Patent · US Expired

Two bit non-volatile electrically erasable and programmable semiconductor memory cell utilizing asymmetrical charge trapping

US6011725A · kind A · utility

1,212Cited by
43References
16Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 4, 1999
Grant dateJan 4, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 4, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH10D64/037
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A non-volatile electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM) capable of storing two bit of information having a nonconducting charge trapping dielectric, such as silicon nitride, sandwiched between two silicon dioxide layers acting as electrical insulators is disclosed. The invention includes a method of programming, reading and erasing the two bit EEPROM device. The nonconducting dielectric layer functions as an electrical charge trapping medium. A conducting gate layer is placed over the upper silicon dioxide layer. A left and a right bit are stored in physically different areas of the charge trapping layer, near left and right regions of the memory cell, respectively.

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