Patent · US Expired

Method of inhibiting degradation of ultra short channel charge-carrying devices during discharge

US5650964A · kind A · utility

22Cited by
6References
25Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJun 7, 1995
Grant dateJul 22, 1997
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 7, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C16/14
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A process for discharging a floating gate semiconductor device formed in a semiconductor substrate, the device having a first active region, a second active region, a charge holding region, and a channel between the first and second active regions, the channel having a length defined by a distance below the charge holding region between the first and second active regions. The process comprises the steps of: applying a first positive voltage of about 4-8 volts to the first active region; applying a second voltage in the range of about 0.5-3 volts to the second active region; applying a third voltage in the range of minus 8 volts to the charge holding region; and coupling the substrate to ground. The first active region may comprise either a source or a drain region of a MOSFET, and the second active region may comprise a source region or a drain region of a MOSFET. In a further aspect an array of floating gate transistors, each transistor comprising a source, drain, gate and floating gate, each floating gate including an electric charge; and control logic coupled to the transistors, for selectively addressing the transistors is disclosed. In the apparatus, to discharge the floating…

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