System and method for programming cells in non-volatile...

Static information storage and retrieval – Floating gate – Multiple values

Reexamination Certificate

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

C365S185240

Reexamination Certificate

active

07630237

ABSTRACT:
A system and method for quickly and efficiently programming hard-to-program storage elements in non-volatile integrated memory devices is presented. A number of storage elements are simultaneously subjected to a programming process with the current flowing through the storage elements limited to a first level. As a portion of these storage elements reach a prescribed state, they are removed from the set of cells being programmed and the current limit on the elements that continue to be programmed is raised. The current level in these hard-to-program cells can be raised to a second, higher limit or unregulated. According to another aspect, during a program operation the current limit allowed for a cell depends upon the target state to which it is to be programmed.

REFERENCES:
patent: 5177706 (1993-01-01), Shinohara et al.
patent: 5412601 (1995-05-01), Sawada et al.
patent: 5469384 (1995-11-01), Lacey
patent: 5521865 (1996-05-01), Ohuchi et al.
patent: 5537350 (1996-07-01), Larsen et al.
patent: 5553020 (1996-09-01), Keeney et al.
patent: 5570315 (1996-10-01), Tanaka et al.
patent: 5652719 (1997-07-01), Tanaka et al.
patent: 5867427 (1999-02-01), Sato
patent: 5870334 (1999-02-01), Hemink et al.
patent: 5870335 (1999-02-01), Khan et al.
patent: 5946236 (1999-08-01), Kajitani
patent: 5949714 (1999-09-01), Hemink et al.
patent: 5969985 (1999-10-01), Tanaka et al.
patent: 6028790 (2000-02-01), Lin et al.
patent: 6038174 (2000-03-01), Khan et al.
patent: 6044013 (2000-03-01), Tanaka et al.
patent: 6044019 (2000-03-01), Cernea et al.
patent: 6097639 (2000-08-01), Choi et al.
patent: 6134140 (2000-10-01), Tanaka et al.
patent: 6134141 (2000-10-01), Wong
patent: 6181599 (2001-01-01), Gongwer
patent: 6208560 (2001-03-01), Tanaka et al.
patent: 6219279 (2001-04-01), Manolescu et al.
patent: 6222762 (2001-04-01), Guterman et al.
patent: 6259627 (2001-07-01), Wong
patent: 6266270 (2001-07-01), Nobukata
patent: 6282117 (2001-08-01), Tanaka et al.
patent: 6285598 (2001-09-01), Khan et al.
patent: 6363010 (2002-03-01), Tanaka et al.
patent: 6373746 (2002-04-01), Takeuchi et al.
patent: 6434055 (2002-08-01), Tanaka et al.
patent: 6515923 (2003-02-01), Cleeves
patent: 6545909 (2003-04-01), Tanaka et al.
patent: 6549464 (2003-04-01), Tanaka et al.
patent: 6556475 (2003-04-01), Yamazaki et al.
patent: 6798698 (2004-09-01), Tanaka et al.
patent: 6845039 (2005-01-01), Chen et al.
patent: 6853584 (2005-02-01), Nguyen et al.
patent: 6856551 (2005-02-01), Mokhlesi et al.
patent: 2002/0118574 (2002-08-01), Gongwer et al.
patent: 2005/0013169 (2005-01-01), Tanaka et al.
patent: 2005/0219896 (2005-10-01), Chen et al.
patent: 0 373 830 (1990-06-01), None
patent: 0 764 953 (1997-03-01), None
patent: 1 018 747 (2000-07-01), None
patent: 1 246 196 (2002-10-01), None
patent: 1 450 373 (2004-08-01), None
patent: H10-106276 (1998-04-01), None
patent: H10-275480 (1998-10-01), None
patent: H10-275486 (1998-10-01), None
patent: 2001-501013 (2001-01-01), None
patent: 2004053882 (2004-06-01), None
patent: WO 2004/072981 (2004-08-01), None
patent: 2004114316 (2004-12-01), None
Office Action for U.S. Appl. No. 11/029,526 mailed Aug. 8, 2005, 6 pages.
Written Opinion of the International Searching Authority for SanDisk Corporation, International Application No. PCT/US2004/003184 mailed Sep. 7, 2005, 6 pages.
Nobukata et al., “A 144Mb 8-Level NAND Flash Memory with Optimized Pulse Width Programming”1999 Symposium on VLSI Circuits Digest of Technical Papers, pp. 39-40.
Johnson et aL, “THPM 12.6: A 6Kb Electrically Erasable Nonvolatile Memory,”International Solid State Circuits Conference, Feb. 14, 1980, pp. 152-153, 271.
Ohkawa et al., “A 98mm23.3V 64Mb Flash Memory with FN-NOR Type 4-Level Cell,”IEEE International Solid State Circuits Conference, Session 2, Flash Memory, Paper TP 2.3, 1996, 36-37.
Notification of Transmittal of the International Search Report and the Written Opinion of the International Searching Authority, or the Declaration, in corresponding PCT/US2006/028278, dated Nov. 9, 2006, 10 pages.
Office Action, Chinese Application No. 200480007016.x mailed Apr. 9, 2008, 6 pages.
Office Action, European Application No. 04 708 169.0 mailed Apr. 14, 2008, 2 pages.
Notification of Reasons for Refusal, Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-503314, dated Jul. 28, 2009, 5 pages.

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for the USA inventors and patents. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

System and method for programming cells in non-volatile... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with System and method for programming cells in non-volatile..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and System and method for programming cells in non-volatile... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-4134076

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.