Smart card having memory using a breakdown phenomena in an ultra-thin dielectric
US6766960B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 17, 2001 |
| Grant date | Jul 27, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 22, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH10B20/20
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A smart card having improved non-volatile memory and a processor. The memory includes of a plurality of memory cells. The semiconductor memory cells each have a data storage element constructed around an ultra-thin dielectric, such as gate oxide. The gate oxide is used to store information by stressing the ultra-thin dielectric into breakdown (soft or hard breakdown) to set the leakage current level of the memory cell. The memory cell is read be sensing the current drawn by the cell. A suitable ultra-thin dielectric is high quality gate oxide of about 50 angstroms thickness or less, as commonly available from presently available advance CMOS logic process.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.