Abstract:
A latch circuit (1) that is intentionally imbalanced, so that a first output (6) reaches ground voltage and a second output (7) reaches a supply voltage; and a fully static low-consumption fuse circuit the particularity whereof resides in that it comprises the intentionally unbalanced latch circuit (1) and a reversing branch that comprises the fuse to be programmed (6) and is adapted to reverse the operation of the latch circuit, so that in the virgin state the fuse (9) connects the second output (7) of the latch circuit (1) to the ground voltage and connects the first output (6) to the supply voltage.
Abstract:
An electrically-programmable memory cell programmed by means of injection of channel hot electrons into a charge-storage element ( 115a , 115b ; 323 ) capacitively coupled to a memory cell channel ( 107 ; 307 ) for modulating a conductivity thereof depending on a stored amount of charge. A first and a second spaced-apart electrode regions ( 109a , 109b ; 309a , 309b ) are formed in a semiconductor layer ( 103 ; 303 ) and define a channel region ( 107 ; 307 ) there between; at least one ( 109A , 109B ; 309B ) of the first and second electrode regions acts as a programming electrode of the memory cell. A control electrode ( CG ) is capacitively coupled to the charge-storage element. The charge-storage element is placed over the channel to substantially extend from the first to the second electrode regions, and is separated from the channel region by a dielectric layer ( 1012 , 113 ; 321 ). The dielectric layer has a reduced thickness in a portion ( 113 ; 321b ) thereof near the at least one programming electrode.