Semiconductor Device Program Operation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
In nonvolatile memory devices, the repeated program voltage apply and verify operations lead to channel potential decreases, necessitating a method to efficiently increase channel potentials before each program voltage apply operation to improve threshold voltage distributions during program operations.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device and method that apply a precharge voltage to a common source line and a turn-on voltage to select source select lines, with the number of source select lines determined by a program loop count relative to reference count values, to optimize the program operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If precharge voltage is applied to common source line in every program loop, then channel potential is increased, but operation time is increased
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of applying precharge voltage to all source select lines in every program loop, the patent applies precharge voltage selectively to only those source select lines that require it, based on the current program loop count. This partial action approach maintains necessary channel potentials while reducing unnecessary precharge operations that consume time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts the precharge operation by determining the number of source select lines to precharge based on the program loop count. The precharge behavior changes adaptively throughout the programming process, applying precharge to more lines in later loops when needed, and fewer lines in earlier loops when not needed, optimizing the balance between potential maintenance and time efficiency.
2Device complexity
If number of source select lines with turn-on voltage is fixed, then device complexity is reduced, but threshold voltage distribution is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adjustment of the number of source select lines receiving turn-on voltage based on program loop count. The controller determines adaptively how many source select lines should be activated in each program loop, allowing optimization of threshold voltage distribution without requiring complex fixed control logic for every possible scenario.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of turn-on voltage application by adjusting the number of activated source select lines according to the program loop count. This parameter adjustment allows the system to optimize performance at different stages of programming, improving threshold voltage distribution while maintaining manageable device complexity through a systematic adjustment rule.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided herein is a semiconductor device and a method of operating the same. The semiconductor device includes first to n-th memory cell string groups, each including a plurality of memory cell strings, a peripheral circuit configured to sequentially perform program operations, each including a plurality of program loops, on the first to n-th memory cell string groups, and a program operation controller configured to control the peripheral circuit to apply a precharge voltage to a common source line and apply a turn-on voltage to one or more of a plurality of source select lines coupled to the first to n-th memory cell string groups in any one of the plurality of program loops, wherein a number of one or more source select lines to which the turn-on voltage is to be applied is determined based on a program loop count corresponding to of the one program loop.