The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jul. 27, 1993
Filed:
Apr. 25, 1990
Nader A Radjy, Palo Alto, CA (US);
Michael S Briner, San Jose, CA (US);
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US);
Abstract
An apparatus and method for improving the reliability of floating gate transistors used in memory cell applications by controlling the electric field induced across the tunnel oxide region of the floating gate transistor when discharging electrons from floating gate is provided. The invention comprises method and apparatus for varying the resistance applied to the drain electrode of the floating gate device and/or varying the voltage applied to the source electrode of the floating gate device to control the electric field in the tunnel oxide region of the floating gate device. In the preferred embodiment of the invention utilized in an EEPROM memory cell, both a method and an apparatus applying a variable resistance and a method and an apparatus applying a variable voltage are utilized simultaneously. The method and apparatus provide an optimal electric field intensity to control electron tunneling in the tunnel region of the floating gate device during discharge of electrons from the floating gate.