Dynamic gate steps for last-level programming to improve write performance

Abstract

Systems, apparatuses and methods may provide for technology that conducts a pulse-verify loop sequence from a first program level in targeted NAND memory cells to a next-to-last program level in the memory cells, wherein the pulse-verify loop sequence includes an issuance of a program pulse and one or more verify pulses to the memory cells on a per program level basis, and wherein successive program pulses differ from one another by a gate step voltage amount. The technology may also issue a last level program pulse to the memory cells at a last program level, issue a single verify pulse to the memory cells after the last level program pulse, and issue a gate step pulse to the memory cells at a variable program level, wherein the variable program level differs from the last program level by an amount that is greater than the gate step voltage amount.