摘要:
An electronic memory device organized into sections which are in turn divided into blocks formed of cells and their associated decoding and addressing circuits, the cells being connected in a predetermined circuit configuration and each block being included between two opposite contact regions which are interconnected by parallel continuous conduction lines referred to as the bit lines. In the present invention, at least one interruption is provided in each bit line near a contact region by inserting a controlled switch which functions as a block selector. Advantageously, the proposed solution allows each block to be isolated individually by enabling or disabling as appropriate the switches of the cascade connected blocks. Also provided is a method of implementing the memory block, as organized into a matrix-like configuration, individually selectable from a plurality of blocks embedded in a memory device, wherein each memory cell is identified by a continuous bit line enabled by at least one block selector, by a broken bit line or ‘segment’ connected to the continuous one through an address device, and by a word line orthogonal to the direction of the bit lines, and formed on a substrate having a first type of conductivity.
摘要:
Self-aligned etching process for providing a plurality of mutually parallel word lines in a first conducting layer deposited over a planarized architecture obtained starting from a semiconductor substrate on which is provided a plurality of active elements extending along separate parallel lines e.g., memory cell bit lines and comprising gate regions made up of a first conducting layer, an intermediate dielectric layer and a second conducting layer with said regions being insulated from each other by insulation regions to form said architecture with said word lines being defined photolithographically by protective strips implemented by means of: a vertical profile etching for complete removal from the unprotected areas of the first conducting layer of the second conducting layer and of the intermediate dielectric layer respectively, and a following isotropic etching of the first conducting layer.
摘要:
An electronic memory device organized into sections which are in turn divided into blocks formed of cells and their associated decoding and addressing circuits, the cells being connected in a predetermined circuit configuration and each block being included between two opposite contact regions which are interconnected by parallel continuous conduction lines referred to as the bit lines. In the present invention, at least one interruption is provided in each bit line near a contact region by inserting a controlled switch which functions as a block selector. Advantageously, the proposed solution allows each block to be isolated individually by enabling or disabling as appropriate the switches of the cascade connected blocks. Also provided is a method of implementing the memory block, as organized into a matrix-like configuration, individually selectable from a plurality of blocks embedded in a memory device, wherein each memory cell is identified by a continuous bit line enabled by at least one block selector, by a broken bit line or `segment` connected to the continuous one through an address device, and by a word line orthogonal to the direction of the bit lines, and formed on a substrate having a first type of conductivity.
摘要:
An integrated circuit unerasable memory cell which includes at least one memory cell consisting of a floating gate transistor with drain, source, and gate terminals, and a metallic shield embedded in the semiconductor substrate and covering the cell. Also provided are a diffused region defining a closed loop path on the substrate surface all around the transistor, and having said shield connected peripherally thereto in an unbroken fashion, and first and second wells extending in the substrate from the transistor to outside the diffused region, the first of said wells being connected directly to the gate terminal of the transistor. A contact inside the shield connects the shield's top surface to the cell's source. A protection diode (inside the shield) prevents charging of the floating gate during manufacture.
摘要:
The cell comprises a substrate with diffusions of source and drain separated by a channel area a floating gate superimposed over a first part of said channel area and a control gate formed by a first and a second polysilicon strip, respectively, a cell gate oxide between said floating gate and said first part of the channel area, a transistor gate oxide between said control gate and a second part of the channel area, an interpoly oxide between said floating gate and said control gate and a layer of dielectric filler. By means of a process which provides for self-aligned etchings of layers of polysilicon and of oxides there is obtained a floating gate and a control gate self-aligned with one another and with the diffusions of source and drain, as well as with the first oxide.
摘要:
An integrated circuit includes a semiconductor substrate including first and second portions, with first electronic devices adjacent the first portion. Each first electronic device includes a first region comprising at least one first conductive layer projecting from the semiconductor substrate. First protective spacers are adjacent sidewalls of the first regions of the first electronic devices. The first protective spacers are defined by first and second sealing layers adjacent one another. Second electronic devices are adjacent the second portion of the semiconductor substrate. Each second electronic device includes a second region comprising a second conductive layer projecting from the semiconductor substrate. Second protective spacers are adjacent sidewalls of the second regions of the second electronic devices. The second protective spacers are defined by other portions of the second sealing layer. The second sealing layer has a thickness less than a thickness of the first sealing layer.
摘要:
An integrated non-volatile memory device may include a first matrix of memory cells organized into rows (or word lines) and columns (or bit lines), corresponding row and column decoding circuits, and read, modify and erase circuits for reading and modifying data stored in the memory cells. Furthermore, the memory device may also include a test structure including a second matrix of memory cells smaller than the first. The second memory matrix may include word line couplings each having a different contact to gate distance. That is, each coupling is aligned a different distance from its respective gate than adjacent couplings.
摘要:
A method and a related circuit structure are described for improving the effectiveness of ESD protection in circuit structures realized in a semiconductor substrate overlaid with an epitaxial layer and including at least one ESD protection lateral bipolar transistor realized in the surface of the epitaxial layer. The method consists of forming under the transistor an isolating well that isolates the transistor from the substrate. Advantageously, the transistor can be fully isolated from the substrate by first and second N wells which extend from the surface of the epitaxial layer down to and in contact with the buried well.
摘要:
A voltage regulator for electrically programmable non-volatile semiconductor memory devices of the type comprising a gain stage (3), supplied by a programming voltage (Vpp) and having an input terminal connected to a divider (6) of said programming voltage (Vpp) and an output terminal (U) connected to a programming line (5) of at least one memory cell (2) comprises at least one circuit element (4) capable of adapting the line programming voltage (5) to the length (L) of the memory cell (2). This provides a drain voltage, on the bit line of the memory device, which varies according to the actual length of the memory cell.
摘要:
Since fault phenomena such as lowering of the cell gain and cell emptying occur during normal operation the present invention proposes that in the memory device the row and/or column address decoding means (RDEC,CDEC) comprise at least one non-volatile memory (NVM) for address mapping and that the reading and writing control logic (CL) comprise means (TST) designed to identify cell faults, such as low grain, in the rows and/or columns of the matrix (MAT) of the memory device and writing means (WM) designed to write on said non-volatile memory (NVM) during normal operation addresses corresponding to redundant rows and/or columns (RID) present in the matrix (MAT) to rectify said faults.