Nonvolatile memory device and memory system including the same
AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
InventorsTaehyun Kim, Youngcho Kim, Youngsun Min, Sungwhan Seo
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Abstract
A nonvolatile memory device includes a memory cell array; and a high voltage generator arranged to generate a high voltage to be supplied to the memory cell array. The high voltage generator includes a pump unit block having a plurality of pump units supplied with an external voltage and at least one of the pumps is engaged in pumping the external voltage to a higher, output, voltage, at a steady clock rate. The number of pumps engaged in pumping is increased until a predetermined period has elapsed. The rate at which the number of pumps is increased depends upon the value of the external voltage.
Claims20
A nonvolatile memory device, comprising:
- a memory cell array;
- and
- a high voltage generator arranged to generate a high voltage to be supplied to the memory cell array,
- wherein the high voltage generator includes:
- a pump unit block having a plurality of pump units supplied with an external voltage;
- a voltage increment control block arranged to generate a voltage increment code varied according to a fixed clock signal generated using an internal voltage;
- a regulator arranged to determine whether an output voltage of the pump unit block reaches a target level, based on the voltage increment code;
- and
- a final stage decision block arranged to generate a pump unit selection code varied according to a variable clock signal generated using the external voltage,
- wherein the number of pump units, used to generate the high voltage, from among the plurality of pump units is determined by the pump unit selection code.
A memory system, comprising:
- a nonvolatile memory device;
- and
- a memory controller arranged to control the nonvolatile memory device,
- wherein the nonvolatile memory device comprises a high voltage generator including:
- a pump unit block having a plurality of pump units supplied with an external voltage;
- a voltage increment control block arranged to generate a voltage increment code varied according to a fixed clock signal generated using an internal voltage;
- a regulator arranged to determine whether an output voltage of the pump unit block reaches a target level, based on the voltage increment code;
- and
- a final stage decision block arranged to generate a pump unit selection code varied according to a variable clock signal generated using the external voltage,
- wherein the number of pump units, used to generate the high voltage, from among the plurality of pump units is determined by the pump unit selection code.
A method of operating a nonvolatile memory device which includes a high voltage generator having a plurality of pump units serially connected, comprising:
- generating a first clock signal having a fixed period using an internal voltage and a second clock signal having a variable period using an external voltage;
- counting the second clock signal to generate a pump unit selection code for deciding the number of pump units of the high voltage generator participating in generation of a high voltage;
- and
- generating a count end signal when a count value of the first clock signal reaches a particular value,
- wherein counting of the second clock signal is ended by an activation of the count end signal.
A method of supplying a high voltage to a nonvolatile memory device, comprising:
- engaging a pump from a sequentially-connected group of pumps to pump a pumping voltage to a higher level output voltage;
- pumping a higher voltage output at a steady clock rate;
- and
- increasing the number of pumps engaged in pumping action until a predetermined period has elapsed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.