Patent ID: 6711058
Filing Date: 2004-03-23
Classification: G11C

Abstract:
A row decoder for a nonvolatile semiconductor storage device, which comprises a plurality of blocks of floating gate field effect transistors arrayed along a column direction, wherein the floating gate field effect transistors respectively have a control gate, floating gate, a drain and a source and are electrically information programmable and erasable and wherein the floating gate field effect transistors are arrayed in a matrix shape on a substrate or well, and wherein the block comprises a plurality of row lines connected to the control gate of each of floating gate field effect transistor arrayed along a row direction, and a plurality of column lines connected via respective select transistors to the drain and source of each of floating gate field effect transistors arrayed along a column direction, and wherein the select transistors in each block are simultaneously turned on or off, the row decoder comprising:control voltage output means for, on the mode-by-mode basis, outputting a control voltage responsive to select/non-select information which is determined according to the address signal; select voltage output means for, on the mode-by-mode basis, outputting a select voltage responsive to a select state which is determined according to the address is signal; non-select voltage output means for, on the mode-by-mode basis, outputting a non-select voltage responsive to a non-select state which is determined according to the address signal; and applied voltage select means for, in the erase mode, selecting either one of the select voltage derived from the select voltage output means or the non-select voltage derived from the non-select voltage output means according to the control voltage derived from the control voltage output means, and simultaneously outputting the selected voltage to select word lines of one block while simultaneously outputting the non-selected voltage to non-select word lines of remaining blocks.