provided in first to k-th program loops, and
wherein the third memory cell is configured to connect the channel sharing between the first memory cell and the second memory cell based on a channel connection voltage provided to the third memory cell in a (k+1)-th program loop.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The flash memory device of claim 1, wherein the first memory cell and the second memory cell are provided in a common stack.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The flash memory device of claim 2, wherein the first memory cell is programmed after the second memory cell is programmed.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The flash memory device of claim 2, wherein the second memory cell is programmed after the first memory cell is programmed.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The flash memory device of claim 1, wherein the first memory cell and the second memory cell are provided in different stacks.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The flash memory device of claim 5, wherein the third memory cell and the first memory cell are provided in a common stack.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The flash memory device of claim 6, further comprising:
a fourth memory cell sharing the channel, wherein a program voltage is provided to the fourth memory cell during a program operation; and
a fifth memory cell sharing the channel, wherein a pass voltage is provided to the fifth memory cell during the program operation,
wherein, in the first to k-th program loops, the channel separation voltage is provided to the third memory cell before the pass voltage is provided to the fifth memory cell.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The flash memory device of claim 7, wherein the channel separation voltage provided to the third memory cell is recovered after the pass voltage provided to the fifth memory cell is recovered.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The flash memory device of claim 6, further comprising:
a fourth memory cell sharing the channel, wherein a program voltage is provided to the fourth memory cell during a program operation; and
a fifth memory cell sharing the channel,
wherein the program voltage is provided to the fifth memory cell after the fourth memory cell is programmed, and
wherein the fifth memory cell is closer to a substrate of the flash memory device than the fourth memory cell.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The flash memory device of claim 6, further comprising:
a fourth memory cell sharing the channel, wherein a program voltage is provided to the fourth memory cell during a program operation; and
a fifth memory cell sharing the channel,
wherein the program voltage is provided to the fifth memory cell after the fourth memory cell is programmed, and
wherein the fifth memory cell is farther from a substrate of the flash memory device than the fourth memory cell.

### Claim 11

A flash memory device comprising:
a first word line connected with a first memory cell;
a second word line connected with a second memory cell on the first memory cell; and
a third word line connected with a third memory cell between the first memory cell and the second memory cell,
wherein the first memory cell, the second memory cell and the third memory cell share a channel, and
wherein regions of the channel are classified depending on a location of the second word line, and a channel separation voltage or a channel connection voltage is provided to the third word line depending on a number of program loops, which is differently determined depending on the regions.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The flash memory device of claim 11, wherein the first memory cell and the second memory cell are provided in different stacks.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The flash memory device of claim 12, further comprising:
a fourth word line connected with a fourth memory cell sharing the channel; and
a fifth word line connected with a fifth memory cell sharing the channel,
wherein, while a program operation is performed on the fourth word line, a first point in time when the channel separation voltage is provided to the third memory cell is earlier than a second point in time when a pass voltage is provided to the fifth memory cell, and a third point in time when the channel connection voltage is provided to the third memory cell after the channel separation voltage is provided to the third memory cell is later than a fourth point in time when the pass voltage is recovered after the pass voltage is provided to the fifth memory cell.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The flash memory device of claim 12, further comprising:
a fourth word line connected with a fourth memory cell sharing the channel, wherein a program voltage is provided to the fourth memory cell during a program operation; and
a fifth word line connected with a fifth memory cell sharing the channel,
wherein the program voltage is provided to the fifth memory cell after the fourth memory cell is programmed, and
wherein the fifth word line is closer to a substrate of the flash memory device than the fourth word line.

### Claim 15 (depends on 12)

The flash memory device of claim 12, further comprising:
a fourth word line connected with a fourth memory cell sharing the channel, wherein a program voltage is provided to the fourth memory cell during a program operation; and
a fifth word line connected with a fifth memory cell sharing the channel,
wherein the program voltage is provided to the fifth memory cell after the fourth memory cell is programmed, and
wherein the fifth word line is farther from a substrate of the flash memory device than the fourth word line.

### Claim 16

A channel separation method of a flash memory device which includes a first stack including first memory cells, and a second stack including second memory cells provided on the first stack, the channel separation method comprising:
defining a plurality of regions depending on channel diameters of the second memory cells;
determining whether a program loop associated with a memory cell selected from the second memory cells reaches a specific program loop; and
controlling channel connection or channel separation between the first stack and the second stack depending on a number of program loops,
wherein the controlling the channel connection or the channel separation is differently determined for each of the plurality of regions.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The channel separation method of claim 16, wherein programming progresses from the second stack to the first stack.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The channel separation method of claim 16, wherein programming progresses toward a substrate of the flash memory device or away from the substrate, based on a selected memory cell among the second memory cells.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The channel separation method of claim 16, wherein the channel separation between the first stack and the second stack is made by providing a separation voltage to at least one memory cell provided at a junction of the first stack and the second stack.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The channel separation method of claim 19, further comprising providing a precharge voltage to a common source line before providing the separation voltage.