Patent ID: 6128229
Filing Date: 2000-10-03
Classification: G11C

Abstract:
A non-volatile semiconductor memory device which has memory cells in each of which an amount of charges accumulated in a charge accumulating unit changes in accordance with voltages applied to a word line and a bit line, a threshold voltage changes in accordance with the change in charge amount, and data of a value according to said threshold voltage is stored, and in which multivalue data of n bits is written into said memory cells, comprising:n latch circuits in each of which write data is latched at the time of writing and, when the data is sufficiently written at the time of verification, it is set to predetermined data, and further, read data is set at the time of reading;write control means for setting a bit line voltage according to the data latched in said latch circuit at the time of writing;verify control means for setting a word line voltage in accordance with a distribution state of the threshold voltage at the time of verification, specifying said latch circuit depending on whether the threshold voltage of said memory cell exceeds the voltage applied to said word line or not, and controlling so that when the data is sufficiently written at the time of said verification, predetermined data is set into said latch circuit; andread control means for setting the word line voltage in accordance with the distribution state of the threshold voltage at the time of reading, specifying said latch circuit depending on whether the threshold voltage of said memory cell exceeds the voltage applied to said word line or not, and controlling so that the read data is set into the latch circuit,wherein in the verifying operation, said verify control means sets the word line voltage to a plurality of stages in accordance with the distribution state of the threshold voltage, controls so that said bit line is precharged or not in accordance with the data latched in said latch circuit, detects whether the threshold voltage of said memory cell exceeds the voltage applied to said word line or not on the basis of whether a current flows in said memory cell or not, and specifies said latch circuit in accordance with an output of said detection, thereby allowing the predetermined data to be set into said latch circuit when the data is sufficiently written at the time of said verification.