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US 7,925,820 B2Granted
Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device and program method therefor
AssigneeSamsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
InventorJae-Woo Im
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device and a program method are provided in an embodiment. Data is scanned to search data bits to be selectively programmed. The searched data bits are simultaneously programmed according to a predetermined number. Since data scanning and programming are conducted using a pipeline processing, an average time required for programming data is effectively shortened.
Claims21
A program method for a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, comprising the steps of:
- scanning data to be programmed to a memory cell array of the nonvolatile semiconductor memory device to select a first group of data bits to be programmed;
- programming the first group of data bits to the memory cell array when a maximum number of scanned data bits that can be programmed simultaneously is reached;
- and
- scanning a subsequent data to be written to the memory cell array to select a second group of data bits to be programmed while the selected first group of data bits that was previously scanned are programmed, wherein the nonvolatile semiconductor memory device is a flash memory and the first group of data bits and the second group of data bits are data bits with values of “0”.
1 more element
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device comprising:
- a data scanning unit to scan data to be programmed to a memory cell array of the nonvolatile semiconductor memory device and to select first data bits to be programmed, the data scanning unit configured to scan and select second subsequent data bits to be programmed while the scanned first data bits are programmed;
- and
- a write driver to program the scanned first and second subsequent data bits to the memory cell array when a maximum number of bits scanned that can be programmed simultaneously is reached, the write driver receiving and storing the scanned first and second subsequent data bits, wherein the nonvolatile semiconductor memory device is a flash memory and the first data bits and the second subsequent data bits are data bits with values of “0”.
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device comprising:
- a data scanning unit to scan data to be programmed to a memory cell array to select first data bits to be programmed, the data scanning unit scanning subsequent data bits to be programmed while the first data bits are programmed;
- a write driver to program the scanned first and subsequent data bits to the memory cell array when a maximum number of bits scanned that can be programmed simultaneously is reached for the respective first and subsequent data bits and to receive and store the scanned first and subsequent data bits;
- an input/output buffer to store the data to be written and to provide to the data scanning unit the data to be written;
- and
- a control logic to control data input/output to/from the write driver and the data scanning unit, wherein the nonvolatile semiconductor memory device is a flash memory and the first and subsequent data bits are data bits with values of “0”.
2 more elements
A scan termination indication circuit for indicating termination of bit scanning of selected data bits scanned from data to be programmed to a memory cell array in a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, comprising:
- a data scanning unit to scan data to be programmed to a memory cell array to select first data bits to be programmed, the data scanning unit scanning subsequent data bits to be programmed while the first data bits are programmed;
- a counting unit for counting data bits to be programmed;
- a write driver to program the scanned first and subsequent data bits to the memory cell array when a maximum number of bits scanned that can be programmed simultaneously is reached for the respective first and subsequent data bits and to receive and store the scanned first and subsequent data bits;
- and a comparison unit for providing a scan termination signal that indicates when the number of counted data bits has attained an externally controllable program bit number, wherein the nonvolatile semiconductor memory device is a flash memory and the selected data bits are non-erase state data bits.
1 more element
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device comprising:
- a data scanning unit to scan a first group of data bits to be programmed among input data bits, the data scanning unit scanning subsequent data bits to be programmed while the scanned first group of data bits are programmed;
- a write driver to program scanned data bits to the memory cell array when a maximum number of bits scanned that can be programmed simultaneously is reached and to store the scanned data bits;
- and
- a scan termination indication circuit for indicating a termination of bit scanning of data bits to be programmed, for counting the data bits to be programmed, and for providing a scan termination signal used to control the programming, wherein the scan termination signal indicates that the number of counted data bits has attained an externally controllable program bit number, and wherein the nonvolatile semiconductor memory device is a flash memory and the first group of data bits and the subsequent data bits are data bits with values of “0”.
1 more element
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device comprising:
- a data scanning unit to scan data to be programmed to a memory cell array to select and count a first group of data bits to be programmed, wherein scanned and counted subsequent data bits to be programmed are scanned while the scanned and counted first group of data bits are programmed;
- a write driver to program the scanned and counted data bits to the memory cell array when a maximum number of bits scanned that can be programmed simultaneously is reached, and to receive and store the scanned and counted data bits;
- and
- a scan termination indication circuit for indicating a termination of bit scanning of the data bits to be programmed, the scan termination indication circuit providing a scan termination signal used to control the programming and indicating when the number of counted data bits attains an externally controllable simultaneous program bit number, the simultaneous program bit number being able to be externally controlled, wherein the nonvolatile semiconductor memory device is a flash memory and the first group of data bits and the subsequent data bits are data bits with values of “0”.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.