CPC G11C 11/5628 (2013.01) [G11C 16/0483 (2013.01); G11C 16/10 (2013.01); G11C 16/3495 (2013.01)] | 20 Claims |
1. A method of operating a memory, comprising:
determining a memory cell age of a plurality of memory cells, wherein each memory cell of the plurality of memory cells has an erased data state of a plurality of data states;
determining a desired programming step voltage for programming memory cells having the determined memory cell age; and
after determining the desired programming step voltage, performing a programming operation on the plurality of memory cells comprising applying a plurality of programming pulses to control gates of the plurality of memory cells, wherein the programming operation is configured to increase a respective threshold voltage of each memory cell of a subset of memory cells of the plurality of memory cells from the erased data state to a respective data state of the plurality of data states higher than the erased data state;
wherein a particular programming pulse of the plurality of programming pulses has a voltage level that is the desired programming step voltage higher than a voltage level of an immediately prior programming pulse of the plurality of programming pulses.
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