Transistor arrangement and integrated circuit

• US 8,410,815 B2
• Filed: 12/02/2010
• Issued: 04/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Original Assignee: Infineon Technologies AG
• Inventors: Strenz, Robert, Knobloch, Klaus
• Primary Examiner(s): Hammond, Crystal L
• Application Number:
  US12/958,428
• Publication Number:
  US 20120139581A1
• Time in Patent Office: 852 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 326/41
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 16/0425 comprising cells containing a merged floating gate and select transistor
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/40114 the electrodes comprising a conductor-insulator-conductor-insulator-semiconductor structure
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 29/42324 Gate electrodes for transistors with a floating gate
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 41/35 with a cell select transistor, e.g. NAND

Abstract

A transistor arrangement includes a switch transistor and a sense transistor. The switch transistor includes a charge storing structure and a control structure. The sense transistor includes a charge storing structure, a control structure and a select structure. The charge storing structure of the switch transistor is electrically connected to the charge storing structure of the sense transistor. The sense transistor is configured such that the select structure and the control structure of the sense transistor may be electrically controlled independently from one another.

Claims

1. A transistor arrangement, comprising:

a switch transistor comprising a charge storing structure and a control structure; and

a sense transistor comprising a charge storing structure, a control structure and a select structure;

wherein the control structure of the switch transistor and the control structure of the sense transistor each comprise a control gate;

wherein the select structure of the sense transistor comprises a select gate;

wherein the charge storing structure of the switch transistor is electrically connected to the charge storing structure of the sense transistor; and

wherein the sense transistor is configured such that the select structure and the control structure of the sense transistor may be electrically controlled independently from one another.

2. The transistor arrangement of claim 1,

wherein the switch transistor is free from a select structure.

3. The transistor arrangement of claim 1,

wherein the control structure of the switch transistor is electrically connected to the control structure of the sense transistor.

4. The transistor arrangement of claim 1,

wherein the charge storing structure of the switch transistor and the charge storing structure of the sense transistor each comprise a floating gate.

5. The transistor arrangement of claim 4,

wherein at least one of the gates comprises polysilicon.

6. The transistor arrangement of claim 4,

wherein the floating gate of the switch transistor and the floating gate of the sense transistor are part of a common floating gate;

and

wherein the control gate of the switch transistor and the control gate of the sense transistor are part of a common control gate.

7. The transistor arrangement of claim 6,

wherein at least one of the common floating gate and the common control gate comprises polysilicon.

8. The transistor arrangement of claim 1,

wherein the sense transistor is configured as a split-gate device.

9. The transistor arrangement of claim 4,

wherein the select gate is configured as a spacer disposed over a sidewall of at least one of the floating gate and the control gate of the sense transistor.

10. The transistor arrangement of claim 1,

wherein the sense transistor is configured to program or erase the charge storing structures.

11. The transistor arrangement of claim 10,

wherein the sense transistor is configured to program the charge storing structures using a source side injection mechanism.

12. The transistor arrangement of claim 1,

wherein the switch transistor further comprises a select structure;

wherein the select structure and the control structure of the switch transistor may be electrically controlled independently from one another.

13. The transistor arrangement of claim 12,

wherein the select structure of the switch transistor comprises a select gate that is configured as a spacer disposed over a sidewall of at least one of the charge storing structure and the control structure of the switch transistor.

14. The transistor arrangement of claim 1,

configured as a field programmable gate array cell.

15. An integrated circuit, comprising:

a plurality of field programmable gate array cells electrically connected to one another, wherein each field programmable gate array cell of the plurality of field programmable gate array cells comprises;

a transistor arrangement, comprising;

a switch transistor comprising a charge storing structure and a control structure; and

a sense transistor comprising a charge storing structure, a control structure and a select structure;

wherein the control structure of the switch transistor and the control structure of the sense transistor each comprise a control gate;

wherein the select structure of the sense transistor comprises a select gate;

wherein the charge storing structure of the switch transistor is electrically connected to the charge storing structure of the sense transistor; and

wherein the sense transistor is configured such that the select structure and the control structure of the sense transistor may be electrically controlled independently from one another.

16. The integrated circuit of claim 15,

configured as a programmable logic circuit.

17. A transistor arrangement, comprising:

a 1-transistor type switch device comprising a floating gate and a control gate; and

a 2-transistor type sense device comprising a floating gate, a control gate and a select gate;

wherein the floating gate of the switch device is electrically connected to the floating gate of the sense device; and

wherein the sense device is configured such that the select gate and the control gate of the sense device may be controlled independently from one another.

18. The transistor arrangement of claim 17,

wherein the select gate of the sense device is configured as a spacer that is disposed over a sidewall of at least one of the floating gate and the control gate of the sense device.

19. The transistor arrangement of claim 17,

wherein at least one of the gates of the switch device and the sense device comprises polysilicon.

20. The transistor arrangement of claim 17,

wherein the floating gate of the switch device and the floating gate of the sense device are part of a common floating gate;

and

wherein the control gate of the switch device and the control gate of the sense device are part of a common control gate.

21. The transistor arrangement of claim 17,

wherein the sense device is configured to program the floating gates using a source side injection mechanism.

22. The transistor arrangement of claim 17,

configured as a field programmable gate array cell.

23. An integrated circuit, comprising:

a plurality of field programmable gate array cells electrically connected to one another, wherein each field programmable gate array cell of the plurality of field programmable gate array cells comprises;

a transistor arrangement, comprising;

a 1-transistor type switch device comprising a floating gate and a control gate; and

a 2-transistor type sense device comprising a floating gate, a control gate and a select gate;

wherein the floating gate of the switch device is electrically connected to the floating gate of the sense device; and

wherein the sense device is configured such that the select gate and the control gate of the sense device may be controlled independently from one another.

24. Integrated circuit of claim 23,

configured as a programmable logic circuit.