Patent ID: 7492634

Claim:
A method for programming non-volatile storage, comprising: programming respective non-volatile storage elements in a set of non-volatile storage elements according to first data to have respective threshold voltages that fall within at least a first threshold voltage distribution; programming, according to second data, at least a first of the non-volatile storage elements that fell within the first threshold voltage distribution, but outside of a higher, second threshold voltage distribution which overlaps with the first threshold voltage distribution, to fall within the second threshold voltage distribution; controlling at least a first sense amplifier to sense a threshold voltage of the at least a first of the non-volatile storage elements while it is being programmed according to the second data, while inhibiting at least a second sense amplifier from sensing a threshold voltage of at least a second of the non-volatile storage elements that fell within the first threshold voltage distribution, and which is being programmed according to the second data to fall within a third threshold voltage distribution which is higher than the second threshold voltage distribution; and controlling the at least a second sense amplifier to sense the threshold voltage of the at least a second of the non-volatile storage elements responsive to a determination that the threshold voltage of the at least a first of the non-volatile storage elements has transitioned to the second threshold voltage distribution.