Single-electron floating-gate MOS memory

Details Single-electron floating-gate MOS memory Single-electron floating-gate MOS memory

1997-07-25

2000-05-30

Chaudhuri, Olik

Active solid-state devices (e.g., transistors, solid-state diode

Field effect device

Having insulated electrode

438257, 438264, H01L 29788

Patent

active

060693800

ABSTRACT:
A Single Electron MOS Memory (SEMM), in which one bit of information is represented by storing only one electron, has been demonstrated at room temperature. The SEMM is a floating gate Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (MOS) transistor in silicon with a channel width (about 10 nanometers) which is smaller than the Debye screening length of a single electron stored on the floating gate, and a nanoscale polysilicon dot (about 7 nanometers by 7 nanometers by 2 nanometers) as the floating gate which is positioned between the channel and the control gate. An electron stored on the floating gate can screen the entire channel from the potential on the control gate, and lead to: (i) a discrete shift in the threshold voltage; (ii) a staircase relation between the charging voltage and the shift; and (iii) a self-limiting charging process. The structure and fabrication of the SEMM is well adapted to the manufacture of ultra large-scale integrated circuits.

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