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. 12, 2000
Filed:
Aug. 13, 1999
Applicant:
Inventors:
Assignee:
National Semiconductor Corporation, Santa Clara, CA (US);
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Assistant Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
G11C / ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
36518501 ; 36518505 ; 36518518 ;
Abstract
The unintentional programming of a memory cell having a Frohmann-Bentchkowsky p-channel memory transistor and an n-channel MOS access transistor, which can occur during a read operation when high read voltages are used, is eliminated by forming a diode-connected MOS transistor in parallel with the access transistor. The diode-connected transistor is formed to be off when an unprogrammed memory transistor is read, and to be on when a programmed memory transistor is read.