Patent ID: 8385120

Claim:
A method of programming a nonvolatile memory device, the method comprising: providing a plurality of memory cells coupled to a wordline, the plurality of memory cells grouped into a plurality of groups, each group including at least two memory cells, such that for each cell of the plurality of memory cells that has memory cells adjacent both sides, the memory cells immediately adjacent either side of the cell belong to different groups from each other, wherein first memory cells of the plurality of memory cells are grouped into a first group of the plurality of groups, the first memory cells being coupled to 4N+1-th bitlines and 4N+2-th bitlines, where N is an integer greater than or equal to 0, and wherein second memory cells of the plurality of memory cells are grouped into a second group, the second memory cells being coupled to 4N+3-th bitlines and 4N+4-th bitlines; and performing a program operation including: applying a first program pulse to the wordline and applying a data voltage to bitlines coupled to the first group while the second group is inhibited from being programmed; and applying a second program pulse to the wordline and applying a data voltage to bitlines coupled to the second group while the first group is inhibited from being programmed.