NAND Flash Memories Application Note
NAND Flash Memories
Understanding NAND Flash Factory Pre-Programming
Schemes
Application Note
February 2009
an_elnec_nand_schemes, version 1.00
Version 1.00/02.2009 Page 1 of 20
NAND Flash Memories Application Note
NAND flash technology enables memory manufacturers to produce memory devices with high density at
low cost. From that reason, NAND flash memories are very popular in various electronic equipments that need to
store a large amount of data, such as music players, cameras, mobile phones, PDAs and many others.
There are several important differences between (traditional) NOR and NAND flash memories, widely
discussed through world-wide-web articles and forums. The most evident one is the presence of invalid blocks in
NAND flash memory device. It means that not whole device address range can be used for data storage. Some
memory locations are defective and cannot be programmed and read reliably. However, these defective locations
don't affect the reliability of the rest of memory device.
There must various precautions been taken into account to cope with that defective locations, already in
development phase of the target product. The set of such precautions can be called “pre-programming scheme”.
This application note tries to explain all aspects of NAND flash factory pre-programming. Please, read it carefully
before you contact us as and ask for special support for your NAND flash project. It will help you to provide us with
all information that we need for successful implementation, in exact and accurate form. This will help us to
implement your needs in as short time as possible, that will further reduce your pre-production costs.
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