Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A memory device comprising: a first memory cell, and a second memory cell different from the first memory cell and disposed above or below the first memory cell, wherein the first memory cell and the second memory cell are included in a same memory block as each other; a first word line connected to the first memory cell; a second word line, different from the first word line, connected to the second memory cell; an address decoder which is configured to apply one of an erase voltage and an inhibit voltage different from the erase voltage to each of the first and second word lines; and a control logic which is configured to control an erasing operation on the memory block, using the address decoder, wherein while the erasing operation on the memory block is executed, the inhibit voltage is applied to the first word line after the erase voltage is applied, and the erase voltage is applied to the second word line after the inhibit voltage is applied, and wherein the erase voltage is applied to the first word line for a first time period, and the erase voltage is applied to the second word line for a second time period which is longer than or shorter than the first time period.
2. The memory device of claim 1, wherein the second memory cell is disposed above the first memory cell.
3. The memory device of claim 2, wherein the erase voltage is applied to the first word line for a first time period, and the erase voltage is applied to the second word line for a second time period longer than the first time period.
4. The memory device of claim 2, further comprising: a third memory cell, different from the first and second memory cells, which is included in the memory block and disposed above the second memory cell; a fourth memory cell, different from the first to third memory cells, which is included in the memory block and disposed above the third memory cell; a third word line, different from the first and second word lines, connected to the third memory celland; and a fourth word line, different from the first to third word lines, connected to the fourth memory celland, wherein the address decoder is configured to apply one of the erase voltage and the inhibit voltage to each of the third and fourth word lines, and wherein while the erasing operation on the memory block is executed, the inhibit voltage is applied to the third word line and the fourth word line after the erase voltage is applied.
5. The memory device of claim 2, further comprising: a third memory cell, different from the first and second memory cells, which is included in the memory block and disposed above the second memory cell; a fourth memory cell, different from the first to third memory cells, which is included in the memory block and disposed above the third memory cell; a third word line, different from the first and second word lines, connected to the third memory cell; and a fourth word line, different from the first to third word lines, connected to the fourth memory cell, wherein the address decoder is configured to apply one of the erase voltage and the inhibit voltage to each of the third and fourth word lines, and wherein while the erasing operation on the memory block is executed, the inhibit voltage is applied to the third word line after the erase voltage is applied, and the erase voltage is applied to the fourth word line after the inhibit voltage is applied.
6. The memory device of claim 1, wherein the first memory cell is disposed above the second memory cell.
7. The memory device of claim 6, wherein the erase voltage is applied to the first word line for a first time period, and the erase voltage is applied to the second word line for a second time period which is less than the first time period.
8. The memory device of claim 1, wherein the memory block includes a first memory structure and a second memory structure stacked vertically together, and wherein the first memory structure includes the first memory cell and the second memory cell, and a height of the first memory structure is greater than a height of the second memory structure.
9. The memory device of claim 8, further comprising: a third memory cell, different from the first and second memory cells, included in the memory block; a fourth memory cell, different from the first to third memory cells, which is included in the memory block; a third word line, different from the first and second word lines, connected to the third memory cell; and a fourth word line, different from the first to third word lines, connected to the fourth memory cell, wherein the second memory structure includes the third memory cell and the fourth memory cell, wherein the address decoder is configured to apply one of the erase voltage and the inhibit voltage to each of the third and fourth word lines, and wherein when the erasing operation on the memory block is executed, the inhibit voltage is applied to the third word line and the fourth word line after the erase voltage is applied.
10. The memory device of claim 1, further comprising: a third memory cell, different from the first and second memory cells, which is included in the memory blocks block; a fourth memory cell, different from the first to third memory cells, which is included in the memory block; a third word line, different from the first and second word lines, connected to the third memory cell; and a fourth word line, different from the first to third word lines, connected to the fourth memory cell, wherein the memory block includes a first memory structure and a second memory structure on the first memory structure, wherein the first memory structure includes the first and second memory cells, and the second memory structure includes the third and fourth memory cells, wherein the address decoder is configured to apply one of the erase voltage and the inhibit voltage to each of the third and fourth word lines, and wherein when the erasing operation on the memory block is executed, the inhibit voltage is applied to the third word line after the erase voltage is applied, and the erase voltage is applied to the fourth word line after the inhibit voltage is applied.
