The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 19, 1998
Filed:
Jul. 19, 1996
Toshiyuki Hayakawa, Yokohama, JP;
Seiji Yamada, Tokyo, JP;
Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba, Kawasaki, JP;
Abstract
According to a method for screening a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device, data is written to all memory cells. The data is slightly erased such that the memory cells have a positive distribution of threshold voltages. The threshold voltages of the memory cells are measured, and the number of memory cells whose threshold voltages are lower than a reference threshold voltage, is counted. When the counted number is not larger than the number of spare cells provided in a redundant circuit, the memory cells whose threshold voltages are lower than the reference threshold voltage are replaced with the spare cells. When the counted number is larger than the number of spare cells, the nonvolatile semiconductor memory device is determined as a defective one.