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:
Sep. 16, 1997
Filed:
Dec. 21, 1995
Yugo Tomioka, Tokyo, JP;
Nippon Steel Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
A non-volatile semiconductor memory unit comprises a memory cell having a semiconductor substrate, a control gate formed over the semiconductor substrate, an electric charge accumulative layer formed between the semiconductor substrate and the control gate, and a source and drain, both formed in the semiconductor substrate. The memory cell stores N-valued data (N being an integer more than 3) by accumulating an electric charge in the electric charge accumulative layer. A detector is provided for detecting a storage state before data rewrite of the memory cell. A comparison circuit compares the storage state before data rewrite, with a storage state after data rewrite to produce a difference therebetween. A rewrite circuit is included for rewriting the storage state of the memory cell by applying N-1 levels of predetermined voltages to the source, the drain and control gate of the memory cell, respectively, in accordance with the produced difference.