Static information storage and retrieval – Floating gate – Particular biasing
Reexamination Certificate
2007-05-01
2007-05-01
Elms, Richard T. (Department: 2824)
Static information storage and retrieval
Floating gate
Particular biasing
C365S189090, C365S104000
Reexamination Certificate
active
10830280
ABSTRACT:
Methods and apparatuses prevent overtunneling in nonvolatile floating gate memory (NVM) cells. An individual cell includes a circuit with a transistor that has a floating gate that stores charge, and a capacitor structure for extracting charge from the gate, such as by tunneling. A counteracting circuit prevents extracting charge from the floating gate beyond a threshold, therefore preventing overtunneling or correcting for it. In one embodiment, the counteracting circuit supplies electrons to the floating gate, to compensate for tunneling beyond a point. In another embodiment, the counteracting circuit includes a switch, and a sensor to trigger the switch when the appropriate threshold is reached. The switch may be arranged in any number of suitable ways, such as to prevent a high voltage from being applied to the capacitor structure, or to prevent a power supply from being applied to a terminal of the transistor or to a well of the transistor.
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Diorio Christopher J.
Gilliland Troy N.
Lindhorst Chad A.
Pesavento Alberto
Srinivas Shailendra
Elms Richard T.
Impinj, Inc.
Nguyen Dang
Ritchie David B.
Thelen Reid Brown Raysman & Steiner LLP
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