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:
Nov. 04, 2008
Filed:
Jun. 29, 2007
Hao Thai Nguyen, San Jose, CA (US);
Seungpil Lee, San Ramon, CA (US);
Man Lung Mui, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Shahzad Khalid, Union City, CA (US);
Hock SO, Redwood City, CA (US);
Prashanti Govindu, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Nima Mokhlesi, Los Gatos, CA (US);
Deepak Chandra Sekar, Atlanta, GA (US);
Hao Thai Nguyen, San Jose, CA (US);
Seungpil Lee, San Ramon, CA (US);
Man Lung Mui, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Shahzad Khalid, Union City, CA (US);
Hock So, Redwood City, CA (US);
Prashanti Govindu, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Nima Mokhlesi, Los Gatos, CA (US);
Deepak Chandra Sekar, Atlanta, GA (US);
SanDisk Corporation, Milpitas, CA (US);
Abstract
Current sensing is performed in a non-volatile storage device for a selected non-volatile storage element with a negative threshold voltage. A control gate read voltage is applied to a selected word line of a non-volatile storage element, and source and p-well voltages are applied to a source and a p-well, respectively, associated with the non-volatile storage element. The source and p-well voltages exceed the control gate read voltage so that a positive control gate read voltage can be used. There is no need for a negative charge pump to apply a negative word line voltage even for sensing a negative threshold voltage. A programming condition of the non-volatile storage element is determined by sensing a voltage drop which is tied to a fixed current which flows in a NAND string of the non-volatile storage element.