摘要:
The present invention relates to a nonvolatile memory cell comprising two nonvolatile alterable threshold voltage field effect transistors. The drain electrodes of the two nonvolatile alterable threshold voltage field effect transistors are coupled through load transistors to a common negative power supply. Their gates are connected together and to an external source of negative pulses. Their sources are connected to circuits sensitive to current in the two alterable transistors. The first nonvolatile alterable threshold voltage field effect transistor is placed at a first threshold voltage, and the second alterable threshold voltage field effect transistor is placed at a second threshold voltage. The different threshold voltages set the nonvolatile memory cell in a one state or in a zero state. A current will first pass through the alterable threshold voltage field effect transistor having the less negative threshold voltage, before it passes through the alterable threshold field effect transistor having the more negative threshold voltage during the application of a negatively increasing gate voltage to both alterable threshold voltage field effect transistors. The state of the nonvolatile memory cell is thus determined by which nonvolatile alterable threshold voltage transistor conducts first.
摘要:
The present invention relates to a nonvolatile flip-flop memory cell in which an alterable threshold voltage nonvolatile MNOS field effect transistor is connected to each bistable terminal of a volatile flip-flop circuit. The nonvolatile MNOS field effect transistors nonvolatilely retain the state of the volatile flipflop circuit during a power failure to the flip-flop circuit. During the power failure to the volatile flip-flop circuit, the threshold voltage of one of the nonvolatile MNOS field effect transistors is changed, to nonvolatilely retain the state of the volatile flip-flop circuit. The state of the flip-flop circuit is reset when power is restored, with the aid of the nonvolatile MNOS field effect transistors. When a power failure to the volatile flip-flop circuit is sensed, a high negative potential is applied to the gates of the nonvolatile MNOS transistors to change the threshold of the nonvolatile MNOS transistor which is connected to the zero potential terminal of the volatile flip-flop circuit. The state of the volatile flip-flop circuit is retained in said nonvolatile MNOS field effect transistors. The binary bit of information nonvolatilely stored in the nonvolatile memory cell is read back into the volatile flip-flop circuit when power is restored.