Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim
125 words
A semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type; a semiconductor source region of a second conductivity type in the substrate; a semiconductor drain region of said second conductivity type in the substrate; a semiconductor channel region of said second conductivity type in the substrate, the channel region interconnecting the source and drain regions; an insulating region on the substrate; a gate electrode on the insulating region; and a semiconductor charge storage region of said first conductivity type positioned between the channel region and the insulating region in the substrate beneath the electrode, and being completely separated from the remainder of the substrate by the channel region and portions of at least one of the source region, drain region, and insulating region.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
125 words
A semiconductor device comprising: a semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type; a semiconductor source region of a second conductivity type in the substrate; a semiconductor drain region of said second conductivity type in the substrate; a semiconductor channel region of said second conductivity type in the substrate, the channel region interconnecting the source and drain regions; an insulating region on the substrate; a gate electrode on the insulating region; and a semiconductor charge storage region of said first conductivity type positioned between the channel region and the insulating region in the substrate beneath the electrode, and being completely separated from the remainder of the substrate by the channel region and portions of at least one of the source region, drain region, and insulating region.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
52 words
A semiconductor device as in claim 1 wherein said charge storage region includes a concentration of ions of said first conductivity type which allows substantial depletion of said storage region by the first voltage applied to said gate electrode, the charge storage region being thereby enabled to accumulate and store charge carriers.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
64 words
A semiconductor device as in claim 2 wherein the charge storage region and the channel region include concentrations of ions of said first conductivity type and said second conductivity type respectively which allow depletion of majority charge carriers from the channel region when the first voltage is applied to the gate electrode, thereby rendering the channel region nonconductive between the source and drain regions.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
69 words
A semiconductor device as in claim 3 wherein said charge storage region and the channel region include concentrations of ions of said first conductivity type and said second conductivity type respectively, which allow injection into the substrate of the charge stored in the storage region when a second voltage and of a magnitude less than the electrical breakdown voltage of the insulating region is applied to the gate electrode.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
18 words
A semiconductor device as in claim 1 wherein the channel region is an ion-implanted region in the substrate.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
A semiconductor device as in claim 1 wherein the gate electrode is of an optically semi-transparent material for allowing optical radiation to impinge on the charge storage region to generate charge carriers therein.