A memory control method, a memory storage device, and a memory control circuit unit are provided. The memory control method includes: programming multiple first memory cells in a first physical erasing unit in a rewritable non-volatile memory module; and applying an electronic pulse to at least one word line in the rewritable non-volatile memory module. The at least one word line is coupled to multiple second memory cells in the first physical erasing unit. The second memory cells include the first memory cells. The electronic pulse is not configured to read, program, or erase the second memory cells.

A drain programmed read-only memory includes a diffusion region that spans a width of a bitcell and forms a drain of a first transistor and a second transistor. A bit line lead in a metal layer adjacent the diffusion region extends across the width of the bitcell. A first via extends from an upper half of the bit line lead and couples to a drain of the first transistor. Similarly, a second via extends from a lower half of the bit line and couples to a drain of the second transistor.

A method for conducting a read-verification operation on a target memory cell in a three-dimensional (3D) memory device includes removing fast charges of the target memory cell at a read-prepare step and measuring a threshold voltage of the target memory cell at a sensing step. Removing the fast charges of the target memory cell includes applying a prepare voltage (V.sub.prepare) on an unselected top select gate (Unsel_TSG) of an unselected memory string, applying a first off voltage (V.sub.off) on a selected word line (Sel_WL) associated with the target memory cell, and applying a pass voltage (V.sub.pass) on an unselected word line (Unsel_WL).

A system performs analog memory sanitization by forcing voltage levels in memory cells to substantially the same voltage level so that they are indistinguishable regardless of the data that has been previously stored in the cells. In some embodiments, a special programming operation for sanitizing a plurality of memory cells forces the charge in the cells to approximately the same voltage level by increasing the voltage level of all cells regardless of the data currently stored in the cells. As an example, each cell may be programmed to a logical high bit value (e.g., a “0”) by increasing the charge in each cell to a voltage level that is greater than the voltage level for writing the same logical bit value in a normal programming operation. Thus, after the programming operation is performed, the voltage levels of cells storing one logical bit value (e.g., a “0”) prior to the programming operation may be indistinguishable from voltage levels of cells storing a different logical bit value (e.g., a “1”) prior to the programming operation.

A semiconductor memory device includes a plurality of memory blocks and a contact region. Each of the plurality of memory blocks includes a plurality of memory cells. The contact region is formed between the plurality of memory blocks. The semiconductor memory device uses a first memory block that is not adjacent to the contact region and a second memory block adjacent to the contact region among the plurality of memory blocks differently.

The present invention discloses a memory device and operation method thereof. The operation method comprises: programming a plurality of first strings of a plurality of string pairs representing a finite state machine (FSM) to an in-memory-searching (IMS) array of a memory device; programming a plurality of second strings of the string pairs to a working memory of the memory device; and programming a string representing a starting state of the FSM to a buffer of the memory device.

A memory testing circuit and method are disclosed, the redesigning of a memory to be tested through incorporation therein a testing circuit includes a self-test circuit incorporating a decoder circuit, and a VPPIO I/O module incorporating an encoder circuit and having multiple functions including digital I/O, high analog voltage I/O and current I/O. An oscillator module embedded in the multiplexer circuit provides a clock signal for the testing. The VPPIO I/O module is configured to convert, by the self-test circuit, a stimulating input from a single signal pin to a parallel signal recognizable by the memory and an analog voltage/current signal, thereby accomplishing proper testing of the memory. This enables a single signal pin to test all functions of one memory, thereby increasing the number of memory dies on a wafer tested in parallel by a test instrument and reducing the testing time per wafer as well as testing cost.

A memory system includes: a memory block including a plurality of pages each comprising a plurality of memory cells connected to bit lines and a word line of word lines, an address manager configured to output addresses corresponding to the plurality of pages, and a system data manager configured to generate index data corresponding to the each of the addresses, the index data indicating whether user data is inverted, and output the index data and information on a memory cell in which the index data is to be stored, respectively. The system data manager is configured to, determine memory cells connected to different bit lines from among memory cells included in adjacent pages corresponding to consecutive addresses of the addresses, as memory cells in which index data corresponding to the consecutive addresses are to be stored.

An apparatus having a first circuit and a second circuit is disclosed. The first circuit may be configured to generate statistics of a region of a memory circuit as part of a read scrub of the region. The region may have multiple units of data. The memory circuit may be configured to store the data in a nonvolatile condition. The second circuit is generally configured to (i) track one or more parameters of the region based on the statistics, (ii) determine when one or more of the statistics of one or more outliers of the units in the region exceeds a corresponding threshold and (iii) track the parameters of the outlier units separately from the parameters of the region in response to exceeding the corresponding threshold. The parameters generally control one or more reference voltages used to read the data from the region.

In a method of multiple-bit programming of a three-dimensional memory device having arrays of memory cells that extend in horizontal and vertical directions relative to a substrate, the method comprises first programming a memory cell to be programmed to one among a first set of states. At least one neighboring memory cell that neighbors the memory cell to be programmed to one among the first set of states is then first programmed. Following the first programming of the at least one neighboring memory cell, second programming the memory cell to be programmed to one among a second set of states, wherein the second set of states has a number of states that is greater than the number of states in the first set of states.