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.

Date of Patent:
Mar. 26, 2002

Filed:

Aug. 29, 2000
Applicant:
Inventors:

Wenpin Lu, I-Lan, TW;

Ying-Che Lo, Tainan, TW;

Ming-Shang Chen, Hsinchu, TW;

Baw-Chyuan Lin, Lunpai, TW;

Chun-Lien Su, Shanhua, TW;

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G11C 1/604 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
G11C 1/604 ;
Abstract

Method for soft-programming at least one floating gate memory cell in at least one page of a persistent memory device by converging the low threshold voltages of the several cells of the page within an optimal range, and apparatus implementing the method. The methodology of the present invention teaches connecting the individual drains of the several memory cells of the device of a given page, or block, to a voltage limited constant current circuitry component. The methodology applies a first positive voltage to the word line of the page and a second positive voltage to the common source in a fixed time period to converge the pages low threshold voltage distribution. The methodology is capable of implementation on either the source or drain side of the memory array.


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