Patent ID: 8472280

Claim:
A method of writing multiple pages of data into a non-volatile memory having multi-state memory cells formed along a plurality of word lines, wherein the memory can store N pages of data on a word line so that each memory cell stores N bits of data, where N is an integer greater than one, the method comprising: writing N pages of data on a page by page basis into a first word line; writing N pages of data on a page by page into a second word line, where the second word line is adjacent to the first word line and wherein at least one of the N pages of data is written into the second word line is written subsequent to writing all of the N pages of data into the first word line; subsequently performing a programming operation on the first word line to refine the accuracy with which the N pages of data written into the first word line have been written; and subsequent to writing the N pages of data into the second word and prior to performing said programming operation, reading the data written into the first word line, wherein the subsequent programming operation refines the accuracy with which the N pages of data written into the first word line based upon the value of the N pages of data as read therefrom.