Intel Corporation

Lubin Y Gee

Gregory E Atwood

Chin S Park

Rustam J Mehta

Pearl Cheng

Yogendra Bobra

A virtual ground electrically programmable read-only memory device in which disturbance to neighboring cells is practically eliminated, is disclosed. In one embodiment the memory device comprises a plurality of memory cells formed in a semiconductor substrate and arranged in rows and columns so as to form an array. During read operations, pairs of adjacent cells are accessed simultaneously by grounding a single column line within the array. The two adjacent column lines--one on each side of the grounded column line--are coupled to separate read paths. Within the array, rows of cells store bits from a plurality of data bytes according to a pattern in which pairs of adjacent cells store different bits from different bytes.

Novel architecture for virtual ground high-density EPROMS

An E.sup.2 PROM is disclosed which provides automatic programming verification. Before data is written into the cells, the cells are automatically erased. The contents of the cells are checked to verify that erasing has been completed. If it has not, erasing is continued until the cells are erased. When data is written into the cells, the writing of the data into the cells continues until programming is verified. The verification is conducted at potentials other than the normal reference potential to assure that the cells are well programmed with either binary zeroes or binary ones.

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Cupertino, CA, United States of America

Lubin Y Gee