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 processing device determines difference error counts for a difference error that is indicative of a margin for a valley that is located between programming distributions of a memory cell of the memory component. A processing device scales each of the plurality of difference error counts by a respective scale factor of the scale factors. The processing device adjusts the valley margins of the memory cell in accordance with the scaled difference error counts.

A sense amplifier for a memory circuit that can sense into the deep negative voltage threshold region is described. A selected memory cell is sensed by discharging a source line through the memory cell into the bit line and sense amplifier. While discharging the source line through the memory cell into the sense amplifier, a voltage level on the discharge path is used to set the conductivity of a discharge transistor to a level corresponding to the conductivity of the selected memory cell. A sense node is then discharged through the discharge transistor. By allowing the sense amplifier to bias a memory cell being sensed to a selected one of multiple bias levels during a sensing operation, multiple target data states can be concurrently program verified, leading to higher performance when writing data.

A memory device comprises a memory array and a memory control unit. The memory includes multi-level memory cells. The memory control unit is configured to: initiate programming of memory cells of the memory array using a first pass programming operation, wherein the first pass programming operation places programming data using a first and second voltage threshold distributions; read programmed memory cells using a first read voltage level on word lines of the memory cells; read the programmed memory cells using a second read voltage level on the word lines of the memory cells; determine a number of the programmed memory cells with a voltage threshold placed between the first and second voltage threshold distributions by the programming; and suspend second pass programming of the memory cells in response to the determined number of cells exceeding a specified threshold number, and initiate a second pass programming operation otherwise.

A memory device comprises a memory array and a memory control unit. The memory includes multi-level memory cells. The memory control unit is configured to: initiate programming of memory cells of the memory array using a first pass programming operation, wherein the first pass programming operation places programming data using a first and second voltage threshold distributions; read programmed memory cells using a first read voltage level on word lines of the memory cells; read the programmed memory cells using a second read voltage level on the word lines of the memory cells; determine a number of the programmed memory cells with a voltage threshold placed between the first and second voltage threshold distributions by the programming; and suspend second pass programming of the memory cells in response to the determined number of cells exceeding a specified threshold number, and initiate a second pass programming operation otherwise.

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 apparatus and operating method are provided. The apparatus includes memory cells connected to word lines and disposed in memory holes and configured to retain a threshold voltage. The memory holes are organized in rows grouped in strings and the strings comprise a plurality of blocks which comprise planes. A control means is configured to program the memory cells connected to one of the word lines and associated with one of the strings in each of the plurality of planes and acquire a smart verify programming voltage individually for each of the planes in a smart verify operation. The control means concurrently programs at least some of the memory cells connected to each of the word lines in each of the planes in a program operation using the smart verify programming voltage individually acquired for each of the planes in the smart verify operation.

According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory device comprises a first memory cell array including a first block and a second block, the first block including a first memory cell, and the second block including a second memory cell; and a controller that performs, in a first period of time in writing, a first program in the first memory cell and the second memory cell.

A processing device determines difference error counts that are indicative of relative widths of valleys. Each of the valleys is located between a respective pair of programming distributions of memory cells of the memory device. A program targeting operation is performed on a memory cell of the memory device to calibrate one or more program verify (PV) targets associated with the programming distributions. To perform the program targeting operation, a rule from a set of rules is selected based on the difference error counts. The set of rules corresponds to an adjusting of a PV target of a last programming distribution. One or more program verify (PV) targets associated with the programming distributions are adjusted based on the selected rule.

A memory system programs memory cells connected to a selected word line by applying doses of programming and performing program-verify between doses. An efficient and low current program-verify operation includes: while scanning the results of a previous program-verify operation, ramp up voltages on the select lines for the next program-verify operation without waiting for the scan to complete and ramp up voltages on unselected word lines for the next program-verify operation following a step signal (so that voltage applied to the unselected word lines rise in steps) without waiting for the scan to complete.