Hole impact ionization mechanism of hot electron injection and four-terminal .rho.FET semiconductor structure for long-term learning

US5990512A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY · US

Inventors

• Christopher J. Diorio · Shoreline, US
• Paul Hasler · Atlanta, US
• Bradley A. Minch · Plainville, US
• Carver A. Mead · Pasadena, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Apr 22, 1997
• Grant date: Nov 23, 1999
• Expiry date: Apr 22, 2017

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H10D48/36

Abstract

Hot-electron injection driven by a hole impact ionization mechanism at the channel-drain junction provides a new method of hot electron injection. Using this mechanism, a four-terminal pFET floating-gate silicon MOS transistor for analog learning applications provides nonvolatile memory storage. Electron tunneling permits bidirectional memory updates. Because these updates depend on both the stored memory value and the transistor terminal voltages, the synapses can implement a learning function. The synapse learning follows a simple power law. Unlike conventional EEPROMs, the synapses allow simultaneous memory reading and writing. Synapse transistor arrays can therefore compute both the array output, and local memory updates, in parallel. Synaptic arrays employing these devices enjoy write and erase isolation between array synapses is better than 0.01% because the tunneling and injection processes are exponential in the transistor terminal voltages. The synapses are small, and typically are operated at subthreshold current levels.