A giga-scale assist-gate (AG)-AND-type flash memory cell with 20-MB/s programming throughput for content-downloading applications

Proposes a new AND-type flash memory cell with an assist gate (AG), which has achieved a 20-MB/s programming throughput. For high-speed parallel programming on the order of kilobytes, fast cell programming (10 ps) and an extremely low channel current (I/sub ds/ /spl les/ 100 nA/cell) are necessary. These features were achieved by using the low current source-side injection method in which the AG was used as a program gate. The memory cell size has also been reduced to 0.104 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ by taking advantage of an AG using field isolation and a self-aligned floating gate. These technologies are the keys to giga-scale flash memories, of which the main application is content downloading.

[1]  K. Tanaka,et al.  EPROM Cell with high gate injection efficiency , 1982, 1982 International Electron Devices Meeting.

[2]  Toshitake Yaegashi,et al.  High-density (4.4F/sup 2/) NAND flash technology using Super-Shallow Channel Profile (SSCP) engineering , 2000, International Electron Devices Meeting 2000. Technical Digest. IEDM (Cat. No.00CH37138).

[3]  Hiroshi Sato,et al.  A 3.3 V high-density AND flash memory with 1 ms/512B erase and program time , 1995, Proceedings ISSCC '95 - International Solid-State Circuits Conference.

[4]  A 0.15 /spl mu/m NAND flash technology with 0.11 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ cell size for 1 Gbit flash memory , 2000, International Electron Devices Meeting 2000. Technical Digest. IEDM (Cat. No.00CH37138).

[5]  K. Yoshida,et al.  A 256 Mb multilevel flash memory with 2 MB/s program rate for mass storage applications , 1999, 1999 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference. Digest of Technical Papers. ISSCC. First Edition (Cat. No.99CH36278).