Selected memory cells are programmed by a method of operating a semiconductor memory device. The method includes setting a state of bit lines connected to a selected memory block including the selected memory cells; applying a turn-on voltage to a drain select line connected to the selected memory block, and applying a turn-off voltage to a source select line connected to the memory block; starting to increase a voltage of word lines of a first group of word lines including unselected word lines which are not connected to the selected memory cells and a selected word line connected to the selected memory cells, among a plurality of word lines connected to the selected memory block; and starting to increase a voltage of word lines of a second group of word lines, not included in the first group of word lines, including unselected word lines connected to the selected memory block.

A memory apparatus and method of operation are provided. The apparatus includes memory cells connected to word lines including at least one edge word line and other data word lines. The memory cells are arranged in strings and are configured to retain a threshold voltage corresponding to data states. The strings are organized in rows and a control means is coupled to the word lines and the strings and identifies the at least one edge word line. The control means programs the memory cells of the strings in particular ones of the rows and associated with the at least one edge word line to have an altered distribution of the threshold voltage for one or more of the data states compared to the memory cells of the strings not in particular ones of the rows and not associated with the at least one edge word line during a program operation.

A memory apparatus and method of operation are provided. The apparatus includes memory cells connected to word lines and arranged in strings. Each of the strings has a drain-side select gate transistor on a drain-side connected to one of a plurality of bit lines. A control means is coupled to the word lines and the plurality of bit lines and the drain-side select gate transistors. The control means determines a unique select gate voltage for each of a plurality of groupings of the memory cells that is individually adapted for each of the plurality of groupings. The control means then applies the unique select gate voltage to the drain-side select gate transistor of selected ones of the strings of each of the plurality of groupings of the memory cells to turn on the drain-side select gate transistor of the selected ones of the strings during a memory operation.

A semiconductor memory device includes a memory string and a control circuit. The memory string includes a first memory cell connected to a first word line and a second memory cell adjacent to the first memory cell and connected to a second word line. The control circuit is configured to perform a multi-bit-data writing with respect to each of the first and second memory cells. The multi-bit-data writing includes, in order, a first programming to program the first memory cell, the first programming with respect to the second memory cell, a reading of first data from the first memory cell, a second programming to program the second memory cell, and a verification of data programmed in the second memory cell. The control circuit is configured to set a verify voltage to be applied to the second word line during the verification based on the first data.

A storage device includes a memory including a plurality of regions arranged along a first axis and a second axis orthogonal to each other, each of the plurality of regions belonging to one of first groups and one of second groups; and a controller configured to, when a programmed and weak region exists, put into a scan list on the basis of a weak list, a programmed and weak sub-region included in the programmed and weak region among the plurality of regions, put into the scan list, a first programmed and adjacent sub-region in a first programmed and adjacent region selected according to a second axis expansion order among the plurality of regions, and put into the scan list, a second programmed and adjacent sub-region in a second programmed and adjacent region selected according to a first axis expansion order among the plurality of regions.

A semiconductor storage device includes a first memory cell electrically connected to a first bit line and a first word line, a second memory cell electrically connected to a second bit line and the first word line, and a first circuit configured to supply voltages to the first word line. During a reading operation to read a page of memory cells including the first memory cell and the second memory cell, the first circuit supplies a first voltage to the first word line while the first memory cell is selected as a read target during a first time period, and supplies a second voltage greater than the first voltage to the first word line while the second memory cell is selected as a read target during a second time period that is different from the first time period, and directly thereafter, supplies the first voltage to the first word line.

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 memory apparatus and method of operation is provided. The apparatus includes a block having memory cells connected to word lines and arranged in strings and is divided into a first sub-block and a second sub-block each configured to be erased as a whole in an erase operation. The apparatus has a temperature measuring circuit configured to detect an ambient temperature of the apparatus. A control circuit is configured to determine a word line inhibit voltage based on the ambient temperature. The control circuit applies an erase voltage to each of the strings while simultaneously applying a word line erase voltage to the word lines associated with a selected one of the first and second sub-blocks to encourage erasing and the word line inhibit voltage to the word lines associated with an unselected one of the first and second sub-blocks to discourage erasing in the erase operation.

Provided herein is a memory device and a method of operating the same. The memory device may include a memory block including a plurality of memory cells, and a peripheral circuit configured to apply a plurality of operating voltages to a plurality of word lines of the memory block during a program operation, wherein, during a verify operation included in the program operation, the peripheral circuit may be configured to allow a selected word line, among the plurality of word lines, to float, and may decrease a potential of the selected word line to a pre-level by decreasing potentials of adjacent word lines to the selected word line.

Numerous embodiments of analog neural memory arrays are disclosed. In one embodiment, an analog neural memory system comprises an array of non-volatile memory cells, wherein the cells are arranged in rows and columns, the columns arranged in physically adjacent pairs of columns, wherein within each adjacent pair one column in the adjacent pair comprises cells storing W+ values and one column in the adjacent pair comprises cells storing W− values, wherein adjacent cells in the adjacent pair store a differential weight, W, according to the formula W=(W+)−(W−). In another embodiment, an analog neural memory system comprises a first array of non-volatile memory cells storing W+ values and a second array storing W− values.