Patent · US Expired

Memory device

US6118686A · kind A · utility

18Cited by
3References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJul 22, 1999
Grant dateSep 12, 2000
Priority date
Expiry dateJul 22, 2019

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG11C2216/08
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A memory device for storing information includes a conductive layer functioning as a current passage, an information storing section, the information storing section comprising at least two quantum dot groups, including a plurality of quantum dots, and a plurality of barrier layers, the barrier layers confining charges in the quantum dots, the energy level localized in a quantum dot group nearer the conductive layer being higher than the energy level localized in another quantum dot group distant from the conductive layer, and a control electrode provided on the information storing section, on the opposite side from the conductive layer. Pulse voltages having different widths and different heights are applied between the conductive layer and the information storing section thereby transferring charge from the conductive layer and accumulating charge in different quantum dot groups in response to the widths and heights to store the information. The memory device can operate at a low voltage and can store multivalued information.

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