Patent ID: 8902668

Claim:
A method for programming a set of memory cells connected to a word line, comprising: performing one or more program-verify iterations in a programming pass, two or more memory cells of the set of memory cells are programmed by the one or more program-verify iterations until the two or more memory cells pass a first verify test; in response to the two or more memory cells passing the first verify test, performing one or more program-verify iterations in the programming pass in which the two or more memory cells are temporarily locked out from programming, the two or more memory cells are subject to one or more additional verify tests while the two or more memory cells are temporarily locked out from programming; based on a result of the one or more additional verify tests, determining that the two or more memory cells comprise a noisy memory cell and a non-noisy memory cell; performing one or more program-verify iterations in the programming pass in which the noisy memory cell is further programmed; and permanently locking out the non-noisy memory cell from programming in the programming pass without performing further programming of the non-noisy memory cell.