Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an FAMOS memory location which can have at least three completely natural program levels. SOLUTION: An FAMOS memory location is provided with a single floating gate (GR) overlapping the active plane of a semiconductor substrate along contour (PF1, PF2) of at least two asymmetric overlaps in order to determine at least two electrodes in an active region. A memory location program means (MC, SW) applies a set of specified different voltages selectively to the electrodes such that at least three program logical levels are outputted to the memory location.
Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To electrically erase an FAMOS memory cell. SOLUTION: The memory cell is electrically erased by applying a substrate with a voltage VB, having a value less than the threshold predetermined not to break a cell, which is higher at least by 4 volt than a voltage which is the lower of a voltage VS applied to a source and a voltage VD applied to a drain.
Abstract:
PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a memory device which overcomes the data holding problem caused by the thinness of its grid dielectric present in the interface between its STI-type isolation region and its grid material. SOLUTION: The semiconductor memory device comprises a non-volatile programmable and electrically erasable memory cell having a single layer of grid material. Also, the memory cell comprises a floating grid transistor and a control grid within an active semiconductor area which is formed in a region of a substrate and is delimited by an isolation region. The single layer of grid material wherein the floating grid is formed extends integrally above the active semiconductor area without overlapping part of the isolation region. The floating grid transistor is electrically isolated from the control grid by PN junctions that are inversely polarized. COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO
Abstract:
The system has a memory controller interacting with an integrated circuit memory via a write bus, over which data is sent to a memory. A read bus outputs the data from the memory. The controller has a signal generating unit for generating a signal that is conveyed to read-out circuits of the memory in order to enable a column redundancy unit of memory subspaces, comprising a defective column address, via read-out circuits.
Abstract:
The semiconductor memory device comprises a transistor with a floating gate (FG) and a control gate formed by the regions of source (S), drain (D) and channel of the transistor. The memory cell comprises a dielectric zone (ZTN) laid out between a first part (P1) of the layer of gate material and a first active zone (RG1) electrically insulated from a second active zone (RG2) incorporating the control gate. The dielectric zone forms a tunnel zone (ZTN) for transferring the charges stored in the floating gate towards the first active zone at the time of erasing the memory cell. The transistor has a ring gate (FG), and the gate material comprises a linking part (PL) extended between the first part and the ring gate. The first active zone (RG1) and the second active zone (RG2) are electrically insulated one from the other by the p-n junctions polarized in reverse, and on the surface by a region of shallow trench isolation (STI). The two regions of substrate (RG1,RG2) are of the first conductivity type, and the intermediate region (RG3) is of the second conductivity type. The isolation region (RG3) comprises an opening for a contact zone (PSB). The first region of substrate (RG1) comprises a contact zone (PC1) of the first conductivity type. The device also comprises the polarization means possessing the states of programming, reading and erasing the memory cell. The erasing of type Fowler-Nordheim is by applying a voltage to the first active zone much higher than to the regions of source, drain and substrate of the transistor. The programming is by hot carriers at the level of transistor. The programming of type Fowler-Nordheim is by applying to the region of source, drain and substrate the voltages much higher than to the first active zone. The device comprises a memory array incorporating several memory cells, where each memory cell is associated with an access transistor. An integrated circuit comprises the device as claimed.
Abstract:
A non-volatile memory cell includes a MOS transistor having a ring arrangement and comprising a floating gate, a center electrode at a center of the ring arrangement and surrounding the floating gate, and at least one peripheral electrode along a periphery of the ring arrangement.