Texas Instruments Corporation

Henry B Morris

Robert T Bate

Richard A Chapman

Milo R Johnson

The invention is embodied in a non-volatile metal-insulator-semiconductor having a novel combination of insulating layers including a titanium dioxide layer covered by a silicon dioxide layer. In one embodiment of the invention the insulator combination also includes a second layer of silicon dioxide located between the titanium dioxide and the semiconductor. In another embodiment the insulator combination also includes a layer of silicon nitride located between the titanium dioxide layer and the semiconductor. The memory elements are fabricated using a novel sequence of steps for forming multiple dielectric layers. The titanium dioxide of a type known as rutile is formed by evaporation of titanium metal upon the silicon dioxide and oxidation of the titanium in an oxygen ambient at high temperatures. Writing is accomplished by injection of charge into the titanium dioxide layer thus shifting the threshold voltage of the structure. Erasure is accomplished by forcing the injected charge back into the semiconductor to recombine with majority carriers. The charge can be electrons or holes depending on the semiconductor type. The memory element of the invention has lower write/erase voltages, shorter write/erase times and longer memory retentivity.

Non-volatile semiconductor memory elements and methods of making

Non-volatile metal-insulator-semiconductor memory elements are fabricated using a novel sequence of steps for forming multiple dielectric layers including particularly a layer of titanium dioxide covering a layer of silicon dioxide covering a layer of silicon nitride. The titanium dioxide of a type known as rutile is formed by evaporation of titanium upon the silicon dioxide and oxidization of the titanium in an oxygen ambient at high temperatures.

Method of making non-volatile semiconductor memory elements having

Method of making non-volatile semiconductor memory elements

The invention is embodied in a novel method of forming titanium dioxide layers for metal-insulator-semiconductor device dielectrics. The titanium dioxide of a type known as rutile is formed by the deposition of titanium metal upon a layer of silicon dioxide and oxidation of titanium in an oxygen ambient at high temperatures.

Method of depositing titanium dioxide (rutile) as a gate dielectric for

This disclosure is directed to a photovoltaic detector having specific response to the infrared range, wherein the detector comprises a metal-semiconductor diode having a semi-transparent electrode and disposed on a specially prepared substrate of a narrow band gap semiconductor material or on an epitaxial layer or evaporated film of such material provided on a substrate. In a specific example, the narrow band gap semiconductor material of the substrate is specially prepared (Pb,Sn)Te or an epitaxial layer or evaporated film of (Pb,Sn)Te on a (Pb,Sn)Te substrate. The detected radiation is transmitted through the semi-transparent electrode on top of the photovoltaic detector.

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Plano, TX, United States of America

Henry B Morris