Contactless flash memory with buried diffusion bit/virtual ground lines
US6570810B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 20, 2001 |
| Grant date | May 27, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 20, 2021 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG11C16/0491
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A contactless Flash memory has memory cells between each pair of adjacent diffused lines and about half as many metal lines as diffused lines. Bank select cells at the top of a bank in the memory connect the metal lines to pairs of diffused lines that are offset relative to pairs of diffused lines connected to the metal lines via bank select cells at the bottom of the bank. Decoding circuits activate the bank select cells at one end of a bank to access memory cells in odd-numbered columns of the bank and activate the bank select cells at the other end to access memory cells in even-numbered columns of the bank. For the access, all metal lines to one side of a selected memory cell are grounded, while all metal lines on the other side are biased for reading or programming of the selected memory cell.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.