Patent ID: 8194461

Claim:
A semiconductor memory device comprising: NAND cell units each having a plurality of electrically rewritable and non-volatile memory cells connected in series, first and second select gate transistors disposed at the both ends of the memory cells for coupling them to a bit line and a source line, respectively, and dummy cells disposed between the memory cells and the first and second select gate transistors; word lines each coupled to control gates of the memory cells arranged along the same rows in the NAND cell unit arrangement; dummy word lines each coupled to control gates of the dummy cells arranged along the same rows in the NAND cell unit arrangement; first and second select gate lines coupled to gates of the first and second select gate transistors, respectively, arranged along the same rows in the NAND cell unit arrangement; word line drivers configured to generate voltages applied to the word lines; dummy word line drivers configured to generate voltages applied to the dummy word lines; and select gate line drivers configured to generate voltages applied to the first and second select gate lines, wherein after the memory cells and the dummy cells in the NAND cell units are erased prior to data programming, the word lines and dummy word lines are applied with a program voltage, so that the memory cells and dummy cells are set at a state defined by a certain threshold voltage range, and then the dummy cells are applied with another program voltage.