A method of operating a controller that controls a non-volatile memory device having a first memory block and a second memory block. The controller may detect invalid data of the first memory block, determine whether the detected invalid data is less than a reference value, and execute a secure erase operation of changing a voltage distribution of the detected invalid data based on a result of the determination. According to this method, it may be possible to enhance security of data stored in the non-volatile memory device, to prevent a physical erase operation from being excessively performed, and to increase the life span of the non-volatile memory device.

A memory system includes a memory unit with a plurality of first memory cells connected to a first word line and a memory controller to control the memory unit to write data in page units equal in size to the number of first memory cells. The memory unit is configured to write a plurality of pages of data to the plurality of first memory cells and then read each page of data thus written. The memory controller determines whether or not each page of data, as read from the plurality of first memory cells, satisfies a predetermined condition, and registers a determination result for each page indicating whether the predetermined condition was satisfied.

In a semiconductor integrated circuit, an internal circuit is capable of executing a first operation and a second operation concurrently, and an output circuit outputs to the outside of the semiconductor integrated circuit information indicating whether or not the first operation is being executed and information indicating whether or not the second operation is executable.

A method for determining quick-pass-write (QPW) operation in increment-step-program-pulse (ISPP) operation is provided. The QPW operation is simultaneously applying a bit line voltage during the ISPP operation. The method includes, according to bit line voltages varying in a first range and voltage difference values varying in a second range with respect to a verified voltage, estimating a shrinkage quantity of threshold voltage distribution width at each bit line voltage and each voltage difference value, so as to obtain a shrinkage-quantity topographic contour. According to the bit line voltages and the voltage difference values, a program shot number as needed to achieve the verified voltage is estimated, so as to obtain a program-shot-number topographic contour. The shrinkage-quantity topographic contour and the program-shot-number topographic contour are overlapped to determine an operation region formed from an application range of the bit line voltage and an application range of the voltage difference value.

A non-volatile memory device includes a non-volatile memory cell array, an input/output pad unit, and a peripheral circuit. The non-volatile memory device executes an operation requested by a controller. The input/output pad component provides a path through which a command and data related to the operation requested by the controller are input to the non-volatile memory device, and through which a result of execution of the requested operation is output to the controller. The peripheral circuit is configured to be loaded with a plurality of commands provided by the controller, to temporarily store program data provided by the controller to be written in the non-volatile memory cell array and data read from the non-volatile memory cell array, to adjust an execution order of the commands asynchronously with the controller based on an internal operation status of the non-volatile memory device, and to execute the commands in the adjusted execution order.

A semiconductor memory device includes a first block and a second block arranged adjacent to each other in a Y direction. Each of the first and second blocks includes conductive layers extended in an X direction, memory trenches between the conductive layers, memory pillars provided across two conductive layers with a memory trench interposed therebetween, and transistors provided between the memory pillars and the conductive layers. One of the conductive layers provided at an end of the first block in the Y direction is electrically connected to one of the conductive layers provided at an end of the second block.

A nonvolatile memory device includes multiple memory cells including first memory cells and second memory cells. A method of programming the nonvolatile memory device includes: performing first programming to apply a programming forcing voltage to a bit line of each of the first memory cells; and dividing the second memory cells into a first cell group, a second cell group, and a third cell group, based on a threshold voltage of the second memory cells after performing the first programming. The method also includes performing second programming to apply a programming inhibition voltage to the bit line of each of the first memory cells and a bit line of each of memory cells of the first cell group. A level of the programming forcing voltage is lower than that of the programming inhibition voltage.

In a semiconductor integrated circuit, an internal circuit is capable of executing a first operation and a second operation concurrently, and an output circuit outputs to the outside of the semiconductor integrated circuit information indicating whether or not the first operation is being executed and information indicating whether or not the second operation is executable.

Data storage circuits are connected to the bit lines in a one-to-one correspondence. A write circuit writes the data on a first page into a plurality of 5 first memory cells selected simultaneously by a word line. Thereafter, the write circuit writes the data on a second page into the plurality of first memory cell. Then, the write circuit writes the data n the first and second pages into second memory cells adjoining 10 the first memory cells in the bit line direction.

Methods and apparatus for writing nonvolatile 3D NAND flash memory using multiple-page programming. A method is provided for multiple-page programming of an array having a block that includes page groups and each page group includes cell strings that form pages. The method includes deactivating drain select gates (DSGs) and source select gates (SSG), applying a programming voltage to a selected word line, and applying a middle high voltage to unselected word lines. The method also includes repeating multiple programming operations while maintaining the word line voltage levels from a first programming operation to a last programming operation. Each programming operation includes loading data onto bit lines and pulsing a drain select gate associated with a selected page group to load the data into a selected page of the selected page group.