11. The memory device of claim 1, wherein the address decoder is configured to apply the inhibit voltage to the first word line by floating the first word line, and to apply the inhibit voltage to the second word line by floating the second word line.
12. A memory device, comprising: a first memory cell and a second memory cell different from the first memory cell, wherein the first memory cell and the second memory cell are included in a same memory block as each other; a first word line connected to the first memory cell, and a second word line, different from the first word line, connected to the second memory cell; an address decoder connected to the first and second word lines; and a control logic which is configured to control the address decoder to execute an erasing operation of the memory block and an erasing verification operation of the memory block, wherein the control logic is configured to execute a first erasing operation on the memory block to apply one of an erase voltage and an inhibit voltage different from the erase voltage to each of the first and second word lines, and to execute a first erasing verification operation on the memory block to verify whether the memory block is erased, wherein while the first erasing operation is executed, the inhibit voltage is applied to the second word line during at least a part of a time section in which the erase voltage is applied to the first word line, and the inhibit voltage is applied to the first word line during at least another part of the time section in which the erase voltage is applied to the second word line, and wherein the control logic is configured to determine that a word line bridge defect exists in the memory block in response to the erase of the memory block being determined to be failed as a result of the execution of the first erasing verification operation.
13. The memory device of claim 12, wherein the control logic is configured to execute a second erasing operation on the memory block to apply one of the erase voltage and the inhibit voltage to each of the first and second word lines, and to execute a second erasing verification operation on the memory block to verify whether the memory block is erased, and wherein the first erasing operation is executed irrespective of whether the memory block is erased after the second erasing verification operation is executed.
14. The memory device of claim 13, wherein, when the second erasing operation is performed, a time point at which the erase voltage is applied to the first word line is substantially identical to a time point at which the erase voltage is applied to the second word line.
15. The memory device of claim 12, wherein the erase voltage is applied to the first word line for a first time period, and the erase voltage is applied to the second word line for a second time period different from the first time period.
16. The memory device of claim 12, further comprising: a third memory cell, different from the first and second memory cells, included in the memory block, a fourth memory cell, different from the first to third memory cells, included in the memory block; a third word line, different from the first and second word lines, connected to the third memory cell; and a fourth word line, different from the first to third word lines, connected to the fourth memory cell, the address decoder being connected to the third and fourth word lines, wherein the control logic is further configured to execute the first erasing operation to apply either the erase voltage or the inhibit voltage to each of the third and fourth word lines, and wherein while the first erasing operation is executed, a first time point at which the erase voltage is applied to the third word line is different from a second time point at which the erase voltage is applied to the fourth word line.
17. The memory device of claim 12, further comprising: A third memory cell, different from the first and second memory cell, included in the memory blocks block; a fourth memory cell, different from the first to third memory cells, included in the memory block; a third word line, different from the first and second word lines, connected to the third memory cell; and a fourth word line, different from the first to third word lines, connected to the fourth memory cell, wherein the address decoder is connected to the third and fourth word lines, wherein the control logic is further configured to execute the first erasing operation to apply either the erase voltage or the inhibit voltage to each of the third and fourth word lines, and wherein while the first erasing operation is executed, a first time point at which the erase voltage is applied to the third word line is different from a second time point at which the erase voltage is applied to the fourth word line.
18. The memory device of claim 17, wherein the third and fourth memory cells are disposed above the first and second memory cells.
19. A memory device, comprising: a plurality of memory cells, different from each other, included in a same memory block; a plurality of word lines, different from each other, connected to each of the plurality of memory cells; an address decoder which is configured to apply one of an erase voltage and an inhibit voltage different from erase voltage to each of the plurality of word lines; and a control logic which is configured to control when the address decoder applies the erase voltage to the plurality of word lines, and to control when the address decoder applies the inhibit voltage to the plurality of word lines, wherein the plurality of word lines includes a group of even word lines and a group of odd word lines, and wherein a first time duration during which the erase voltage is applied to at least a portion of the group of the even word lines is longer than or shorter than a second time duration during which the erase voltage is applied to at least a portion of the group of odd word lines.
20. The memory device of claim 19, wherein the first time duration is before or after the second time duration.
21. The memory device of claim 1, wherein the address decoder is configured to apply only the erase voltage of the erase voltage and the inhibit voltage to each of the first and second word lines.
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February 18, 2025
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