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EP0025311A2 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Non-volatile semiconductor memory device

Assignee: Fujitsu Ltd
•
Filing: 1980-08-27
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2000-08-27
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Abstract

Abstract A non-volatile semiconductor memory device comprises a substrate (1) a source region (3) and a drain region (4); a channel region (5) between the source and drain regions; first and second insulating layers (6, 8) over the channel region; and a floating-gate (7) or traps (7') between the first and second insulating layers. In the first insulating layer the gap of an energy band thereof increases from the region ofthesubs- I trate to the region of the floating-gate or the traps.

Inventors

  • 👤 Shinpei Hijiya
  • 👤 Takashi Ito
  • 👤 Takao Nozaki
  • 👤 Hajime Ishikawa

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-29 07:08
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10D; H10D30/00; H10D30/60; H10D30/68; H10D30/681; H10D30/684; H10D30/686

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim 79 words
A non-volatile semiconductor memory device, characterised by a substrate (1) of a first conductivity type; a first insulating layer (6) disposed on the substrate; a second insulating layer (8) disposed over the first insulating layer; and means (7, 7') for storing charges disposed between the first and second insulating layers; and in that the gap of an energy band of the first insulating layer decreases from the region of the charge storing means to the region of the substrate.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 79 words
A non-volatile semiconductor memory device, characterised by a substrate (1) of a first conductivity type; a first insulating layer (6) disposed on the substrate; a second insulating layer (8) disposed over the first insulating layer; and means (7, 7') for storing charges disposed between the first and second insulating layers; and in that the gap of an energy band of the first insulating layer decreases from the region of the charge storing means to the region of the substrate.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 17 words
A device according to Claim 1, characterised in that the charge storing means comprises a floating-gate (7).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 46 words
A device according to Claim 1, characterised in that the materials of the first and second insulating layers (6, 8) are different from each other; and in that the charge storing means comprises traps (7') formed at the interface of the first and second insulating layers.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 19 words
A device according to Claim 1, characterised in that the first insulating layer (6) comprises thermally oxidized silicon nitride.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 39 words
A device according to Claim 1, characterised in that the first insulating layer (6) comprises a third insulating layer of silicon nitride on the substrate (1) and a fourth insulating layer of silicon dioxide on the third insulating layer.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 20 words
A device according to Claim 4 or Claim 5, characterised in that the silicon nitride is thermally grown silicon nitride.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 21 words
A device according to Claim 4 or Claim 5, characterised in that the silicon nitride is manufactured by chemical vapor deposition.
Claim 9
Independent Claim 19 words
A device according to any preceding claim, characterised in that the second insulating layer (8) is of silicon dioxide.
Claim 10
Independent Claim 20 words
A device according to any preceding claim, characterised by a control gate (9) disposed on the second insulating layer (8).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 64 words
A device according to Claim 2 or Claim 3, characterised by a source region (3) and a drain region (4) of a second conductivity type,opposite to the first conductivity type,formed in the substrate (1) apart from each other; and a channel region (5) disposed between the source and drain regions in the substrate, the first insulating layer (6) being disposed on the channel region.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 66 words
A device according to Claim 10, characterised in that a writing operation is performed by causing avalanche breakdown in the vicinity of the drain region (4) and injecting hot carriers of a first type into the floating-gate (7); and in that an erasing operation is performed by causing avalanche breakdown and injecting hot carriers of a second type opposite to said first type into the floating-gate.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 61 words
A device according to Claim 10, characterised in that a writing operation is performed by tunneling carriers of a first type from the substrate (1) through the first insulating layer (6) to the floating-gate (7); and in that an erasing operation is performed by tunneling carriers of said first type from the floating-gate through the first insulating layer to the substrate.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 61 words
A device according to Claim 10, characterised in that a writing operation is performed by tunneling carriers of a first type from the substrate (1) through the first insulating layer (6) to the traps (7'); and in that an erasing operation is performed by tunneling carriers of the first type from the traps through the first insulating layer to the substrate.

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