A memory device includes: a first substrate; a peripheral circuit provided on the first substrate; a first metal bonding layer provided on the peripheral circuit; a second metal bonding layer directly bonded to the first metal bonding layer; a memory cell array provided on the second metal bonding layer; and a second substrate provided on the memory cell array. A page buffer circuit in the peripheral circuit receives a verification result through the metal bonding layers, divides the verification result into stages, and sequentially outputs the verification result for the division into the stages, and a pass/failure checker in the peripheral circuit sequentially performs a counting operation about each of the stages to generate accumulated values, and compares the accumulated values and a reference value which increases from an initial value as the counting operation is performed, and the initial value is set by an external memory controller.

A memory device includes: a first substrate; a peripheral circuit provided on the first substrate; a first metal bonding layer provided on the peripheral circuit; a second metal bonding layer directly bonded to the first metal bonding layer; a memory cell array provided on the second metal bonding layer; and a second substrate provided on the memory cell array. A page buffer circuit in the peripheral circuit receives a verification result through the metal bonding layers, divides the verification result into stages, and sequentially outputs the verification result for the division into the stages, and a pass/failure checker in the peripheral circuit sequentially performs a counting operation about each of the stages to generate accumulated values, and compares the accumulated values and a reference value which increases from an initial value as the counting operation is performed, and the initial value is set by an external memory controller.

A memory device includes: a first substrate; a peripheral circuit provided on the first substrate; a first metal bonding layer provided on the peripheral circuit; a second metal bonding layer directly bonded to the first metal bonding layer; a memory cell array provided on the second metal bonding layer; and a second substrate provided on the memory cell array. A page buffer circuit in the peripheral circuit receives a verification result through the metal bonding layers, divides the verification result into stages, and sequentially outputs the verification result for the division into the stages, and a pass/failure checker in the peripheral circuit sequentially performs a counting operation about each of the stages to generate accumulated values, and compares the accumulated values and a reference value which increases from an initial value as the counting operation is performed, and the initial value is set by an external memory controller.

A memory system includes a plurality of memory cells, and the memory cells are multiple-level cells. The memory system performs program operations to program the memory cells. After each program operation, at least one threshold voltage test is performed to determine if threshold voltages of the memory cells are greater than the verification voltage. When the threshold voltage of a first memory cell is determined to be greater than a first verification voltage, the first memory cell will be inhibited from being programmed during the next program operation. When the threshold voltage of a second memory cell is determined to newly become greater than a second verification voltage, where the second verification voltage is greater than the first verification voltage, the second memory cell will be programmed again during the next program operation.

A method for programming a non-volatile memory structure with four-page data, wherein the method comprises, in a first stage, selecting four programmable states of a segment of MLC NAND-type memory cells, programming at least a first of the four programmable states with two pages of a four-page data at a first step voltage level, between programming at least two neighboring programmable states of the four programmable states, increasing the first step voltage level to a second step voltage level for a single program pulse and according to a pre-determined magnitude, and programming a latter of the at least two neighboring programmable states at the first step voltage level.

A method for programming a non-volatile memory structure with four-page data, wherein the method comprises, in a first stage, selecting four programmable states of a segment of MLC NAND-type memory cells, programming at least a first of the four programmable states with two pages of a four-page data at a first step voltage level, between programming at least two neighboring programmable states of the four programmable states, increasing the first step voltage level to a second step voltage level for a single program pulse and according to a pre-determined magnitude, and programming a latter of the at least two neighboring programmable states at the first step voltage level.

A processing device performs a multi-pass programming operation on the memory device resulting in first pass programming distributions and second pass programming distributions. One or more read level thresholds between the second pass programming distributions are changed. Responsive to changing the one or more read level thresholds between the second pass programming distributions, one or more read level thresholds between the first pass programming distributions are adjusted based on the changes to the one or more read level thresholds between the second pass programming distributions.

A memory system includes a plurality of memory cells, and the memory cells are multiple-level cells. The memory system performs program operations to program the memory cells. After each program operation, at least one threshold voltage test is performed to determine if threshold voltages of the memory cells are greater than the verification voltage. When the threshold voltage of a first memory cell is determined to be greater than a first verification voltage, the first memory cell will be inhibited from being programmed during the next program operation. When the threshold voltage of a second memory cell is determined to newly become greater than a second verification voltage, where the second verification voltage is greater than the first verification voltage, the second memory cell will be programmed again during the next program operation.

Apparatuses, systems, and methods are disclosed for concurrently programming non-volatile storage cells, such as those of an SLC NAND array. The non-volatile storage cells may be arranged into a first block comprising a first string of storage cells that intersects with a first word line at a first storage cell, a second block comprising a second string of storage cells that intersects with a second word line at a second storage cell, a bit line electrically connectable to the first string and the second string, and controller configured to apply a programming pulse, at an elevated voltage, to the first word line and second word line to concurrently program the first and second storage cells.

A memory system includes a plurality of memory cells, and the memory cells are multiple-level cells. The memory system performs program operations to program the memory cells. After each program operation, at least one threshold voltage test is performed to determine if threshold voltages of the memory cells are greater than the verification voltage. When the threshold voltage of a first memory cell is determined to be greater than a first verification voltage, the first memory cell will be inhibited from being programmed during the next program operation. When the threshold voltage of a second memory cell is determined to newly become greater than a second verification voltage, where the second verification voltage is greater than the first verification voltage, the second memory cell will be programmed again during the next program operation.