Current metering apparatus for optimally inducing field emission of electrons in tunneling devices and the like
US4829482A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 18, 1985 |
| Grant date | May 9, 1989 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 18, 2005 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11C27/024
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A current metering circuit is configured as a single stage charge pump for limiting the current level applied to the tunneling regions of an integrated circuit, nonvolatile, floating gate memory cell. The current metering circuit includes a storage capacitor which has one plate pumped by a periodic signal. The other plate of the capacitor is charged from a voltage that is boot-strapped from the voltage that presently exists across the active tunneling region. More particularly, a high voltage is applied to the drain of a transistor whose gate is connected to the tunneling region. The source of this transistor is coupled to a plate of the storage capacitor. This source develops a voltage equal to the present voltage across the load less the turnon threshold of the transistor. When the periodic signal goes low, the storage capacitor is charged from the voltage appearing at the source of this transistor. When the periodic signal goes high, this transistor is biased to turn off and the capacitor discharges through a diode to develop the metered output current. The current amplitude is equal to the product of the capacitance of the storage capacitor, the change in voltage across the cap…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.