# US 8,274,836 B2 · Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device and nonvolatile semiconductor memory system

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- Number: US 8,274,836 B2
- Document ID: US8274836B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/010,165
- Filed: 2011-01-20
- Published: 2011-08-04
- Granted: 2012-09-25
- Earliest claimed: 2010-01-29
- Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
- Inventors: Yoshikazu Harada; Norihiro Fujita; Masaki Fujiu
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8274836B2

## CPC

- G11C 16/06: Auxiliary circuits, e.g. for writing into memory
- G11C 11/5628: {Programming or writing circuits; Data input circuits}
- G11C 16/0483: {comprising cells having several storage transistors connected in series}
- G11C 16/3454: {Arrangements for verifying correct programming or for detecting overprogrammed cells}
- G11C 16/3459: {Circuits or methods to verify correct programming of nonvolatile memory cells}
- G11C 2211/5621: Multilevel programming verification
- G11C: STATIC STORES (semiconductor memory devices H10B)

## Abstract

A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device and a nonvolatile memory system having a unit which suppresses erroneous reading of a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device of a multi-level memory system are provided. In the nonvolatile semiconductor memory device and the nonvolatile memory system of the multi-level memory system, a first verify voltage is used when data is written before a packaging process, and the verify voltage is switched to a second verify voltage lower than the first verify voltage when data is written after the packaging process.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device comprising:
a memory cell array in which plural electrically rewritable nonvolatile memory cells are arranged;
a voltage generation unit which generates plural voltages including a writing voltage and a verify voltage each of which is applied to the nonvolatile memory cell; and
a control circuit which switches the verify voltage, wherein
a first verify voltage is used when writing is carried out to the nonvolatile memory cell before a thermal process, and
a second verify voltage lower than the first verify voltage is used when writing is carried out to the nonvolatile memory cell after the thermal process.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 1, wherein
plural threshold levels corresponding to plural written data are selectively set in the memory cell array,
the control circuit switches different verify voltages depending on the plural threshold levels, and
the control circuit controls amount of variation of the voltage upon switching between the first verify voltage and the second verify voltage so as to change depending on the plural threshold levels.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to claim 1, wherein
the first verify voltage and the second verify voltage are switched in the control circuit by an externally inputted command.

### Claim 4

A nonvolatile memory system comprising:
a memory cell array in which plural electrically rewritable nonvolatile memory cells are arranged;
a voltage generation unit which generates plural voltages including a writing voltage and a verify voltage each of which is applied to the nonvolatile memory cell;
a control circuit which switches the verify voltage; and
a controller which inputs an external signal into the memory cell array, wherein
a first verify voltage is used when writing is carried out to the nonvolatile memory cell before a thermal process, and
a second verify voltage lower than the first verify voltage is used when writing is carried out to the nonvolatile memory cell after the thermal process.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The nonvolatile memory system according to claim 4, wherein
the memory cell and the controller are electrically connected before the thermal process.