Method for kink compensation in a memory

A method for kink compensation in a memory, comprising:

• determining, after application of a particular programming pulse, a number of memory cells affected by kink;
• and
• if the determined number is greater than or equal to a threshold number, adjusting a programming pulse step voltage magnitude to be used for a programming pulse to be applied after the particular programming pulse,
• wherein determining the number of memory cells affected by kink comprises determining a number of columns of memory cells affected by kink.

A method for kink compensation in a memory, comprising:

• determining, after application of a particular programming pulse, a number of memory cells affected by kink;
• and
• if the determined number is greater than or equal to a threshold number, adjusting a programming pulse step voltage magnitude to be used for a programming pulse to be applied after the particular programming pulse,
• wherein the threshold number is a pre-determined number of columns of memory cells,
• wherein the threshold number is determined based on error correction capabilities of the memory, and
• wherein the threshold number is greater than the number of errors that can be corrected by error-correcting code (ECC) associated with the memory.

A method for kink compensation in a memory, comprising:

• determining, after application of a particular programming pulse, a number of memory cells affected by kink;
• and
• if the determined number is greater than or equal to a threshold number, adjusting a programming pulse step voltage magnitude to be used for a programming pulse to be applied after the particular programming pulse,
• wherein the programming pulse step voltage magnitude for the next programming pulse is less than a programming pulse step voltage magnitude used to arrive at the particular programming pulse.

A method for kink compensation in a memory, comprising:

• applying a programming pulse to program a memory cell to a voltage range greater than or equal to a pre-program verify voltage, the range having a portion less than a program verify voltage;
• determining whether, after application of the programming pulse, a number of memory cells affected by kink is at least a threshold number;
• and
• adjusting to compensate for kink a next programming pulse after the programming pulse,
• wherein determining the number of memory cells affected by kink includes determining that a number of columns of memory cells affected by kink is greater than or equal to the threshold number.

A memory device with kink compensation, comprising:

• an array of memory cells;
• at least one page buffer configured to detect a number of columns of memory cells affected by kink;
• and
• a control circuitry coupled to the array of memory cells and the page buffer, and configured to:
• determine whether a number of columns of memory cells affected by kink is at least a threshold number;
• and
• if the number of columns affected by kink is at least the threshold number, adjust a number of programming pulse step voltage magnitudes when programming a memory cell that has a threshold voltage greater than or equal to a pre-program verify voltage level and less than a program verify voltage level associated with a desired program state,
• wherein the threshold number is based on a number of errors correctable by the memory device.

A method for kink compensation in a memory, comprising:

• applying a programming pulse to program a memory cell to a voltage range greater than or equal to a pre-program verify voltage, the range having a portion less than a program verify voltage;
• determining whether, after application of the programming pulse, a number of memory cells affected by kink is at least a threshold number;
• and
• adjusting to compensate for kink a next programming pulse after the programming pulse,
• wherein adjusting the next programming pulse after the programming pulse to compensate for kink includes adjusting the next programming pulse step voltage magnitude to be less than the step voltage magnitude of the programming pulse.