Semiconductor memory device having an electrically floating body transistor
First Claim
1. A semiconductor memory cell formed in a semiconductor, the semiconductor memory cell comprising:
- a floating body region defining at least a portion of a surface of the semiconductor memory cell, the floating body region having a first conductivity type; and
a buried region located within the semiconductor memory cell and located adjacent to the floating body region, wherein the buried region has a second conductivity type, and the buried region is discontinuous along one direction;
wherein said floating body region stores a charge or lack of charge indicative of a state of the semiconductor memory cell selected from at least first and second states; and
wherein said buried region is configured to generate impact ionization when the semiconductor memory cell is in one of said first and second states, and wherein said buried region is configured so as not to generate impact ionization when the semiconductor memory cell is in the other of said first and second states.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An IC may include an array of memory cells formed in a semiconductor, including memory cells arranged in rows and columns, each memory cell may include a floating body region defining at least a portion of a surface of the memory cell, the floating body region having a first conductivity type; a buried region located within the memory cell and located adjacent to the floating body region, wherein the buried region has a second conductivity type, wherein the floating body region is bounded on a first side by a first insulating region having a first thickness and on a second side by a second insulating region having a second thickness, and a gate region above the floating body region and the second insulating region and is insulated from the floating body region by an insulating layer; and control circuitry configured to provide electrical signals to said buried region.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A semiconductor memory cell formed in a semiconductor, the semiconductor memory cell comprising:
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a floating body region defining at least a portion of a surface of the semiconductor memory cell, the floating body region having a first conductivity type; and a buried region located within the semiconductor memory cell and located adjacent to the floating body region, wherein the buried region has a second conductivity type, and the buried region is discontinuous along one direction; wherein said floating body region stores a charge or lack of charge indicative of a state of the semiconductor memory cell selected from at least first and second states; and wherein said buried region is configured to generate impact ionization when the semiconductor memory cell is in one of said first and second states, and wherein said buried region is configured so as not to generate impact ionization when the semiconductor memory cell is in the other of said first and second states. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. An array of memory cells formed in a semiconductor, the array comprising:
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a plurality of memory cells arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, each of said memory cells comprising; a floating body region defining at least a portion of a surface of the memory cell, the floating body region having a first conductivity type; and a buried region located beneath the surface of the memory cell, wherein the buried region has a second conductivity type, wherein the rows of the plurality of memory cells define a first direction and the columns of the plurality of memory cells define a second direction, and said buried region is discontinuous along the first direction or the second direction and commonly connected to at least two of said memory cells, and when a first memory cell of said plurality of memory cells is in a first state and a second memory cell of said plurality of memory cells is in a second state, application of a bias to said buried region maintains said first memory cell in said first state and said second memory cell in said second state. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An array of memory cells formed in a semiconductor, the array comprising:
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a plurality of memory cells arranged in a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, each of said memory cells comprising; a floating body region defining at least a portion of a surface of the memory cell, the floating body region having a first conductivity type; and a buried region located beneath the surface of the memory cell, wherein the buried region has a second conductivity type, wherein said floating body region stores a charge or lack of charge indicative of a state of the semiconductor memory cell selected from at least first and second states; and wherein the rows of the plurality of memory cells define a first direction and the columns of the plurality of memory cells define a second direction, and said buried region is discontinuous along the first direction or the second direction and commonly connected to at least two of said plurality of memory cells, wherein said buried region is configured to generate impact ionization when the memory cell is in one of said first and second states, and wherein said buried region is configured so as not to generate impact ionization when the memory cell is in the other of said first and second states. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification