Flash Session 3: Principles of Flash Operation
By Avi Klein, Senior
Principal Engineer, Memory Technology
Strategy
Video | Duration: 6:56 min |
This session discusses the principles of flash operation. It
begins with definitions of basic terms, and concepts such as
threshold voltage, charge trap and floating gate, and how
everything comes together to enable flash memory to perform read,
write and erase operations.
Chapter 1: Introduction
Introduces the topics to be discussed in this session. Defines
electrical terms such as a transistor, channel and threshold
voltage, and explains their basic functions.
Chapter 2: Principles and Terms of Flash
Operation
Defines the operation of the floating gate, charge trap and
tunneling as they relate to flash memory operation. Focuses on
threshold voltage, and how the presence or absence of a charge in
the gate is the basis for detecting the presence of data in flash
memory cells.
Chapter 3: Read, Write and Erase
Operation
Discusses how with the application of the correct voltage at
various locations, a flash device performs a read operation to
distinguish if there are electrons in the floating gate, how it
performs a write operation to move electrons from the silicon
substrate to the floating gate, and how it erases the flash by
emptying electrons from the floating gate back into the
substrate.
Chapter 4: Summary
Reviews the subjects discussed in the presentation, including a
MOSFET transistor, the importance of the threshold voltage, charge
trap and floating gate and how they enable non-volatile memory, and
how flash performs read, write and erase operations.
Keywords:
Non-volatile memory, Transistor, MOSFET transistor, Channel,
Threshold voltage, Floating gate, Charge trap, Tunneling,
Substrate, Gate voltage, Electron flow