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US4131983A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Adjustment of avalanche voltage in DIFMOS memory devices by control of impurity doping

Assignee: Texas Instruments Inc
•
Filing: 1977-01-10
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Granted: 1979-01-02
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Expires: 1997-01-10
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Abstract

Abstract A dual injector, floating-gate MOS non-volatile semiconductor memory device (DIFMOS) has been fabricated, wherein the electron injection means comprises a p+n+ junction, the n+ region thereof having a critical dopant concentration, controlled by ion implantation. The junction is avalanched to "write" a charge on the floating gate, and a hole injector junction (n+/p-) is avalanched to "erase" the charge. An MOS sensing transistor, whose gate is an extension of the floating gate, "reads" the presence or absence of charge on the floating gate. In a preferred embodiment, the hole injection means includes an MOS "bootstrap" capacitor for coupling a voltage bias to the floating gate.

Inventors

  • 👤 Walter T. Matzen

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-23 12:15
CPC Classifications
H; H10; H10B; H10B41/00; H10B41/30; H10B41/60; H10D; H10D30/00; H10D30/60; H10D30/68; H10D30/681; H10D30/684; H10D30/686; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S148/00; Y10S148/136

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 4
Claim 1
Independent Claim 207 words
A method for the fabrication of a semiconductor memory device having a floating gate, a sense transistor, an electron injector and a hole injector, comprising the steps of: a) forming a p- region in an n-type semiconductor substrate; b) then forming at least three p+ regions in said substrate, one of which is contiguous with said p- region, and two others of which form the source and drain at said sense transistor; c) then forming an n+ region in said substrate, also contiguous with said p- region; d) then implanting an n-type region in said substrate which overlaps a portion of said n+ region and a portion of said source or said drain, said implanted region having a dopant concentration between 5 × 10 16 and 2 × 10 17 cm -3 ; e) then forming said floating gate with selected portions spaced narrowly from (1) the channel region between said source and drain, (2) the p+n+ junction formed by said implanted region, and (3) the n+p- junction formed by said p- region and contiguous n+ region; whereby the implanted n+ region together with its overlapped p+ region forms the electron injector junction, said p- region together with its contiguous n+ region forms the hole injector region.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 207 words
A method for the fabrication of a semiconductor memory device having a floating gate, a sense transistor, an electron injector and a hole injector, comprising the steps of: a) forming a p- region in an n-type semiconductor substrate; b) then forming at least three p+ regions in said substrate, one of which is contiguous with said p- region, and two others of which form the source and drain at said sense transistor; c) then forming an n+ region in said substrate, also contiguous with said p- region; d) then implanting an n-type region in said substrate which overlaps a portion of said n+ region and a portion of said source or said drain, said implanted region having a dopant concentration between 5 × 10 16 and 2 × 10 17 cm -3 ; e) then forming said floating gate with selected portions spaced narrowly from (1) the channel region between said source and drain, (2) the p+n+ junction formed by said implanted region, and (3) the n+p- junction formed by said p- region and contiguous n+ region; whereby the implanted n+ region together with its overlapped p+ region forms the electron injector junction, said p- region together with its contiguous n+ region forms the hole injector region.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 29 words
A method as in claim 1 wherein said implantation step comprises a dose of 1.0 × 10 13 cm -2 phosphorus atoms, accelerated to an energy of 100 Kev.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 21 words
A method as in claim 1 wherein the distance between said regions overlapped by the implantation step is about 0.5 mil.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3881180A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1982-01-01 1982-07-03 1983-01-02 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1986-01-01 1986-07-03 1987-01-02 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1990-01-01 1990-07-03 1991-01-02 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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