Patent · US Expired

MOS Dynamic memory in a diffusion current limited semiconductor structure

US4216489A · kind A · utility

15Cited by
9References
10Claims
0Family size

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Key dates

Filing dateJan 22, 1979
Grant dateAug 5, 1980
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 22, 1999

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S148/07
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

In a dynamic MOS (Metal Oxide Semiconductor) random access memory, reverse bias leakage currents which deplete stored charges are reduced by minimizing minority carrier generation-type currents. By so minimizing these currents, the leakage currents become dominated by minority carrier diffusion currents. The memory is ideally formed in an upper semiconductor layer (14) of a layered structure (11). The semiconductor layer (14) is grown epitaxially with a relatively low dopant concentration on a semiconductor substrate (12) with a dopant concentration of the same conductivity type and about three orders of magnitude greater than that of the epitaxially grown layer. The epitaxially grown structure is advantageously suited for the memory circuits in that it may be formed with very low leakage currents. The material further offers by its layered structure a basis for optimizing dynamic memory device characteristics.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.