A new self-data-refresh scheme for a sector erasable 16-Mb flash EEPROM

A newly developed refresh scheme is introduced in a 16-Mb flash EEPROM. By providing each refresh block with its own nonvolatile element, excessive voltage stress of the flag element can be eliminated during the erase/program cycling. A small sector erase can be realized in the 16-Mb flash memory with this scheme. The EEPROM is realised in a 0.6 /spl mu/m single-metal triple-well CMOS process technology.