Patent · US Expired

Semiconductor memory having writing and reading transistors, method of fabrication thereof, and method of use thereof

US5357464A · kind A · utility

30Cited by
0References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 26, 1993
Grant dateOct 18, 1994
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 26, 2013

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH10B12/00
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Disclosed is a semiconductor memory having a self-amplifying cell structure, using (1) a writing transistor and (2) a reading transistor with a floating gate as a charge storage node for each memory cell, and a method of fabricating the memory cell. The writing transistor and reading transistor are of opposite conductivity type to each other; for example, the writing transistor uses a P-channel MOS transistor and the reading transistor (having the floating gate) uses an N-channel MOS transistor. The floating gate of the reading transistor is connected to a single bit line through a source-drain path of the writing transistor, the source-drain path of the reading transistor is connected between the single bit line and a predetermined potential, and the gate electrodes of the writing and reading transistors are connected to a single word line. At least the reading transistor can be formed in a trench, and the word line can be formed overlying the writing transistor and the reading transistor in the trench. Also disclosed is a method of operating the memory cell, wherein the voltage applied to the word line, in a standby condition, is intermediate to the voltage applied to the word li…

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