Patent ID: 7865657

Claim:
A method of copying-back data in a multi-chip flash memory device having first and second memory chips, comprising: reading first source data from a first source region of one of the memory chips; programming the first source data into a target region included in one of the memory chips; and reading second source data from second source region of the other memory chip different from the memory chip including the target region, wherein reading the second source data is carried out while programming the first source data, wherein one of the memory chips includes, a first input/output buffer storing status data, where the status data reports completion status of the programming in response to a status detection command and a read enable signal, and a first buffer controller activating an output of the first input/output buffer, in response to the status detection command and an address, and an other of memory chips includes, a second input/output buffer storing the second source data, and a second buffer controller interrupting the output of the second input/output buffer, in response to the status detection command.