SOURCE LINE HIGH VOLTAGE DRIVER CIRCUIT WITH IMPROVED RELIABILITY AND READ PERFORMANCE

摘要

A source line high voltage driver circuit 50 for use with a semiconductor memory device which has several other substantially identical circuits 50. Circuit 50 includes a latching circuit portion which selectively applies a high voltage signal to source line SL during a write/program cycle, and a cascode circuit which is used to discharge source line SL and which is formed by two transistors 72, 74. The drain terminal of transistor 72 is coupled to source line SL, and the source terminal of transistor 74 is coupled to ground. The drain terminal of transistor 74 and the source terminal of transistor 72 are each coupled to a node N5 which is electrically coupled to the node N5 of every other circuit 50 within the semiconductor memory device.