Patent · US Expired

Split-gate flash EEPROM cell and array with low voltage erasure

US5343424A · kind A · utility

6Cited by
5References
14Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 16, 1993
Grant dateAug 30, 1994
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 16, 2013

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH10D64/511

Abstract

Each unit cell (10) of a flash EEPROM array (50) includes a control gate (38) having a section (38b) disposed in series between a program section (34a) of a floating gate (34) and a source (18) to provide threshold voltage control for erasure. The floating gate (34) further has an erase section (34b) which extends from the program section (34a) around an end of a channel (22) to the source (18). A thin tunnel oxide layer (32) is formed between an end portion (34c) of the erase section (34b) and an underlying portion of the source (18) which enables the floating gate (34) to be erased by Fowler-Nordheim tunneling from the end portion (34c) through the oxide layer (32) to the source (18) with low applied voltages.

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