Nonvolatile semiconductor memory device capable of transferring data internally without using an external bus

摘要

A flash memory receives an internal data transfer command from a memory controller which causes the flash memory to copy data from one sector of the flash memory to another sector of the flash memory without presenting any data traffic to the bus. The internal data transfer command may optionally include a count field which causes the flash memory to transfer a plurality of adjacent sectors starting from a source address to a corresponding plurality of adjacent sectors starting at a destination address. The internal data transfer command is particularly useful for backing up the contents of a block prior to an erase operation. The internal data transfer command may also be used, if necessary, to restore the data subsequent to the erase operation.