Freescale Semiconductor,inc.

Mohammed Suhail

Gowrishankar L Chindalore

Frank Kelsey Baker, Jr

Ko-Min Chang

Erwin J Prinz

Peter J Kuhn

Testing a non volatile memory by exposing the non volatile memory to particle radiation (e.g. xenon ions) to emulate memory cell damage due to data state changing events of a non volatile memory cell. After the exposing, the memory cells are subjected to tests and the results of the tests are used to develop reliability indications of the non volatile memory. Integrated circuits with non volatile memories of the same design are provided. Reliability representations of the integrated circuits can be made with respect to a number of data state charging events based on the exposure and subsequent tests.

Method for simulating long-term performance of a non-volatile memory by exposing the non-volatile memory to heavy-ion radiation

A memory system including non-volatile memory cells. The memory system includes program circuitry that programs cells to a first threshold voltage or a second threshold voltage based on the number of times that cells of the memory system have been erased. In one embodiment, the threshold voltage is reduced when any set of cells of the memory system have been erased a specific number of times.

Method of programming a non-volatile memory

An integrated circuit () having non-volatile memory (NVM) () includes a threshold selector () which selects a first one of a plurality of read current/voltage thresholds during a first portion of a program/erase cycle, and which selects a second one of a plurality of read current/voltage thresholds during a second portion of said program/erase cycle, wherein the first one of a plurality of read current/voltage thresholds and the second one of a plurality of read current/voltage thresholds are different. The first portion of the program/erase cycle occurs in time before the second portion of the program/erase cycle. The second one of the plurality of read current/voltage thresholds is less than the first one of the plurality of read current/voltage thresholds.

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Austin, TX, United States of America

Mohammed Suhail