Patent ID: 8625349

Claim:
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory comprising: a semiconductor substrate; a first array of first memory cells and a second array of second memory cells where positions of the first memory cells in the first array correspond to positions of respective second memory cells in the second array, each of the first and second memory cells having a charge storage layer and a control gate electrode, said first and second arrays disposed above the semiconductor substrate; first word lines connected to the control gate electrodes of the first memory cells; second word lines connected to the control gate electrodes of the second memory cells; first N-channel MOS transistors connected to the first word lines; second N-channel MOS transistors connected to the second word lines; and plural potential transfer lines connected through pairs of the first and second N-channel MOS transistors to corresponding pairs of the first and second word lines, each pair of the first and second word lines connected to control gate electrodes of corresponding first and second memory cells within the first and second arrays, and a control circuit which is configured to execute data erasing of the first memory cells in the first array, in condition of setting the semiconductor substrate to a first potential with a plus value, setting the potential transfer lines and the first word lines to a second potential with a plus value lower than the first potential and higher than 0V by turning the first N-channel MOS transistors on, and setting the second word lines to a floating state by turning the second N-channel MOS transistors off, wherein the control circuit is configured to turn the second N-channel MOS transistors off after turning the first and second N-channel MOS transistors on under a condition of setting the potential transfer line to a ground potential, and the control circuit is configured to set the potential transfer lines to the second potential after turning the second N-channel MOS transistors off.