Abstract:
A word-organized memory array employing at each storage location only a single metal-insulator-semiconductor device. Information is written into selected devices by causing them to assume either a high or a low voltage threshold state while non-selected devices are undisturbed. During the write cycle, the source and drain electrodes of each element are maintained at the same potential having either a first or a second value whereby there is no steady state current flowing through the devices and no steady state power dissipation on the memory array.
Abstract:
A storage circuit includes in each stage a metal-nitride-oxidesemiconductor (MNOS) transistor whose threshold voltage is electrically alterable. When the transistors are all at the same threshold level, data bits may be dynamically loaded and stored in the circuit. These bits thereafter may be statically stored by retaining the MNOS transistor of a stage at its original threshold level if the bit stored in that stage is of one binary value and by placing the MNOS transistor at its other threshold level if the bit stored is of the other binary value.
Abstract:
Means for cycling a variable threshold field-effect semiconductor memory device to one selected threshold level and then to another selected threshold level before each write operation to minimize a shift in the selected threshold levels.