Patent ID: 8427881

Claim:
A method of pre-charging channels of a semiconductor memory device having a first cell group having a program string and a first inhibit string connected to a program bit line, a second cell group having a second inhibit string and a third inhibit string connected to an inhibit bit line, and a common source line connected to the program string and the first to third inhibit strings, the method comprising: pre-charging a channel of the third inhibit string that is not connected to the program string with a same selection line by applying a first voltage to the common source line; and boosting the pre-charged channel by providing a word line voltage to the strings, the program string being connected to the second inhibit string by a first string selection line and the first inhibit string being connected to the third inhibit string by a second string selection line, the program string being connected to the second inhibit string by a first ground selection line and the first inhibit string being connected to the third inhibit string by a second ground selection line, the program bit line being supplied with a voltage of 0 volt, the inhibit bit line being supplied with a power supply voltage, and a first string selection transistor of the first string selection line and a second ground selection transistor of the second ground selection line being turned on, while a second string selection transistor of the second string selection line and a first ground selection transistor of the first ground selection line are turned off.