Constant-charge-injection programming: a novel high-speed programming method for multilevel flash memories

Constant-charge-injection programming (CCIP) has been proposed as a way to achieve high-speed multilevel programming in flash memories. In order to achieve high programming throughput in multilevel flash memory, programming method must provide: 1) high-speed cell-programming; 2) high programming efficiency; and 3) highly uniform programming characteristics. Conventional source-side channel-hot-electron injection (SSI) programming realizes both fast cell-programming and high programming efficiency, but the large cell-to-cell variation in programming speed with SSI is a problem. CCIP reduces the characteristic variation of SSI programming and satisfies all of the above requirements. By applying CCIP to 2-bit/cell AG-AND flash memory, the high programming throughput of 10.3 MB/s is obtained with no area penalty. This is 1.8 times faster than the throughput with conventional SSI programming.