| CPC G06F 3/0619 (2013.01) [G06F 3/0659 (2013.01)] | 20 Claims |

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1. A memory device comprising:
a plurality of memory cells;
a peripheral circuit configured to perform a plurality of program loops each including a program voltage apply operation of applying a program voltage to selected memory cells, among the plurality of memory cells, and a verify operation of verifying a program state of the selected memory cells; and
a control logic configured to control the peripheral circuit to apply program voltages increasing in a step-wise manner by a first step voltage in program loops in a first state, among the plurality of program loops, and increasing in a step-wise manner by a second step voltage in program loops in a second state that occur after the program loops in the first state,
wherein the second step voltage is lower than the first step voltage, and
wherein the first state and the second state of the program loops are determined based on when a verify operation on a program state having a highest threshold voltage is performed.
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