Low power electrically alterable nonvolatile memory cells and arrays
First Claim
1. A memory cell comprising:
- a body of a semiconductor material having a first conductivity type;
a conductor-filter system including;
a first conductor having thermal charge carriers; and
a filter contacting the first conductor and including dielectrics for providing a filtering function on the charge carriers of one polarity, wherein the filter includes;
a first set of electrically alterable potential barriers for controlling flow of the charge carriers of one polarity through the filter in one direction;
a conductor-insulator system including;
a second conductor having at least a portion thereof contacting the filter and having energized charge carriers from the filter; and
a first insulator contacting the second conductor at an interface and having electrically alterable Image-Force potential barriers adjacent to the interface;
a first region spaced-apart from the second conductor with a channel of the body defined there between;
a second insulator adjacent to the first region;
a charge storage region disposed in between the first and the second insulators; and
a word-line of a conductor having;
a first portion disposed over and insulated from the charge storage region, anda second portion comprising the first conductor disposed over and insulated from the body.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Nonvolatile memory cells having a conductor-filter system, a conductor-insulator system, and a charge-injection system are provided. The conductor-filter system provides band-pass filtering function, charge-filtering function, and mass-filtering function to charge-carriers flows. The conductor-insulator system provides Image-Force barrier lowering effect to collect charge-carriers. The charge-injection system includes the conductor-filter system and the conductor-insulator system, wherein the filter of the conductor-filter system contacts the conductor of the conductor-insulator system. Apparatus on cell architecture are provided for the nonvolatile memory cells. Additionally, apparatus on array architectures are provided for constructing the nonvolatile memory cells in memory array. Method on manufacturing such memory cells and array architectures are provided.
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Citations
34 Claims
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1. A memory cell comprising:
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a body of a semiconductor material having a first conductivity type; a conductor-filter system including; a first conductor having thermal charge carriers; and a filter contacting the first conductor and including dielectrics for providing a filtering function on the charge carriers of one polarity, wherein the filter includes; a first set of electrically alterable potential barriers for controlling flow of the charge carriers of one polarity through the filter in one direction; a conductor-insulator system including; a second conductor having at least a portion thereof contacting the filter and having energized charge carriers from the filter; and a first insulator contacting the second conductor at an interface and having electrically alterable Image-Force potential barriers adjacent to the interface; a first region spaced-apart from the second conductor with a channel of the body defined there between; a second insulator adjacent to the first region; a charge storage region disposed in between the first and the second insulators; and a word-line of a conductor having; a first portion disposed over and insulated from the charge storage region, and a second portion comprising the first conductor disposed over and insulated from the body. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A memory cell comprising:
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a body of a semiconductor material having a first conductivity type; a conductor-filter system including; a first conductor having thermal charge carriers; and a filter contacting the first conductor and including dielectrics for providing a filtering function on the charge carriers of one polarity, wherein the filter includes; a first set of electrically alterable potential barriers for controlling flow of the charge carriers of one polarity through the filter in one direction, and a second set of electrically alterable potential barriers for controlling flow of charge carriers of an opposite polarity through the filter in another direction that is substantially opposite to the one direction; a conductor-insulator system including; a second conductor having at least a portion thereof contacting the filter and having energized charge carriers from the filter; and a first insulator contacting the second conductor at an interface and having electrically alterable Image-Force potential barriers adjacent to the interface; a first region spaced-apart from the second conductor with a channel of the body defined there between; a second insulator adjacent to the first region; a charge storage region disposed in between the first and the second insulators; a word-line of a conductor having; a first portion disposed over and insulated from the charge storage region, and a second portion comprising the first conductor disposed over and insulated from the body; and means for transporting the energized charge carriers over the Image-Force potential barrier onto the charge storage region. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)
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30. A nonvolatile memory array comprising:
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a substrate; a plurality of nonvolatile memory cells on the substrate, and arranged in a rectangular array of rows and columns, each of the plurality of nonvolatile memory cells comprising; a body of a semiconductor material having a first conductivity type; a conductor-filter system including; a first conductor having thermal charge carriers; and a filter contacting the conductor and including dielectrics for providing a filtering function on the charge carriers of one polarity, wherein the filter includes; a first set of electrically alterable potential barriers for controlling flow of the charge carriers of one polarity through the filter in one direction, and a second set of electrically alterable potential barriers for controlling flow of charge carriers of an opposite polarity through the filter in another direction that is substantially opposite to the one direction; a conductor-insulator system including; a second conductor having at least a portion thereof contacting the filter and having energized charge carriers from the filter; and a first insulator contacting the second conductor at an interface and having electrically alterable Image-Force potential barriers adjacent to the interface; a first region spaced-apart from the second conductor with a channel of the body defined there between; a second insulator adjacent to the first region; a charge storage region disposed in between the first and the second insulators; and a third conductor having; a first portion disposed over and insulated from the charge storage region, and a second portion comprising the first conductor disposed over and insulated from the body. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification