Patent · US Expired

Non-volatile memory integrated circuit

US7323742B2 · kind B2 · utility

27Cited by
7References
12Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateOct 27, 2005
Grant dateJan 29, 2008
Priority date
Expiry dateNov 23, 2025

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH10B69/00
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A nonvolatile memory integrated circuit arrayed in rows and columns is disclosed. Parallel lines of implant N-type regions are formed in a P-well of a semiconductor substrate, with lines of oxide material isolating each pair of the lines. Columns of memory cells straddle respective pairs of the implant region lines, with one line of the pair forming the source region and one line of the pair forming the drain region of each memory cell of the column. Each memory cell has a floating polysilicon storage gate. One of plural wordlines overlies each row of the memory cells. The portion of the wordline overlying each memory cells forms the control gate of the memory cell. Programming and erase operations occur by Fowler-Nordheim tunneling of electrons through a tunnel oxide layer between the floating gate and the source of the cell.

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