Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device

Claim 2

A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device having a plurality of memory cells each connected to a single row selecting signal line and a single column selecting signal line, said nonvolatile semiconductor memory device storing electrically programmable and erasable information in a nonvolatile manner, comprising: row selecting means responsive to an externally generated row designating signal for selecting a corresponding row selecting signal line; column selecting means responsive to an externally generated column designating signal for selecting a corresponding column selecting signal line; column latch means coupled to said column selecting signal lines and a data output line for temporarily storing column information selected by said column selecting means at the time of a data writing cycle and actuating said selected column in response to said temporarily stored column information to verify that data has been erased from a selected byte, and connecting a memory cell connected to said selected column to the data output line.

Claim 3

A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device in accordance with claim 1, further comprising: data latch means for temporarily storing data to be written into a memory cell selected by said row selecting means and column selecting means, data erasing means for erasing data stored in the memory cell selected by said row selecting means and column selecting means after said data to be written is latched by said data latch means, and erase determination means for reading out information stored in the memory cell connected to the column selecting signal line selected in response to the column information stored by said column latch means for determining whether said information stored in the memory cell is erased or not, after completion of erasing operation by said data erasing means.

Claim 4

A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device in accordance with claim 2, wherein each of said column selecting signal lines is connected to a data output line through a transfer gate having a gate receiving a column selecting signal from said column selecting means, and said column latch means is provided between an output portion of said column selecting means and said transfer gate, so that the transfer gate connected to the column selecting signal line selected by said column selecting means is rendered conductive while said erase determination means is operated.

Claim 5

A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device in accordance with claim 3, wherein said erase determination means comprises AND gate means responsive to a signal appearing on a data output line through said transfer gate.

Claim 6

A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device in accordance with claim 1, wherein said nonvolatile semiconductor memory device comprises an electrically programmable and erasable nonvolatile semiconductor memory device operable in a page mode which can collectively write in parallel data of a plurality of bytes.

Claim 7

In a nonvolatile electrically programmable and erasable semiconductor memory device operable in a page mode, said device having a plurality of memory cells each connected to a single row selecting signal line and a single column selecting signal line, said device including row selecting means for selecting a corresponding row selecting signal line in response to an external row designating signal; column selecting means for selecting a corresponding column selecting signal line in response to an external column designating signal; column latch means for temporarily storing column information selected by the column selecting means; data latch means for temporarily storing data to be written into a memory cell selected by the row selecting means and the column selecting means; data erasing means for erasing data stored in the memory cell selected by the row selecting means and column selecting means after the data to be written is latched by the data latch means; erase determination means for reading out information stored in the memory cell in response to the column information stored by the column latch means; a method of verifying that information has been erased from a selected byte in said memory device at the time of a data writing cycle, said method comprising the following steps: selecting a corresponding row selecting signal line in response to said externally generated row designating signal; selecting a corresponding column selecting signal line in response to said externally generated column designating signal; temporarily storing said selected column information; temporarily storing said data to be written into a selected memory cell corresponding to selected row and column selecting segment lines; erasing the data already stored in said selected memory cell after said data to be written is temporarily stored; and reading out information stored in said selected memory cell to verify whether said selected memory cell is erased or not.

Claim 8

In a nonvolatile electrically programmable and erasable semiconductor memory device operable in a page mode, said device having a plurality of memory cells each connected to a single row selecting signal line and a single column selecting signal line, said device including row selecting means for selecting a corresponding row selecting signal line in response to an external row designating signal; column selecting means for selecting a corresponding column selecting signal line in response to an external column designating signal; column latch means for temporarily storing column information selected by the column selecting means; data latch means for temporarily storing data to be written into a memory cell selected by the row selecting means and the column selecting means; data erasing means for erasing data stored in the memory cell selected by the row selecting means and column selecting means after the data to be written is latched by the data latch means; erase determination means for reading out information stored in the memory cell in response to the column information stored by the column latch means; a method of verifying that information has been erased from a selected byte in said memory device at the time of a data writing cycle, said method comprising the following steps: selecting a corresponding row selecting signal line in response to said externally generated row designating signal; selecting a corresponding column selecting signal line in response to said externally generated column designating signal; temporarily storing said selected column information; temporarily storing said data to be written into a selected memory cell corresponding to selected row and column selecting segment lines; erasing the data already stored in said selected memory cell after said data to be written is temporarily stored; and reading out information stored in said selected memory cell to verify whether said selected memory cell is erased or not.

Claim 9

In an electrically programable and erasable memory device as set forth in claim 6, repeating said erasing step when said selected memory cell has not been previously erased.